DENVER — As some of Denver’s Cannabis Social Equity Program participants struggle to find permanency in the cannabis industry, a Colorado man recently opened his first dispensary called "Let’s Blaze" — three years after entering the program.
The program is designed to help Coloradans with marijuana convictions that predate legalization become cannabis business owners.
“So, with the social equity (program), they had set forth rules and stipulations and guidelines you had to follow. And the first mission was a delivery company. Let's get the delivery company up, understand the market, understand, you know, the do's and the don'ts and the pitfalls,” LaRon Bradford said.
Bradford launched his delivery business in 2021.
“I'm just a person that never gives up. So, they set forth the rules, and I just started checking off boxes … It was ‘Blaze-to-go’ delivery service. It was great. I mean, getting out to the community, just educating," Bradford said. "I think for us, it was all about education to the people, because we call ourselves a compliance company that delivers cannabis."
The City of Denver has reserved cannabis delivery business licenses for social equity business owners until 2027. City leaders said this was done to encourage established dispensaries to partner with social equity businesses and to help social equity business owners break into the industry.
But Bradford’s business partner, Mitch Lane, said industry leaders have been hesitant to partner with social equity business owners.
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“Social equity was trying to change ownership numbers, and because the city and state gave some people some opportunities, it doesn't mean that the whole city and the rest of the ownership and industry did the same, and it's been difficult to find the right partnerships and the right people that have wanted to share that vision,” Lane said. “It has been a tough road, lots of hurdles to cross. I think the city and the state have done a fantastic job to give us the opportunities to pursue, but it's been a lot of difficulties along the way. It's taken some perseverance and some hard work, but we're here now.”
Lane said "Let’s Blaze" utilizes an e-commerce structure.
“It’s kind of like the Uber Eats of cannabis. Dispensaries can list on our website, and then we'll go pick up goods and deliver straight to your door. And that's led us to have a full ecosystem of cannabis licenses now, including our own dispensary, which will be our delivery hub as well,” Lane said.
Denver’s executive director of The Department of Excise and Licenses Molly Duplechian said social equity applicants still face challenges.
“I think one of the really challenging pieces of our social equity program is that we implemented it later in our process, later in the kind of lifespan of marijuana legalization here in Denver. So, our social equity applicants and social equity licenses came into a well-established industry that was somewhat already saturated, and it's very competitive and a highly regulated industry,” Duplechian said.
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She continued, “So, it was an uphill, you know, battle really, to get established in the industry for those social equity licensees. I think the other new challenge is that we are facing somewhat of a marijuana recession. We are seeing sales decline, revenues decline, and so I think that just makes it an additional challenge for social equity licensees to get themselves established in such a competitive market.”
A recent City of Denver report found marijuana sales have been down significantly over the last few years. But Duplechian said there are other key take aways.
“Marijuana-related crime remains extremely low. Tax revenue for marijuana continues to make important contributions to helping solve challenges like unsheltered homelessness, affordable housing. We also utilize that revenue for regulation, enforcement and education of the commercialized system," Duplechain said. "But it also shows that we are starting to see a bit of that recession, with marijuana sales and revenues decreasing. So, a lot of important data points for us to keep our eye on and to share with the public."
Duplechian said the city currently has 56 active licensed social equity marijuana businesses. Duplechian said the city is glad to see Bradford find success in the program.
“We've been in touch with him for many years, even from before the program was in place. And so I'm really excited to hear that his business is growing and that he was able to establish that small delivery business and grow it from there,” Duplechian said.
Bradford said he’s grateful his mile high dreams have come true.
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