Aja Allen Is Representing For LGTBQ+ Cannabis Community With Sixty Four & Hope Launch

Sixty Four & Hope is a social equity program with a mission to put the power of legal cannabis in the hands of black and brown communities. The company recently announced the grand opening of its first store with another 20 coming down the pipe.

Source: Grant Henderson / Sixty-Four & Hope

The owner and operator of the first Sixty Four & Hope store is Aja Allen. She’s the former General Manager of a luxury retailer and has a background in managing high-volume brands. Allen opened her new store in Mid-City earlier this month.

Allen belongs to a small group of women of color involved inthe Sixty Four & Hope equity program. She is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and one of its first dispensary owners in L.A. Among the entrepreneur’s other accomplishments include being the very first of 21 social equity licensees to own and operate a Sixty Four & Hope branded cannabis store in Los Angeles.

Allen is a product from the Jungles of MLK and Crenshaw. (Many assume the nickname comes from the neighborhood seen as a threat when actually the name refers to its tropical vegetation.)

Allen says in a statement, “I grew up in an overpoliced area; family members and friends went to jail for cannabis offenses. For me, it’s not just about getting the opportunity; it’s about what I do with it once I’ve got it. I want to reinvest and positively impact my community. I have people from my neighborhood that look up to me.”

Allen sees her new license and new store as a chance to not simply change her life, but to uplift the LGBTQ+ and South L.A. communities she belongs to. She’s grateful to Sixty Four & Hope as well as to its investors. This includes Julius “J” Erving III, Queen Latifah, Anthony Selah, Nas, and Troy Carter. Investors have put $19 million into the social program with an average of $1.5 million intended for financing new cannabis businesses. There will be no upfront expenses to entrepreneurs.

Sixty Four & Hope is also putting the BIPOC community at the center of its operations. From local employees to contractors, lawyers, vendors, and service providers, people of color represent. The program also looks to support underrepresented cannabis brands, offering these businesses a platform for growth.

The mission of Sixty Four & Hope partners a respect for the cannabis plant and its culture. The program will open doors to diverse collaborations as well as authenticity.

The name Sixty Four & Hope comes from two resources. The first is Proposition 64, the original bill that legalized cannabis in Cali. “Hope” represents the ideal of a stronger platform for equity and diversity and an extension of social equity.

The long-term plan is to have 21 unique and singularly branded stores by the summer of 2023. In the short term, Melrose District will see the launch of store number two. It will be owned by Rhavin L. Wally Knott III will open three stores in West Los Angeles by the end of the year.