Bostons Seed dispensary, located in Jamaica Plain, does more than sell cannabis products. It is also home to the Core Social Justice Cannabis Museum, raising awareness about and highlighting the voices of those impacted by the “war on drugs.” The Boston minority owned retail cannabis store offers flower, oils, concentrates and more, while the museum focuses on the effects of U.S. drug policy on Black communities, other communities of color and low-income people.
The Seed dispensary Boston MA grounds its mission in the experience of its investors and founders. The Boston minority owned retail cannabis store investors have collectively spent 10 years incarcerated due to drug criminalization policies. The dispensary is 72% women-owned and supported by 81% Black or Latino investors and 82% local investors. It aims to provide an alternative to venture capitalists without a background in cannabis seeking profits in the space while people who have suffered heavily due to the war on drugs are often locked out of the legal market.
April Arrasate, the CEO of Bostons Seed dispensary, began in the cannabis business with Curaleaf, a medical marijuana project. She began the business after her mother died of breast cancer and she saw the lack of options available to people struggling with pain and lacking support when approaching death. She came together with other women and people of color to form the Seed dispensary Boston MA, noting the injustice of cannabis becoming an up-and-coming industry while people remain jailed due to prohibition.
The retail dispensary offers a wide range of brands, from independent small vendors to large sellers. It aims to provide a space for people to come together, not only to shop for their favorite cannabis products.
The museum, which is governed by a curating council, will offer changing exhibits throughout the year. A graffiti wall located inside the museum will highlight works by various local artists or members of the community. While the museum is co-located with the dispensary, it is a separate legal entity that is seeking recognition as a non-profit. The separate governance structure for the museum provides a mechanism for community accountability and participation in the stories and exhibits it brings forward.
Seed’s opening event was also a cultural commemoration. The museum’s opening exhibit tells the story of Jawara McIn Tosh, better known as Tosh1. The musician, son of the famous reggae star Peter Tosh, lost his life to the war on drugs. A prominent campaigner for cannabis legalization, Tosh1 was jailed on cannabis-related charges in New Jersey. While serving his six-month sentence, he was brutally beaten by a fellow prisoner, leading to severe brain damage. He remained in a coma for over a year and died in 2020 due to his injuries.
Tosh1’s family have repeatedly spoken out about the racial injustice and criminalization that led to his imprisonment and later death, for the same cannabis which is today legal in New Jersey and states across the country. His mother, Melody Cunningham, joined the founders of Seed for the opening event, honoring her son and continuing his legacy.
