Rose Mary Jane, a unique cannabis retailer, celebrated its grand opening with a media ceremony and cannabis equity awareness event on May 20th in the Lake Merritt neighborhood. The first West Coast retail store of Rose Mary Jane, located at 2340 Harrison Street across the street from the Whole Foods Market, serves adult-use and medical consumers. The event was attended by Rose Mary Jane’s President and Bay Area cannabis industry veteran, Nayir Felix, and Owner & Partner Cynthia Carey-Grant, a long-time Oakland community healthcare and wellness advocate. Evelyn LaChapelle, who manages Rose Mary Jane’s community engagement work, also spoke at the event.
Rose Mary Jane’s grand opening was not just about the opening of a new store but also about promoting fairness, justice, and equity. The store announced the launch of its monthly Equity Awareness Event series, which highlights the array of Oakland-equity owned products carried at Rose Mary Jane. Over 30% of the brands Rose Mary Jane carries are equity-owned cultivators and manufacturers, with 26% of those being from Oakland. Some of the participating featured brands include Sweetwater, Conscious Mindz, Smoke Champs, World Peace, White Rabbit, New Life, Dolo, and Happy Trails.
“Rose Mary Jane is the Bay Area’s newest cannabis evolution in America’s first cannabis market,” said Cynthia Carey-Grant, Rose Mary Jane’s Owner & Partner. “At Rose Mary Jane, we believe the cannabis industry is a force for good when equity, inclusion, and social justice are prioritized, and that’s why we believe Oakland is the ideal destination to serve as our first West Coast retail location.”
Rose Mary Jane will continue its grand opening celebration with a customer celebration on Saturday, May 21st from 1pm to 4pm. The event will include food, music, and entertainment and Rose Mary Jane will have brand pop-ups and specials to offer customers throughout the entire weekend.
“Rose Mary Jane Lake Merritt is designed to mirror the vibrancy, diversity, and excitement of Oakland’s Lake Merritt neighborhood,” said Nayir Felix, Rose Mary Jane’s President. “We’ve created an uplifting customer experience and will provide a welcoming and inclusive cannabis shopping environment. All Rose Mary Jane customers will enjoy a community-centric gathering spot and a unique space to explore, shop, relax, and enjoy.”
In addition to promoting fairness and equity, Rose Mary Jane continues to support Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. The store will also partner with WORLD, Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Disease, a respected women’s health advocacy group based in Oakland, CA.
The grand opening of Rose Mary Jane is a testament to the company’s commitment to promoting fairness, justice, and equity in the cannabis industry. With its unique approach to retail, Rose Mary Jane is sure to be a destination for both medical and adult-use cannabis consumers in the Bay Area.
