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Former NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp Opens Dispensary in Seattle

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Former NBA All-Star and Seattle Supersonics legend Shawn Kemp opened a new dispensary in the city he began his career in.

Kemp partnered with Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide, two co-founders of Main Street Marijuana, which grew to become the biggest cannabis retailer in the state of Washington since the company began in 2014. The dispensary, named Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis, is one of the first Black-owned dispensaries in Seattle. “When I started looking into opening a store seriously, about a year ago, there were no Black owners in Seattle. So now for me to be part owner of this shop, and working to do four other shops, I think it indicates we’re headed in the right direction,” Kemp said. “I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color.”

Recreational cannabis has been legal in Washington since 2012, but the state’s Commission on African American Affairs estimates that only around one percent of recreational cannabis licenses are held by African Americans. In March, Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill that allows the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to issue unused licenses to applicants in communities that have been affected by the war on drugs.

Kemp joins other former professional basketball players who have already joined the cannabis industry, including Al Harrington, who started his own cannabis brand and the late Cliff Robinson, who released a line of cannabis pre-rolls and opened his own dispensary as well in Oregon. Many athletes outside of the NBA have also spoken out in favor of medical cannabis, including former players of football, golf, snowboarding and many more.

On Friday, October 30, Kemp participated in a the green ribbon cutting ceremony with former teammate and NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton, who played with Kemp in Seattle from 1990 to 1997.

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