East New York native Dasheeda Dawson named city cannabis czarina

Department of Small Business creates Cannabis NYC initiative to support cannabis industry at local, state, national policy level

October 12, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Dasheeda Dawson. Photo courtesy of Dasheeda Dawson on LinkedIn®

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EAST NEW YORK — The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and the mayor’s office announced Wednesday the appointment of Dasheeda Dawson, a native of East New York, as founding director of Cannabis NYC, an initiative designed to spearhead the growth of the cannabis industry and expand direct services to cannabis entrepreneurs and professionals, as well as educate the public.

“Leading Cannabis NYC is an incredible full circle moment. Growing up in East New York, I survived the height of cannabis prohibition and witnessed targeted enforcement derail the lives of my friends and family. I was stopped, searched, and treated like a criminal before I ever touched the plant, which shaped my initial perceptions,” said Dawson.

Dawson will serve as the new liaison between SBS and other city agencies, also including the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, as well as community, political and industry organizations.

Dawson is a Fortune 100 business strategist and cannabis advocate. She is also a bestselling author on cannabis topics and expertise, having published “How to Succeed in the Cannabis Industry.”

“Now, as a cannabis patient, educator, and regulator, I get to support other consumers, small businesses, and local stakeholders in the growing industry so that cannabis — once used to suppress communities like mine — can be tapped as a tool for transformation. I’m thrilled to be back home, helping to craft an equity-centered approach to the city’s cannabis industry framework that welcomes all New Yorkers to the table.”

Dawson serves as Board chair of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition, a national organization of industry policymakers and regulators regarded as a leader of cannabis equity and reform. She received her MBA from Rutgers Business School and completed her undergraduate degree in molecular biology at Princeton University.

“New York City was the former marijuana arrests capital in this state and in this country, the promise of reform will be shaped by what happens in New York,” says Kassandra Frederique, executive director, Drug Policy Alliance.

“For this reason and for many others, Dasheeda Dawson is an inspired choice because as a leading member of the statewide coalition to regulate cannabis in New York, she understands the intent, the New York landscape, and is a renowned cannabis expert. She is also a co-founder of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition so not only will New York benefit from her deep expertise but will be able to continue to learn from others across the country.”