Finding a physical location to open a cannabis business in Denver is challenging. Ask local Sarah Woodson and she’ll tell you it’s among the biggest barriers to entry for new entrepreneurs.
Woodson would know. In addition to opening Denver’s first legal marijuana tour bus company, The Cannabis Experience, she’s the founder of The Color of Cannabis, an organization that advocates for BIPOC representation in the industry. One of the pillars of her work is a 10-week course that supports social equity business applicants — people of color and other marginalized groups that were disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs — and helps them bring their ideas to life.
Last year, while scouting potential brick-and-mortar locations with one of her class graduates, Woodson found a creative solution to one of the challenges facing cannabis entrepreneurs: A 10,000-square-foot warehouse in Montbello where multiple product manufacturers could share the space and, importantly, the rent.