Detroit Legacy Adult-Use Recreational Dispensary, High Profile Cannabis, Celebrates Grand Opening on City’s Eastside
Black-owned High Profile Cannabis Shop celebrated its grand opening today with the support of Council President Pro-Tem James Tate, Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison, and other city officials. High Profile’s Detroit location is owned by Najanava Harvey-Quinn, a Social Equity applicant and legacy Detroit licensee of the recreational marijuana dispensary.
“This month as we close out Women’s History Month, we celebrate Najanava Harvey-Quinn in the opening of High Profile, a woman owned adult-use cannabis retail store, in the city of Detroit,” said Council President Pro-Tem James Tate. “Our city’s social justice "street fighter", Najanava has been leading efforts to reposition those impacted by the War on Drugs from victims to owners. I applaud her tenacity. She has fought tirelessly to see equality and equity in the cannabis industry and today she in her own right has won that fight. We stand with her and will continue to support her as we work together to break barriers for equity in cannabis for all.”
Since the city of Detroit legalized the sale of marijuana for adult use three years ago, Mayor Mike Duggan's administration and Council President Pro-Tem James Tate have worked closely to guarantee that Detroiters have equal access to the legal marijuana market, which is expected to generate $3 billion in annual revenue in Michigan by 2024.
The legalization of recreational marijuana in Detroit last year, through the revised ordinance, made it possible to operate adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries, consumption lounges, and microbusinesses, ensuring that the city's business community is given precedence.
“This truly is an unprecedented time and opportunity for entrepreneurial residents like Najanava to invigorate the community’s prospects in the cannabis business,” said Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison. “It cannot be emphasized enough; Black and Brown communities have a real chance to grow profits in a legal industry that had previously penalized generations of our residents. Following High Profile’s footsteps, we look forward to seeing other licensed cannabis businesses open and cement Detroit as a model for opportunity in other cities.”
According to the 2022 revised city ordinance, the social equity proponent was mandated by the 2018 ballot measure for state regulators to use in communities like Detroit that "have historically been excluded from ownership opportunities in the legal marijuana industry due to the disproportionate impact of marijuana prohibition, enforcement, the lack of access to capital, land, and resources."
Last April, the Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship, which operates under the Detroit Department of Civil Rights Inclusion & Entrepreneurship (CRIO), began accepting applications for 100 adult-use retail limited licenses, half of which were reserved for social equity applicants.
“The role of the Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity department (CRIO) – through our Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship – is to ensure equitable and meaningful opportunities for Detroiters in their business endeavors. We must recognize none of this would have been possible without Council Pro Tem Tate and the program execution by Kim James, Director of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship. Due to them, we again witness the successful openings of businesses that will contribute to the City’s economic growth in this multimillion-dollar industry,” said Anthony Zander, Director of CRIO.
Longtime Detroit residents, who own at least a 51% stake in a business, can be certified by the city as a “Detroit legacy” applicant and still benefit from city assistance with business plans, reduced costs and fees, networking, and discounted zoned city properties.
Detroit Legacy is leading the country in community-based cannabis opportunities as the first time any municipality is carving out a designation based on a status of legacy residence. A licensee's designation of "Detroit Legacy," (like High Profile) reflects that at least 51% of the ownership have been certified as long-term Detroit residents who have lived in the City of Detroit for at least 15 years out of the last 30. Low -income Detroiters and those with prior convictions or a parent with a prior conviction pertaining to the sale, possession, use, cultivation, processing, or transport of marijuana prior to 2018 can get this certification after 10 and 13 years, respectively.
Last December, City of Detroit notified the first 34 successful equity licensee applicants for adult-use marijuana retail licenses, including High Profile Cannabis Shop, that they have been approved.
High Profile Cannabis Shop is a dispensary chain operated by Ann Arbor-based C3 Industries with locations across Michigan, Massachusetts, and Missouri. The company’s new shop is their first in Detroit, co-owned by Harvey-Quinn as the social equity applicant and managed by Andre Murphy. The store carries many Michigan-based brands of cannabis products.
After her sister was arrested in 2008 for a small possession of marijuana, Harvey-Quinn witnessed social and economic barriers, such as employment, her sister endured due to the legal criminalization of cannabis. She was motivated to advocate for policy change to protect others from the negative impact of the city’s then strict marijuana regulations.
“From the start, there was a good line of communication with Office of Marijuana Ventures in helping us navigate the process. We all fought for this ordinance and having that relationship with them was helpful to know that they were responsive to our needs at every step,” said Harvey-Quinn. “The Legacy Detroit program presented an opportunity for us to make sure Black and Brown people have a pathway to impact their communities as long-term residents. Being an owner, I hope to lead by example. I want us to make sure we all work together to leave the door open for generations of people of color who are trying to get into this industry.”
To date the city issued 34 adult-use marijuana retail licenses. Twenty of the 34 were issued to social equity applicants. Out of 20 equity licensees granted, 14 are associated with a Detroit Legacy certified individual. Cannabis business owners who obtain a license from the city must also obtain a state license Out of the 34 total licensed in December, about 24 currently have a state license.
Nineteen of the 34 retailers are owned by Detroiters with a 51% majority, including:
- 10 African American men 51% majority owners
- 7 African American women 51% majority owners
- 15 Detroit Legacy certified individuals have ownership interests
