Reese Benton made history as the first Black woman and first social equity recipient to become the sole owner of a cannabis retail store in 2020 when she opened the Posh Green Cannabis Boutique in San Francisco. Despite the numerous challenges she faced, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a lawsuit, security issues, and federal prohibition taxes, she persevered. In an interview with Leafly’s Black voices series Lumen, Benton shared her wisdom on cannabis launches, non-conformity, dealing with haters, and the future.
Benton is a hybrid-indica girl and prefers the smell of citrusy, floral strains. She has come out with her first full flower flight—a Compound Genetics collaboration on pre-rolls of Glitter Bomb, Red Bullz, and Gastro Pop. She is also an Emerald Cup flower judge and wants to be an innovative force in the industry.
When Benton first envisioned her business, she knew stores were hitting 800-900 customers a day, but she is not even doing 1% of that. She has faced numerous obstacles, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, an injunction from the people in the building, and a lack of support from her own community. Despite all this, she is determined to succeed and is looking forward to the completion of the India Basin project behind Posh Green in 2025.
Benton also encourages other entrepreneurs to be independent and live out their dreams. She refuses to conform to what others expect of her and is determined to make her own mark on the industry. She is aware of the haters but chooses to focus on the people who support her, and she is grateful for the opportunity to inspire others. Her ultimate goal is to be a philanthropist and a billionaire, and she hopes that one day Amazon will buy her license.
