The owner of a new cannabis dispensary in San Francisco wants to do more than just sell marijuana.
The grand opening of Stiiizy in Union Square on Friday was met with a line of customers donning masks snaked around the corner.
Grand opening of Stiiizy in San FranciscoMelissa Culross / KCBS Radio
Owner Cindy de la Vega told KCBS Radio she is hoping to serve as a role model for small business owners and people living in marginalized communities. The native San Franciscan grew up in the Sunnydale housing project.
“It was very tough,” she said. “There was a lot of gun violence, the war on drugs was really bad during that time.”
But with the help of the city’s Cannabis Equity Program, de la Vega—a mother of two and the first Latina dispensary owner in the program—is celebrating her first day in business. She said she began the process of opening her dispensary three years ago.
“Unfortunately, with the pandemic and all the other things going on in the world, it slowed us down a bit, but here we are today,” she said.
And that, de la Vega said, is so sweet.
“It’s a blessing and it’s so amazing to see that now I’m a business owner and a partner, and I can actually do for my community and my city,” she added.
Only six customers at a time are allowed in the dispensary and temperatures, as well as IDs, are checked at the door.
