A dispute between the nonprofit Housing Works and the owner of a cannabis dispensary shows the risks for businesses in an industry that is locked out of traditional financing and resources.
Leeann Mata says that Housing Works has not delivered on the agreement to help develop her cannabis dispensary, Matawana.
Leeann Mata made history two years ago when she became the first Black woman to open a legal cannabis dispensary in Brooklyn.
She started the business with the support of Housing Works, a nonprofit that assists people living with AIDS. It seemed to be a perfect match — years ago, three of Ms. Mata's brothers were detained on low-level marijuana offenses under state laws that have since been amended, and Housing Works had expanded its mission to helping those negatively affected by the so-called war on drugs.
But the partnership quickly soured.
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