In the cannabis industry, Morton, like many, are dropping six digits on an application process that entails hiring lawyers and consultants, as well as contending with inflated real estate prices and more.
As with many would-be cannabis store owners, Morton is hitting a wall in her home city.
“We’re using our money because we believe in our dream and what we’re trying to accomplish, but at the same time, it’s bleeding us dry,” she said.
Morton grew up on Newark’s Avon Avenue, an area known for its gun violence and car theft, she said.
Morton herself, a victim of gun violence, wanted her cannabis business to create generational wealth for her and the community she’s from and as a customs broker, she was no stranger to rules and regulations, she said.
Morton’s retail company, known as Bountiful Buds Delights, is composed largely of Black women who grew up in Newark — one of the same demographics the state cannabis legislation was written to help.