At the age of 25, WAGS Atlanta cast member, Hope Wiseman is the founder of Mary and Main a dispensary set to open up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, making Wiseman the youngest dispensary owner in the U.S.
Wiseman started the business with her mother, Dr. Octavia Simkins-Wiseman, and co-founders, Dr. Larry Bryant and Dexter Parker. Admittedly, she and her mother didn’t know too much about the industry but, what she did know was, there was a real market opportunity. The two brought on additional co-founders to help tackle the feat.
Mary and Main co-founders (Image: Instagram)
Recently, while chatting with publication EstroHaze, Wiseman stated that it took about three years to obtain the license for the dispensary. Due to her background in finance, she was able to obtain the seed capital to get the company off the ground. “I exhausted all of my contacts and was able to raise money, plus my group [self-funded] a lot of it. We were able to get funding from a bank as well, which is very unique in this industry,” Wiseman told EstroHaze.
She has a few suggestions for people interested in getting into the cannabis business. One, check out the rules and regulations for your state because each state’s laws differ heavily. Additionally, consider starting an ancillary company. There will be fewer regulations and financial obligations. This will allow you to build up your network and stack up money without putting forth too many resources.
According to Wiseman, this will not be your typical dispensary. They will host classes to educate their patients about making money specifically in the cannabis industry. “We’ll provide educational events like Cannabis 101 and events about the business side. A passion of mine is encouraging millennials and minorities to get into the industry. Organizations that we are partnered with, like Women Grow, can hold events in our facility as well. We’d like it to be a hub for cannabis education and networking events,” Wiseman stated to EstroHaze.
The establishment is set to open up around Christmas time.