The Black- & Woman-Owned Dispensary Championing Social Equity

Although California originated as the sunny cannabis hub—dense with growers in the north and saturated consumption in the south—San Diego doesn't quite fit into the narrative. After Prop. 215, the law that legalized medical cannabis in the state passed, the cities of the west coast were able to open up shop and a new, more by the book, operating system fell into place.

Up until 2016, the timeline in which weed went recreational, local governments restricted the number of licenses and dispensaries able to post up in their regions. One of the most conservative and regulated being San Diego.

On this week's episode of The Plant Lady, Jackie sits down with jack of all trades, female empowerer, and owner of a San Diego local cannabis retailer JM Balbuena who got her start in the industry not long after Prop. 64 passed. In a newer fashion, JM opened her wellness brand and dispensary, Jaxx Cannabis, as a medical operation and breaks down what it's like to acquire a legal license in a county that wants to scrub cannabis culture from its image.

But by waiting her turn and playing by the county's rules, Jaxx Cannabis was able to start running and stay within its communities—unlike some of their competitors. JM recalls during the show that a lot of her success keeping her business running is attributed to patience and working for the system instead of against it.

The host and guest reminisce about the low-key disp