Black-Owned Cannabis Businesses to Support in 2026 and Beyond
At Silly Nice, ownership means responsibility.
Responsibility to the plant. Responsibility to the culture. Responsibility to the communities that carried cannabis long before it was profitable, licensed, or publicly traded.
Black History Month is not a marketing moment. It is a reminder. A reminder that the modern legal cannabis industry exists because people took risks, faced arrests, endured stigma, and built underground economies that shaped today’s regulated markets. Many of those people looked like us.
Black ownership in cannabis remains disproportionately low across the United States. In most adult-use states, Black operators represent less than 5 to 10 percent of license holders. Barriers to entry remain steep. Capital access is limited. Real estate hurdles are real. Regulatory compliance is expensive. Banking is inconsistent. Insurance is costly. The list continues.
And yet, despite those barriers, Black-owned cannabis brands and dispensaries continue to build, innovate, hire, advocate, and compete at the highest levels of quality and professionalism.
Silly Nice stands alongside them.
We are proud to be a Black- and veteran-owned craft cannabis brand operating in New York’s adult-use market. We are proud of our small-batch concentrates, infused flower, and relentless focus on quality. But we are equally proud to support every Black-owned cannabis operator pushing this industry forward in their own way.
This is not a competitive list.
This is a collective acknowledgment.
This is a national directory of Black-owned adult-use cannabis brands and dispensaries operating in recreational markets as of February 2026. This guide focuses exclusively on THC-dominant adult-use operations including flower, concentrates, edibles, pre-rolls, and vapes. Medical-only and CBD-only brands are not included here.
The legal cannabis industry changes quickly. Always verify licensing and product availability through licensed retailers and platforms like Weedmaps or Leafly.
Now, let’s get into it.
Why Supporting Black-Owned Cannabis Businesses Matters
Cannabis prohibition disproportionately harmed Black communities for decades. Arrest rates, incarceration, housing instability, and long-term economic consequences shaped generational outcomes.
As legalization expanded state by state, social equity programs were introduced to address those harms. Some states implemented more effective pathways than others. Some rolled out equity licensing quickly. Others struggled with delays, litigation, and funding gaps.
The result is a landscape where Black operators are present but underrepresented.
Supporting Black-owned cannabis businesses contributes to:
Community reinvestment
Job creation in historically over-policed neighborhoods
Criminal justice reform advocacy
Ownership and generational wealth building
Increased representation in executive leadership
More diverse product innovation
Economic participation drives long-term structural change.
At Silly Nice, we believe in competing on quality while collaborating on culture.
California
California remains one of the strongest markets for Black-owned recreational cannabis businesses, particularly in cities with active social equity programs like Los Angeles and Oakland.
Ball Family Farms
One of Los Angeles’ first Black-owned vertically integrated social equity operators. Known for premium organic flower and strong community involvement.
Website: https://www.ballfamilyfarms.com/
Tedz Budz
Black family-owned distributor highlighting small-batch exotic flower from independent growers.
Products: https://weedmaps.com/brands/teds-budz/products
Kingston Royal
Founded by former athlete Ron Brandon, Kingston Royal produces artisanal flower and diamond-encrusted products.
Products: https://weedmaps.com/brands/kingston-royal/products
Oakland Extracts
Northern California concentrate producer focused on terpene-rich extracts.
Website: https://oaklandextracts.co/
LOWD
Premium flower and concentrates with equity-focused grant initiatives through the NuLeaf Project.
Products: https://weedmaps.com/brands/lowd/products
Viola Brands
Founded by Al Harrington, Viola operates in multiple adult-use states and has become one of the largest Black-owned cannabis companies in the country.
Website: https://violabrands.com/
Biko
Black woman-owned luxury cannabis brand emphasizing potency and premium packaging.
Website: https://www.bikoflower.com/
Root’d In The 510
Equity-owned Oakland dispensary serving the Bay Area recreational market.
Website: https://rootd510.com/
New York
New York’s adult-use rollout created new ownership pathways through CAURD and social equity licensing.
Silly Nice
Black- and veteran-owned craft cannabis brand focused on small-batch concentrates and infused flower. Known for Diamond Powder, Frosted Hash Ball, and carefully curated terpene profiles.
Products: https://weedmaps.com/brands/silly-nice/products
B NOBLE
Advocacy-rooted brand supporting criminal justice reform through premium flower and pre-rolls.
Website: https://b-noble.com/
Smacked Village
First Black-owned social equity dispensary in Manhattan’s adult-use market.
Website: https://getsmacked.online/
Brooklyn Bourne Dispensary
Community-driven Flatbush dispensary offering full recreational menus.
Bliss + Lex
Black woman-owned dispensary emphasizing access and education.
Matawana
Black- and woman-owned dispensary rooted in Brooklyn culture.
Additional New York operators include Conbud, Trends Dispensaries, Upstate Canna Co, Yerba Buena, Stage One Cannabis, and King’s House of Fire.
New York’s market remains young. Growth continues. Equity operators are still scaling.
We stand with all of them.
Washington
Hollingsworth Cannabis Company
Sustainable, solar-powered Black-owned cultivation operation known for Papaya Punch and multiple product lines.
Website: https://www.hollingsworthcannabis.com/
Colorado
Simply Pure
Founded by Wanda James, one of the earliest Black- and veteran-owned dispensaries in the United States.
Website: https://simplypure.com/
New Jersey
Simply Pure Trenton
First Black-owned adult-use dispensary in New Jersey.
Noire Dispensary
Black-owned recreational retailer serving New Jersey consumers.
Additional NJ operators include Moja Life, Earth & Ivy, Timber 5, Holistic Solutions, Kota Canna, Premo, and Zyp Run.
Maryland
BL^CK MRKT
Vertically integrated, small-batch cultivation brand focused on handcrafted flower.
Mary & Main
Female-led Black-owned dispensary emphasizing education and access.
Illinois
93 Boyz
Chicago-based brand founded by Vic Mensa focused on premium genetics and reinvestment.
Ivy Hall Bucktown
Black-owned social equity dispensary serving Chicago’s adult-use market.
Massachusetts
Pure Oasis
First Black-owned recreational dispensary in Massachusetts.
6 Brick’s
Black- and women-owned dispensary serving Springfield.
Michigan
Primitiv
Black-owned multi-state brand with recreational reach.
Additional Michigan operators include The Sweet Leaf (Flint) and Nuggets Cannabis Co.
Multi-State Operators
Khalifa Kush
Premium flower and infused products available across numerous adult-use states.
Viola Brands
Operating in 10+ recreational markets nationwide.
The Bigger Picture
Black-owned cannabis businesses are not a niche category.
They are cultivators. Retailers. Extractors. Brand builders. Operators. Advocates. Investors. Community leaders.
They are shaping:
Genetics innovation
Craft concentrate techniques
Retail education models
Social equity licensing frameworks
Policy advocacy
At Silly Nice, we believe the industry is strongest when ownership is diverse and opportunity is real.
We support collaboration over division.
We believe in celebrating excellence across state lines.
We encourage consumers to:
Shop licensed retailers
Verify ownership where possible
Share and amplify Black-owned brands
Attend educational pop-ups and community events
Support policy reform that improves capital access
Black History Month is one moment on the calendar.
Economic support is year-round.