MJBizMag May-June 2023 - 32

Josephine & Billie's carries brands owned by
racial minorities and LGBTQ cannabis operators.
Photo by Laurel Hungerford
gathering place for small events, such
as seminars on cannabis selection,
rolling joints or the power of terpenes.
Beatty organizes the events and
teaches the classes herself, aiming
to give attendees real education on
the plant and its benefits rather than
gimmicky promotions such as lighter
and sticker giveaways.
" I hope that helps develop a
customer base that is more loyal, "
Beatty said.
Overcoming Stigmas
and Other Challenges
Her efforts appear to be working
among a cross-section of consumers,
from nearby students at the University
of Southern California to lower wage
earners in the neighborhood to aunties
and seniors rediscovering marijuana
after years, sometimes decades.
Many attendees come back to shop,
listen and talk-and bring their friends.
" We're growing within those circles
by positive word of mouth, " Beatty said.
But her business isn't immune to the
challenges raging in the world's largest
regulated and illicit market. Only a few
doors down, on either side of Martin
Luther King Jr. Boulevard, unregulated
storefronts often sell the same branded
products Beatty has on her shelves-only
30 May-June 2023 | MJBizMagazine
I wanted to do
something that was
materially different.
I wanted to build the
shopping experience
that I wanted to
have. I was tired of
everything being an
Apple Store.
- Whitney Beatty,
Josephine & Billie's
the owners don't pay taxes or deal with
state-compliance issues.
Stigmas around marijuana
are still strong in South L.A., an
area targeted for decades by the
government's war on drugs, which
led to mass incarcerations, decimated
neighborhoods and generational
resentment.
" It makes people really reticent to
try it, which for me is disappointing
because communities of color are
most in need of having safe access to
cannabis, " Beatty said.
That's why she often gives firsttime
visitors a tour of the space, with
products arranged by terpene profiles,
related effects and easy-to-understand
potencies, ranked from one champagne
glass to five. Budtenders talk with
consumers about genetics, growth
characteristics and brand origins.
A chart on the wall maps the history
of cannabis from the 1400s through the
Civil War, the " Reefer Madness " era, the
counterculture movement and state
marijuana legalization.
" That timeline allows me to have
conversations that help dispel myths
or deep-seated feelings that they have
about the plant, " Beatty said of reticent
consumers.
About 80% of the products in her
store are priced at $50 or less, a
reflection of the customer base and an
ultracompetitive market.
" I don't want to be a communityserving
dispensary that the community
can't afford to shop at, " Beatty said.
She wants all customers-especially
people of color and other
disenfranchised consumers-to feel
welcomed, appreciated and attended
to at Josephine & Billie's.
" Having them come here and feel
seen is everything to me, " Beatty
said. " Within this community, I want
everybody to feel at home. "
MJBizMag May-June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag May-June 2023
