{"id":2294,"date":"2021-11-08T13:36:30","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T13:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=183744"},"modified":"2021-11-08T13:36:30","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T13:36:30","slug":"inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=2294","title":{"rendered":"Inside the dispensary: LA\u2019s Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s is officially open"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Inside the dispensary: LA&#8217;s Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s is officially open &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em><strong>Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s has officially opened its doors.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Entering <a href=\"https:\/\/josephineandbillies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Josephine &amp; Billies, located at 1535 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in LA,<\/a> is like entering a time capsule that takes you back to the days when Josephine Baker and Billie Holiday were serenading people everywhere. <\/p>\n<p>Located in South Los Angeles, formerly known as South Central, Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s is dedicated to being an educational space and community where women of color and their allies feel safe and welcome amidst a unique speakeasy-style cannabis retail concept. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-josephine-billie-s-experience\">The Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s experience<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"Josephine and Billie's features blue and gold shades with many cannabis products\" class=\"wp-image-183747 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Inside Josephine and Billie\u2019s <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-right\">\n<p>We are not only making industry history; we are changing cannabis culture! We have demonstrated that women in cannabis are brilliant, innovative, and powerful.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Ebony Andersen<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The concept of Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s is inspired by tea pads that existed in Black communities in the 1920s and 30s. And if Josephine and Billie could see what Whitney Beatty and Ebony Andersen have created, they\u2019d be proud. <\/p>\n<p>The female minority-owned and operated cannabis dispensary allows consumers to come in, pick up a shopping basket, and browse products from other Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ founded and owned cannabis brands while keeping a focus on education and wellbeing. <\/p>\n<p>Rather than focusing on strain names and potency, much of the discussion at Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s is centered around individual needs and desired effects. <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/podcasts\/the-roll-up-202-let-black-women-live\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>The Roll-up #202: Let Black womxn live<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt class=\"wp-image-183748 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Inside look of Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s interior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The space features a terpene bar with terpene education, sniff samples, and products that come from and speak to the communities that Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s serves. Product lines like Monogram, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/brands\/cann\">Cann<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticalofficial.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tical<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/brands\/ball-family-farms\">Ball Family Farms<\/a> line the shelves, and there\u2019s no shortage of books to browse or buy and learn about plant medicine. <\/p>\n<h2>A call changed it all<\/h2>\n<p>During the grand opening of Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s, Leafly chatted with the owners regarding their journey and what it felt like to be there in the moment, experiencing their long-awaited opening. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"732\" height=\"1024\" alt=\"Whitney Beatty\" class=\"wp-image-183749 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Co-founder of Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s, Whitney Beatty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With tears in her eyes, Whitney Beatty described the moment as \u201cthe arrival.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>She explained that it meant everything for her to have a place where women of color and allies in the industry can showcase their products and a place where consumers of color and allies can find brands that speak to them.<\/p>\n<p>Co-founder Ebony Andersen explains the moment they heard that they were getting investment from The Parent Company. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt class=\"wp-image-183785 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Co-founder of Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s, Ebony Andersen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI was in traffic (as always) when we got the news. Whitney called me ecstatic. I remember thinking, \u2018OMG, is this really going to happen?\u2019&nbsp; I am by far the more stoic and cynical of the two of us, so I immediately hit the internet to research everything I could find about TPCO and the people involved,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had had the pleasure of meeting some of the Roc Nation\/Monogram execs before the forming of TPCO but knew very little about the investment group. Given the predatory practices of many investors in social equity licenses, I was skeptical of everyone\u2019s motives. To my delight, TPCO was the real deal! \u201c<\/p>\n<p>Whitney follows up with her own reply. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started crying. I couldn\u2019t believe it. I almost slid down the wall in shock. It was a defining career moment. My hands were shaking so much it was hard to call my team to let them know.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Opening doors for customers and equity<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt class=\"wp-image-183787 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<p>Before we parted ways, Whitney elaborated on what it was like to see Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s come to fruition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s both amazing and powerful. Women of color deserve a safe space for cannabis education, consumption, and healing. We are excited to climb this mountain.&nbsp; We are building more than a dispensary.&nbsp; We are building an equity model for the cannabis industry to follow,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n<p>Women of color in (and visiting) Los Angeles now have the opportunity to get their flowers from a cannabis dispensary made by and for them. <\/p>\n<p>Just don\u2019t forget to tell them Billie sent you.<\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open.jpg\" alt=\"Veronica Castillo's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Veronica Castillo<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Veronica Castillo is a writer from Miami, with a pre-Cannabis background in insurance and human resources. Currently, she is a resident of the road exploring all thing\u2019s cannabis and hemp in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>You can follow her journey on IG @vee_traveling_veg_canna_writer.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/veronica-castillo\">View Veronica Castillo&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-11-09 12:17:29 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inside the dispensary: LA&#8217;s Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s is officially open &#8211; Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Josephine &amp; Billie\u2019s has officially opened its doors. Entering Josephine &amp; Billies, located at 1535 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in LA, is like entering a time capsule that takes you back to the days when Josephine Baker and Billie&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/inside-the-dispensary-las-josephine-billies-is-officially-open.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}