Former legal, finance, tech, and marketing executives congregated to educate and inspire communities to embrace cannabis products that heal their mind, body, and soul as an alternative to traditional medicine.
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, was buzzing with activity as Yerba Buena’s “Un Chin Más” (a little bit more) event celebrated female cannabis entrepreneurs and activists working to change the perception and relationship between cannabis and marginalized communities. The dispensary’s budtenders are equipped with the latest cannabis knowledge to help consumers (seasoned or novice) navigate their colorful cannabis-infused products, ranging from potent Flowers to sleep aids to anxiety-reducing gummies, primed for your wellness boost.
The evening’s top honorees included Leann Mata, founder of Matawana, Brooklyn’s first Black woman-owned dispensary, and author of Money & Marijuana: Growing And Infusing Your Cannabis; and Amy Chin, founder of Calm Better Days, a CBD wellness platform dedicated to helping people struggling with anxiety and postpartum depression. Chin has also co-launched a cannabis-centric marketing agency, High Exposure, with co-partners Annette Fernandez and Kassia Graham, to help businesses amplify their brand messaging and sell their products and services. Jahmila Edwards, a cannabis entrepreneur (founder of Stash Queens) and policy advocate, champions the passing of regulations to expunge cannabis-related criminal records like Clean Slate and the emergence of progressive laws in the industry.
What is Yerba Buena?
Yerba buena, referred to by many in Spanish-speaking countries as the “good plant,” comes from the mint family and is used for medicinal purposes to treat everything from toothaches to arthritis, especially in the Dominican Republic, where the co-owners and spouses of Yerba Buena, Doralyn and Dio Brito, are from.
Doralyn, a former Brooklyn assistant district attorney and founder of De Dios Law, specializing in criminal and immigration law, has spent her career working with individuals charged with cannabis-related offenses and championing the reduction or dismissal of sentences while contemplating an avenue to promote the benefits of cannabis that consumers can enjoy legally. Her spouse, Dio, has a background in design and operations, was named one of Fast Company’s Creative People, and is attuned to New York’s changing cannabis-regulated market.
Rounding out the team of Yerba Buena’s co-founders and pushing for inclusion in the cannabis industry is Jillian Dragutsky, whose involvement with cannabis dates back to her father’s conviction and arrest when the plant was illegal and she was a teen. Undeterred and unfettered to advocate for cannabis regulation and equity once the MRTA passed in 2021, Dragutsky capitalized on the opportunity to obtain a CUARD (Conditional Adult-use Retail Dispensary) license approved by New York officials. She works closely with the NY Cannabis Retail Association (NYCRA), chairs the Law & Regulation Committee, and co-chairs the Women’s Committee.
Interested in opening a dispensary in New York?
Although the NYCRA’s mission is for advocacy, equality, transparency, and essential reforms to create a healthy and thriving cannabis industry in New York, there are a lot of hurdles to opening a business. According to Jillian Dragutsky:
“Anyone looking to open a dispensary: get involved. Meet others across the ecosystem — cultivators, processors, microbusinesses, and fellow retailers. Attend industry events, have conversations, and join advocacy and industry groups. The more you connect, the more you’ll understand the landscape you’re stepping into.
Upcoming Family-Friendly Cannabis Event Hosted by High Exposure Agency
Event Name: Cannabis: Art, Culture & Commerce
Date: Saturday, 5/10/2025
Time: 11 AM — 5 PM
Location: Boricua College, 3755 Broadway, 10032
Cost: Free
Ages: 13+ (a parent or guardian must accompany minors under 18)
Topics: Cannabis, community, education, health, local entrepreneurs
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