When I got word that (A) there’s a new Black-owned cannabis business in town and (B) it’s the “first historical hip-hop dispensary” in the country, my first thoughts were, “How in the hell has no one else done this yet?” and, “Aw, how cute and special and dope that this is happening in Portland.”
As tenacious and blossoming as the city’s scene has become, Portland isn’t exactly known for being a hotbed of hip-hop culture. But we are known for our superior 420 culture—Oregon’s got more, better, and cheaper weed than any other place in the country, and that’s attracting cannabis-loving tourists and transplants. Technically, Green Hop’s been doing business on Northeast 16th and Killingsworth since a soft opening in late 2017. Founder Karanja Crews (who goes by KC) says they’re already getting foot traffic due to their busy location near Tea Bar, Hat Yai, and Podnah’s Pit. The business is the first entirely Black-owned cannabis dispensary in Portland, and they’ll expand their hours to seven-days-a-week after the grand opening on June 16.
For the event, KC reached out to Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioner Amanda Fritz, and US Congressman Earl Blumenauer to be part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony—a move that’s consistent with the government-sanctioned Portland Hip-Hop Day.
