“The high costs of running a dispensary for small, private-owned owners like me make it impossible to afford full-time security. Added to this, banks have yet to offer services for the cannabis industry, leaving us vulnerable.”
OAKLAND, Calif. (PRWEB)
May 10, 2022
Today, Joshua Chase, a cannabis activist/entrepreneur, announced the opening of Oakanna, a premium recreational + medicinal cannabis dispensary, days after burglars shot Chase at the new location. He is recovering and is dedicating the official opening of Oakanna to 510 Day. Oakanna is the first dispensary to operate in Lakeshore Avenue’s prominent shopping district. http://www.oakanna.com
Emerging Oakland Native
“I am ecstatic about the opening, and even more thrilled to be a native of Oakland operating a high-end recreational + medicinal dispensary in Oakland on Lakeshore for Oakland residents,” said Chase, who has grown up in East Oakland, attended Oakland Public Schools, graduated from Santa Clara University and who has since emerged as one of the youngest Oakland cannabis activists and community leaders. “The shooting was devastating for me, my family, staff, and friends. But now that I’m recovering and restoring business at Oakanna, I am refocusing on continuing to provide premium cannabis products to the Lakeshore community and to the Oakland community at large, making it especially important that we make our official announcement about Oakanna opening on 510 Day”
Oakland’s 510 Day
The annual 510 Day at Lake Merritt was established in 2015 to offer a free, public, intergenerational, grassroots community event dedicated to celebrating Oakland’s history and culture. According to the City of Oakland, it was formed in the face of the rapidly growing housing crisis and the pressures of gentrification that are pushing long-term residents out of the area. Displacement is not the only by-product of gentrification, as newcomers to Oakland have been increasingly responding to the culture here in hostile, dangerous, and potentially deadly ways, particularly to Black and Brown residents over the past decade. This year’s 510 Day will start at Lake Merritt to present the cultural resilience of Oakland’s diverse communities; showcase creative wellness and offer visions for a collective future in each neighborhood.
Urgent Need for Dispensary Protection
Oakanna, which leases space formerly a CVS store, first opened in April xx. Three days later, at 4:30 AM on April xx, Joshua was alerted to a possible burglary underway. When he arrived, he encountered eight armed men. They shot at him from afar, causing a bullet to ricochet and penetrate his left foot. The men sped away in a waiting car before police could arrive. They absconded with approximately $5,000 of merchandise from the dispensary. Joshua was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery. Incidents like this are becoming too familiar at Oakland dispensaries and dispensaries in other states lately. The unique nature of the growing cannabis marketplace that places the burden of stashing large sums of cash on-site or on a person because of banking regulations is increasingly making managing dispensaries challenging and, too often, dangerous.
“Oakland dispensaries desperately need protection,” Chase said. “The high costs of running a dispensary for small, private-owned owners like me make it impossible to afford full-time security. Added to this, banks have yet to offer services for the cannabis industry, leaving us vulnerable.”
Chase explained that some target dispensaries for these reasons and that increased police presence and protection would help tremendously. As a result of the incident, Chase and the Oakanna staff have tremendous support shown by local Lakeshore and Grand Avenue shopkeepers.
“Hands down, Lakeshore is one of the best retail business communities in the Bay Area, and the outpouring of support has been humbling and yet encouraging,” Chase said.
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