Industry

Voices of cannabis: Tahir Johnson

Published on April 1, 2023
Tahir Johnson of Simply Pure Trenton illustrated by Ali Jafri for Leafly.
(Ali Jafri / Leafly)

This Trenton, NJ native is opening his town’s first adult-use cannabis dispensary later this year.

“My parents have literally seen all three of their sons be arrested for cannabis before … just to be able to change this whole dynamic of what cannabis means for my family and the area is such a blessing.”

Tahir Johnson

After receiving more than 1,000 applications across all license types, New Jersey’s cannabis board awarded its first 11 conditional adult-use retail licenses on May 24th, 2022 — and one of those licenses went to entrepreneur Tahir Johnson. Tahir won a conditional license for his business, Simply Pure Inc., which is located in Trenton, New Jersey.

Tahir also helped lifelong friend and fellow social equity applicant John Dockery receive his own conditional license approval to open a second location. Tahir, who had cannabis-related charges prior to applying, had been closely monitoring the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission for updates on social equity applicants and prospective business owners.

He also consistently advocated for equity in the space. As Tahir was pursuing his dream of becoming a dispensary owner, and while he had his conditional license, he built key relationships and support as he continued to raise capital. 

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Leafly Staff
Leafly Staff
Leafly is the world’s largest cannabis information resource, empowering people in legal cannabis markets to learn about the right products for their lifestyle and wellness needs. Our team of cannabis professionals collectively share years of experience in all corners of the market, from growing and retail, to science and medicine, to data and technology.
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