Far & Dotter Announces First Franchisees, Furthers Mission of Creating a More Equitable, Inclusive Cannabis Industry

Far & Dotter, the inclusive cannabis dispensary franchise backed by Curio Wellness, has announced the signing of its first two franchisees. The concept plans to continue growing, planting roots in more states nationwide as soon as the necessary licenses are secured.

The brand announced the launch of its franchising opportunities in 2021, and it has received nearly 800 applications from prospective franchisees. The signing of the first two was announced just today.

Both new franchisees are recipients of The Fund, a program associated with Curio Wellness “that will provide start-up capital for minority business owners to open their own Curio Wellness franchise location.”

The Fund will provide a total of $30 million in funding to up to 50 women, minority and disabled veteran entrepreneurs by connecting them with diverse investors.

“In looking at the systemic barriers that women, minorities and disabled veterans face in accessing capital, we decided to develop a solution that directly addresses this massive economic disparity,” said Michael Bronfein, CEO of Curio Wellness, in a press release about the program. “The Fund provides qualifying entrepreneurs with the investment capital they need to become a Curio Wellness Center franchisee while ensuring their success through our best-in-class business operations.”

Sederia Gray, who will be opening a location in Mississippi, and Haider Rzvi, who will be opening a location in New Jersey, both participated in an extensive vetting process before being chosen to franchise with Far & Dotter and receive capital support.

While Curio states that The Fund is able to combat discriminatory lending practices that count cannabis start-ups out of the equity, capital and loans process, its focus on providing support to minorities who are disproportionately impacted runs even deeper.

According to Forbes, less than one-fifth of legal cannabis business owners and founders are minorities. The legal cannabis market is projected to meet over 40% of the country’s annual demand by 2025, and institutional investors are taking advantage of new legislation that empowers legal cannabis business.

However, as the rich get richer, far too many individuals are systematically disadvantaged due to their involvement with cannabis. In 2020, about 40,000 people were incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses, despite many states decriminalizing and legalizing the drug. 

The racial disparities in marijuana-related prosecution are all the more heinous, with African Americans being arrested at rates nearly four times higher than whites despite near-equivalent consumption rates.

Continued involvement in and monitoring by the criminal punishment system makes it incredibly difficult to secure a job, let alone the funding to start a business.

“We have to remember that before cannabis was legal, the people who were hit hardest by criminal penalties for possession were African Americans. They were, and still are, incarcerated and charged with possession at higher rates than any other group,” explained Donnie P., author and owner of Green Leaf Dispensary. “While many official cannabis businesses are thriving and making money, thousands of people are still sitting in jails for possession of the product sold legally over the counter.”

As the stigma surrounding cannabis begins to shift, it is becoming widely recognized as an alternative medicine option.

“There are so many illnesses that medical cannabis can help with, including eating disorders, PTSD, chronic pain and cancer treatment symptoms, among others,” Donnie added. “It’s far safer to use than opioids and other pain treatment options. The science backs that up. So for me, it’s another option for the government to handle the opioid crisis that is impacting so many American cities across the country.”

The U.S. cannabis market is expected to be valued at $40 billion by 2030, indicating exponential growth.

“The cannabis industry is exploding, and it’s important that the government and businesses do more to facilitate a fair, equitable cannabis space for everyone,” he added.

As Curio Wellness embraces its minority entrepreneurs, recognizing the barriers that prevent equitable growth within the cannabis space, its first two franchisees backed by The Fund illustrate an important part of an industry shift toward a more inclusive, equitable model that will allow fairer access to the booming market.

“The majority of cannabis businesses are white-owned. There are many reasons for this, including current cannabis laws and systemic barriers, but in order to correct the system a bit, diversifying the cannabis space just makes sense,” Donnie said. “Many states are just beginning to address the diversity issue now, so we’ll have to see how it plays out.”