At the cannabis industry’s largest industry conference, Wanda James became one of two cannabis industry pioneers inducted into the new MJBizDaily Awards Hall of Fame. James, honored along with Steve D’Angelo, is recognized by industry media as “both a social justice warrior and a savvy entrepreneur who has broken down barriers in ways that have helped other cannabis business owners expand and thrive.”
James, along with her husband Scott Durrah, are the first African Americans legally licensed to own a dispensary, grow facility and edible company in the United States. She is the CEO of Simply Pure in Colorado and President of Cannabis Global Initiative, a consulting firm that specializes in social equity, regulatory framework and political outreach. She is a 1986 graduate of the University of Colorado – Boulder, where she majored in Arts & Sciences and Naval ROTC Military Science.
In an industry with less than 1% African-American plant-touching business owners, James’s efforts in fighting for social equity in every facet of the industry, as well as eliminating cannabis arrests, has continued to motivate and inspire stakeholders at every level of government and industry, from Governor Jared Polis to Sen.Kamala Harris, Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Barbara Lee.
“I would like to send my congratulations to my friend Wanda James for being inducted into the MJBizDaily Hall of Fame. Wanda is a Colorado shining star. A CU graduate, military vet, Obama appointee and my appointee to the Colorado Tourism Board Directors, she has been a powerful a voice for people of color in business, in politics and most importantly to her, in social justice,” says Governor Jared Polis. “Wanda has been a leader in her commitment to ending the drug war by being an unwavering voice to end mass incarceration, and an unapologetic advocate for social equity. As the first African American legally licensed to sell cannabis to sell cannabis in Colorado, we are proud to have her voice and her business, Simply Pure Dispensary, as part of the Mile-High Family.”
Both 2019 Hall of Fame honorees, James and D’Angelo, were inducted at the MJBizDaily Awards Gala for their excellence and impact on the marijuana industry.
