Losing Weight: How Kyle Page Went From Prison to Building a Cannabis Legacy with Ascend
Some stories are so good, you’d think they came straight out of a movie. Kyle Page has one of those stories.
From Brooklyn to Prison at 18
Raised between Brooklyn and New Jersey, Kyle was arrested at just 18 years old for selling dime bags. But that’s only the beginning. His story is full of twists and turns that make it a must-see event. I’ll share the full version in the next issue of the magazine, but for now, know this—it has a happy ending.
“I just did seven years in prison, and when I got out, I wanted to get into the cannabis industry. I got locked up for weed—I wanted to work with weed,” Kyle said. “St. Williams Holdings gave me a job while I was still on parole. That chance changed my life. I went from a regular tech to lead cultivator, and from there, doors started opening.”
Finding Opportunity with Ascend
One of those doors came through Ascend, where Kyle connected with Danielle Drummond, Vice President of Social Equity. Their first collaboration for Black History Month led to even greater opportunities.
“She treated me just like family,” Kyle said. “Danielle made me believe in myself. She inspired me to tell my story and be who I am. From there, she introduced me to leadership at Ascend, and it just snowballed.”
Danielle remembers that moment vividly.
“Kyle is the poster person for what this industry and social equity were supposed to be about,” she said. “He took the small opportunity to tell his story and ran with it. He’s at every expungement clinic, mentoring people, helping others. Watching that growth has been incredible.”
Building East Coasting
Kyle’s growth in the company earned him the chance to launch his own dispensary brand, East Coasting—under his own name. That’s a rarity in a market where corporate partners often overshadow equity entrepreneurs.
“This is an opportunity I didn’t hear from any other company,” Kyle said. “Ascend didn’t just give me a license; they gave me the training to be a CEO, a CFO, and a COO. That education alone is worth millions. Now I can create generational wealth for my daughters and opportunities for people in my neighborhood.”
Lessons for Returning Citizens
So what advice does Kyle give to others hoping to follow a similar path?
“Be tenacious and be persistent. Never give up because this industry is hard,” he said. “I was kicked out because of my charges and had to fight my way back in. Network, talk to people like me, talk to people like Danielle. Take that same fight you had in the streets and put it into this industry—but do it differently. That persistence is what’s going to make the difference.”
Danielle echoes that sentiment:
“Partnership isn’t for everyone, but when it’s done right, it allows people who deserve to benefit from this industry to truly do so. And Kyle is proof of what’s possible when opportunity and authenticity come together.”
From Legacy to Legal
For Kyle, the path from legacy to legal has been anything but simple—but his story is proof of what can happen when resilience meets real equity in cannabis.
