Shawn Kemp, ex-NBA great, to open cannabis dispensary in Seattle
Ex-hoops star is going green & hopes to 'inspire' legal marijuana industry
Shawn Kemp, the former six-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, is set to open a cannabis dispensary in Seattle next week.
Kemp, who starred with the Seattle Supersonics from 1989 to 1997 and battled Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals, is set to open Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis on Oct. 30.
Shawn Kemp starred for the Sonics in the 1990s. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
“My name is on this company and I have worked hard to bring Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis to fruition,” Kemp said in a press release. “I want to provide nothing short of the best selection, customer experience and prices in Seattle. I have incredible partners in Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide to make sure we deliver on that promise to our customers, who are our top priority.”
Kemp partnered with Schoenlein and Hamide, the co-founders of Main Street Marijuana, to establish the business. The marijuana retailer has been one of the most popular in Washington state since marijuana was legalized in 2014. The company has produced more than $150 million in sales and more than $55 million in excise tax.
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Kemp said he also hopes to serve as a role model in the community.
Shawn Kemp, courtesy of Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis
“I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color,” he said.
Kemp's store is the latest Black-owned dispensary in Seattle. Kush21 has been in the area since 2016 and has six locations in Washington.
The shop is set to open near the Climate Pledge Arena and the Space Needle. The Climate Pledge Arena will welcome the NHL’s Seattle Kracken during the 2021-22 season and the WNBA's Seattle Storm in 2022.
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Kemp played in the NBA until 2003. He is also the part-owner of Amber’s Kitchen in the Belltown district of Seattle.