The Recorder – Leisure icon Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs shopping for Greenfield marijuana dispensary

GREENFIELD — In a push to create the biggest Black-owned marijuana firm on this planet, businessman and leisure icon Sean “Diddy” Combs has agreed to purchase Greenfield’s Patriot Care dispensary.

Columbia Care, which owns Patriot Care, and Combs Enterprises launched a collaborative assertion earlier this month framing the pending deal as a transfer that “will create the nation’s first minority-owned and operated, vertically built-in multi-state (hashish) operator.” The transaction is a part of a $185 million deal by way of which Combs Enterprises is buying belongings in New York, Illinois and Massachusetts from Cresco Labs and Columbia Care. Acquisition of Patriot Care makes Greenfield one of many deal’s three concerned Massachusetts communities, becoming a member of Worcester and Leicester.

“These belongings supply the Combs’ staff important market presence, enabling them to take advantage of influence on the trade as a complete,” Columbia Care CEO and co-founder Nicholas Vita stated within the assertion. “It’s been clear to us that Sean has the correct staff to hold on the robust legacy of those Columbia Care and Cresco Labs services, and we are able to’t wait to see how he helps form the hashish trade going ahead by way of his entrepreneurial management and innovation.”

The assertion notes that hashish is the nation’s fastest-growing trade. Apart from being a profitable enterprise enterprise, the deal is a significant step towards social fairness, Combs emphasised.

“My mission has all the time been to create alternatives for Black entrepreneurs in industries the place we’ve historically been denied entry, and this acquisition offers the instant scale and influence wanted to create a extra equitable future in hashish,” Combs, chair and CEO of Combs Enterprises, stated within the assertion. “Proudly owning all the course of — from rising and manufacturing to advertising and marketing, retail and wholesale distribution — is a historic win for the tradition that can permit us to empower numerous leaders all through the ecosystem and be daring advocates for inclusion.”

Cresco Labs and Columbia Care cited Combs’ spectacular resumé as trigger for pleasure. The assertion acknowledges Combs as “probably the most profitable entrepreneurs and cultural icons of all time” who boasts “a various portfolio of enterprise and investments masking the music, style, perfume, beverage, advertising and marketing, movie, tv and media industries.”

“We expect he’s going to do some actually unbelievable work on this house based mostly on his entrepreneurial spirit and confirmed observe document,” Adam Goers, Columbia Care’s senior vp of company affairs, wrote in an e-mail.

“We’re all fairly excited,” stated Nicole Rannikko, common supervisor of Patriot Care. “We hope it brings new issues.”

Goers added that these at Columbia Care “completely see the necessity for” Combs’ mission to uplift Black entrepreneurs and diversify the hashish trade.

“When serious about this divestiture, we wished somebody with an analogous ardour and intent to create a extra inclusive trade,” Goers wrote. “We stay up for watching the influence he brings to the hashish trade in Massachusetts and past.”

Rannikko stated her firm is hopeful the deal could be finalized by early subsequent 12 months. She stated Patriot Care has not been made conscious of any potential adjustments or disruptions to service within the meantime.

“We run a extremely nice dispensary right here,” she stated. “So long as that continues, that’s all we care about.”

“We hope the area people might be as enthusiastic about Combs Enterprises as we’re,” Goers added. “We would like the trade to succeed and felt that this was a strategic transfer to assist make {that a} actuality. From an operational standpoint, it’s enterprise as ordinary till this deal closes.”

Attain Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.