When I first received a call from my son, telling me that opening a medical cannabis dispensary might be the path to open the holistic health center for seniors that I dreamed of, I thought for sure that all my years of parenting had gone up in smoke and I was losing him to drugs! After much research, working with seniors and professionals in the medical cannabis industry my awareness changed.

After being a Catholic school principal, the same love and care that I had for children is now focused on improving the lives of others who desperately need our care - seniors.

iCann’s dispensary model will be the first of its kind: A true health center focused on meeting the needs of our city’s most vulnerable and in-need population, Seniors.Our focus will be that of healing, health, and a balanced lifestyle. Our competitors are proposing to bring dispensary models to Berkeley that are in line and in competition with those already available throughout the Bay Area, serving a similar demographic. iCann instead will focus on the most under-served populations: seniors and low-income patients.

The chronic illness and health conditions specific to the aging population can be positively impacted the most by having access to high quality, sustainable medical cannabis. This natural alternative to pharmaceutical drugs offers seniors a holistic path to healing, providing them a quality of life not found in the pain management approach to medicine that is so common.

iCann is the only applicant with a truly diverse ownership and leadership. We are an African American family company comprised of professional women, seniors and Berkeley residents.

iCann has teamed up with CRAFT Industries in a consolidated effort to see this vision come to life. CRAFT has been a locally licensed collective for the last 4 years. They have exemplified the highest quality and safety standards while delivering their clean green certified, organic and award winning medicine to the patients of Berkeley and surrounding areas. We collectively bring decades of holistic health, business, education and medical cannabis experience to this project. Our team is the only consolidated team in this application process. Together our two teams have formed one A+ team who has deep local roots in the Berkeley community.

Our leadership team has extensive medical cannabis experience deep rooted in scientific research, education and activism. We are building upon our collective retail operating experience and have additionally contracted with 4Front Advisors, the nation’s leading dispensary operations consulting firm. 4Front currently works with eighteen licensed dispensaries across the country. Their team includes the former executive director of SPARC in San Francisco, the former director of training for Hillstone Restaurant Group, and the designer of retail operating protocols for Einstein Brothers Bagels, Old Navy, and Panera Bread. Jamaal Taylor served as general manager for a medical cannabis dispensary in San Jose, owned and operated a successful luxury auto dealership, and currently owns and operates a tax franchise.

iCann will be the only facility in the Bay Area to offer California state certified educational courses specifically related to seniors and medical cannabis. Our executive director, Sue Taylor, is a nationally recognized expert on the issue of seniors and medical cannabis. She has been invited to address audiences of seniors all across the country on this topic. This is Ms. Taylor’s opportunity to build a showcase for her nationally acclaimed program to educate and counsel seniors, right in her hometown.

AARP statistics show that between 2011 and 2018 baby boomers will be turning 60 at a rate of 8,000 per day. In Berkeley, 59% of households have one or more persons over 60 in the home. With aging comes aging related illnesses and conditions. Medical cannabis is a viable natural alternative to the prescription pharmaceuticals that most seniors use on a regular basis. iCann is the only dispensary applicant in Berkeley proposing to focus on educating, counseling, and serving the population.

Berkeley is a small city with a big reputation and is known for its grassroots and progressive culture. iCann Health Center will further highlight that spirit.

Please show your support by signing our petition and sharing with others. We want to let the Berkeley City Council and the Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission know that the community supports our vision.

Thank you,

Sue Simon Taylor and the whole CRAFT Industries / iCANN LLC team