The City Council will hear a second reading of an ordinance for rezoning 1112 Veterans Drive for special use on Monday night.
Pleasant met Beraki when he was a tenant in one of his buildings and Beraki asked him to jump aboard a new venture in the retail adult-use cannabis industry.
Pleasant says his negative views and the connotations on the usage of cannabis changed once he spent more time on the inside of the industry and got more involved as a business consultant proposing business modeling and best practices: “I saw it from a different perspective.
Pleasant says from a business perspective he believes the cannabis industry as an entry way for more minority-owned wealth in the country.
Pleasant says when he made phone calls to the municipal leaders in the City of Jacksonville, he changed his mind about coming here: “It was quite different than what I expected.
Pleasant says he learned of the 1112 Veterans Drive property from those initial phone calls who placed him into contact with the property owner Dan Kindred to talk about a potential lease or sale.
Pleasant says that his business model has safety at the top of mind that goes above and beyond the State of Illinois’ heavy regulations on the cannabis industry: “The family together operates 10 dispensaries in Washington.
Pleasant says that if people want adult-use cannabis they need only to drive to Springfield or Quincy to get it anyway and that use of cannabis isn’t a new introduction to town: “Whatever substance or behaviors that people are doing or people are worried about already exist.
He says that he and his partners want to become strategic community partners and give back in different, beneficial ways: “We don’t just want to be a store that comes in and makes huge profits on the community, but provides and looks for ways that we can help improve the community in different plans and goals for the city, which giving money back through partnering, sponsoring, helping are some of those ways.
Pleasant says he and partner Michael Beraki are family men and hope to provide a proud example and good business ideals to their families as well as support members of their families.
The Kush 21 stores in Washington have received high marks for their security, marketing, and ease of use for customers.