It’s not easy to open a dispensary in LA, but The Green Paradise makes it look easy.
What Is The Green Paradise? Black-Owned Dispensary In Mid-City Los Angeles
The Black owned-dispensary is located at 1119 S La Brea Ave. in Mid-City, Los Angeles. Taking over a beautiful white building with their Green Paradise logo sitting up high, right next to a mural of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, Green Paradise aims to bring the cannabis community together, offering premium flower and products specifically tailored to their customers.
The Green Paradise is owned by a couple named Brandon and Evelyn Brinson, who just celebrated their store’s two-year anniversary. The bar was definitely set high, as their one-year anniversary celebration featured one of hip-hop’s biggest names, Soulja Boy, as the special guest appearance.
Look at memories from Soulja Boy's appearance at The Green Paradise's first anniversary:
Check out highlights from The Green Paradise's 2-year anniversary:
Which Brands Supported The Green Paradise's 2-Year Anniversary Celebration?
On Saturday, January 27th, all the vibes were felt as Green Paradise hosted a daytime event, reeling in some of the best brands in the game such as STIIIZY, Kushy Punch, The Marathon Collective, and more. They even had a huge bus (sponsored by CalyFx) that doubled as a consumption lounge, parked right across the street! Guests who came by were able to shop in the retail store, get a drink next door, then consume the products on the bus immediately following.
For those who entered the store, the vibes were immediately felt: free food, open bar, fire music, and a black and green step and repeat for photo opps. The collage wall of hip-hop heavyweights did not go unnoticed as you made your way way inside, blending the cultures of music and cannabis into one destination.
The Green Paradise Founders Brandon And Evelyn Brinson On The Anniversary Event And Black Excellence
Honeysuckle spoke with the lovely owners, who are forever grateful for the state’s social equity program, which allowed them to open Green Paradise and turn it into a premiere destination for consumers in the neighborhood.
SHIRLEY JU: How does it feel to be celebrating two years of Green Paradise?
EVELYN BRINSON: Man, it is a remarkable feeling. Because it took us so long to get here, now that we're here, it's almost surreal. Even all the obstacles — like today, it doesn't even matter. Seeing everybody in the community, seeing how the plant brings the community together. Seeing our customers over the last two years and how it's grown. Those people who really support us, that our the muscle behind everything that we do, seeing all of that was incredible.
BRANDON BRINSON: It’s a lot of work.
EVELYN: It feels a little surreal, because you’re in that vibe. Everybody was vibing all day, just such good vibes. Such incredible brands. Even the brands that came out to support us, we're extremely thankful. That's the biggest thing, just thankful.
What are you most excited for today? The bus is lit!
EVELYN: Oh my God, the bus was everything. Love the bus. I was so happy about the Happy Ice vendor that we had. It felt like bringing a piece of Melrose to Mid-City LA. Happy Ice is the staple of Melrose. It's a self-serve ice cream [and] sorbet shop. Everything is vegan, fully Black-owned.
BRANDON: I was trying to put you on!
EVELYN: Exactly. It was a vibe. So having them here, the bus of course. Just everything. Even the block, we have a boutique (Glitz LA) that's right next door to us. Seeing how they opened their doors and were able to embrace our customers, we were able to cross-promote and do what we do here on this block as Black-owned businesses. Every business that’s operating on this block right now is Black-owned, so we stand here strong as a staple of Black excellence.
Explain why you guys named it The Green Paradise.
EVELYN: Of course, everyone knows the struggles of getting into the industry and how hard it was and all the hurdles that we embrace. When you think about the palm, it’s a tree that builds and it does not break. It withstands the storms. Out here when you look at some of these trees in Los Angeles, they’re super old. They're long. Some of them are leaning over, towering. But the thing about those trees, you wonder yourself: Why doesn’t anyone just cut that down?
They won't because it's not going to break. It's not designed to do that, so the palm tree means we're strong. It’s a staple. It’s our symbol. It's what we look at, that one thing that gives you hope. When you see the tree and you're surrounded by them everywhere, every day… Getting up, we're fighting this journey going through the battles of it all. It’s like no: you may bend a little bit, but you’re not going to break. We’re like the palm trees. That’s our staple here and we love it.
The Green Paradise is located at 1119 S La Brea Avenue in Mid-City, Los Angeles. For more information, follow @thegreenparadise_la on Instagram.
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Written By:
Shirley Ju is a journalist, media host, and seasoned music industry professional. She is the founder of Shirley's Temple, a podcast series with a focus on mental health, where her guests include Trippie Redd, Chanel West Coast, Ricky Williams, Blac Chyna, and more. Shirley's work has been featured in publications such as Variety, Complex, Nylon, Flaunt, and REVOLT; she can also be seen doing exclusive interviews for leading urban news source VLADTV, featuring a platform with 5 million subscribers. Find out more about Shirley at @shirju on Instagram and Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
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Featured image: The Green Paradise founders Evelyn and Brandon Brinson with host Shirley Ju (C) Shirley Ju @shirju
