In the industrial kitchen at Major Bloom, staff are assembling joints using a gadget that turns out nearly 200 so-called “pre-rolls” in one go. A large bag of multi-colored fruit cereal sits ready to be baked into marijuana-infused treats. And owner Ulysses Youngblood is explaining the business philosophy he subscribes to, a “blue ocean” strategy.
“Blue ocean is basically like saying that there’s enough space for everybody to have their own lane, essentially,” he says. “There’s enough water in the sea for us to kind of sail and do our own thing.”
As state regulators begin awarding licenses to select adult-use operators and businesses scramble to build out capacity, cannabis entrepreneurs, customers and communities around the state are increasingly concerned about equity whether there really is room for everyone.