Grand Opening of Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis Dispensary
Aims to Inspire Future People of Color and Women License Recipients
Former Supersonics Teammate, Gary Payton, will join Kemp to celebrate the grand opening on Friday, Oct. 30
SEATTLE – Oct. 27, 2020 – Six-time NBA All-Star and legendary Seattle Supersonics power forward Shawn “Reign Man” Kemp is getting into the cannabis game by partnering with industry veterans Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide. Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis's grand opening is Friday, Oct. 30 located at 3035 1st Ave. in the heart of the city near the famed Space Needle. Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis is an incubator, and a glimpse of what future cannabis owners will look like.
Joined by his former teammate, Hall of Famer Gary Payton, Kemp will commence the celebration with a press-only press conference from noon to 12:40 p.m., a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 12:45 p.m., and an official opening to the public at 1 p.m. “I’m looking forward to welcoming Sonics fans regularly, starting with opening day,” said Kemp, who calls Seattle home and has an investment in the city through several business ventures.
Customers will be able to meet Kemp and Payton with photo opportunities from 1 - 4 p.m. The first 100 customers will receive a limited-edition oversized business card signed by Shawn Kemp for the first 10 days following the grand opening. These special edition cards feature a mural of Kemp by Jeff "Weirdo" Jacobson that covers one side of the building.
“We’ve worked hard to assemble the most experienced and diverse team in Washington State to ensure that we can do our part in informing, educating, and inspiring a diverse group of future cannabis ownership.” said Ramsey Hamide
Kemp, who is entering the fast-growing cannabis industry, plans to open a total of five cannabis stores over the next two years. He is partnering with Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide, two of the co-founders of Main Street Marijuana. Main Street Marijuana has remained the number one cannabis retailer in the state of Washington since the company’s inception in 2014. Kemp is friends with Hamide, who will provide experiential learning for Shawn Kemp.
“My name is on this company, and I am part owner and have worked hard to bring Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis to fruition,” said Kemp. “I want to provide nothing short of the best selection, customer experience, and prices in Seattle. I have incredible partners in Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide to make sure we deliver on that promise to our customers, who are our top priority.”
Kemp, who spent the first eight years of his 14-year NBA career with the Supersonics, looks forward to being a role model for future license recipients through the state’s upcoming social equity program, created earlier this year. Kemp and partners aim to help and train as many people of color and women as to be able to open their cannabis stores. “I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color,” said Kemp.
Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be open from 8 am – 11:45 pm daily and offer in-store shopping and ordering online with curbside pickup. Health and safety measures will include social distancing protocols and mask requirements by state mandates. More information is available at www.KempsCannabis.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis:
Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis, a partnership between NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp and cannabis veterans Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide of Main Street Marijuana, is located at 3035 First Ave in the heart of the city near the famed Space Needle. Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis is an incubator location at nearly 4,000 square feet is one of the largest in the state. More information is available on its website and Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Main Street Marijuana
Main Street Marijuana in Downtown Vancouver was the first recreational cannabis shop to open in Southwest Washington and is the oldest recreational shop in the greater Portland Metro Area. We are located just 15 minutes from Downtown Portland off I-5 and minutes from Battle Ground, Beaverton, Camas, Gresham, and Washougal. Since opening on Jul. 9, 2014, our goal has been to offer the best customer experience possible via absolutely unbeatable selection and prices. Any consumer, be it the occasional user or the strict connoisseur, will find that our expert budtenders know everything there is to know about marijuana and are happy to share that experience with our customers! Our goal at Main Street Marijuana is to capture customers for life every time they visit our store by giving them the fairest prices and the best customer service. More information is available on the company’s website and email.
