Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: The Voices of GTI Team

As we step into the National Hispanic Heritage Month, we're reminded of our ongoing commitment to celebrate the vibrant and diverse Latin@ community. This month offers us a wonderful occasion to dive deeper and upliftthe array of voices and contributions from the Latin@ community. It's a time of vibrant celebrations, insightful discussions, and a reminder of the rich tapestry that this culture weaves into our larger community.

But the beauty of appreciation is that it isn't confined to a calendar date. As we immerse ourselves in the festivities and reflections, and the community of Latin@ that carries the spirit forward. It's about the small everyday gestures, the year-round commitment to learning and sharing, and the ongoing conversation that fosters understanding and mutual respect.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 to October 15, offers us an opportunity to dive into the diverse cultures and achievements of the Latin@ community in the United States. It's a time when we don't just explore history; we celebrate it through the lives of those who make new history every day.

This brings us to the convergence of the cannabis industry and the Latin@ community, which has a vast, and deeply rooted history of cultural ties and traditions related to the use of cannabis for medicinal, spiritual, and recreational purposes.

The story of cannabis and the Latin@ community is a complex narrative of hardship, resilience, and ultimate empowerment.

The relationship between the Latin@ community and the history of cannabis is an intricate and storied one, deeply rooted in decades of targeted anti-cannabis propaganda. In the early to mid-20th century, propaganda campaigns heavily stereotyped and criminalized cannabis use, often using discriminatory rhetoric that disproportionately targeted Latin@ communities, alongside other minority groups. This era saw the rise of sensationalized media and policy driven by misinformation, fostering a climate of fear, and setting the stage for a long history of systemic discrimination and mass incarcerations.

It was more than just a criminalization of a plant; it was the criminalization of a people, leveraged to marginalize Latin@ communities and exacerbate existing socio-economic divides. The repercussions have been deep, affecting generations through strained community-police relations, stunted economic opportunities, and the broken homes and families left in its wake.

From being historically targeted in anti-cannabis propaganda to reclaiming space as advocates and entrepreneurs in the industry, the Latin@ community offers a story of rebirth and change.

As we delve into Hispanic Heritage Month, we turn our spotlight towards Hispanic and Latin@ Americans, a diverse group unified by shared cultural heritages. While "Hispanic" delineates individuals with Spanish-speaking backgrounds inclusive of Spain, “Latin@”, "Latino" or "Latinx" is a term embracing people with ancestries rooted in Latin American countries such as Mexico, and nations in Central and South America. This month is an opportunity to honor these distinct yet interconnected heritages and the deep-seated community bonds they engender.

You might ask why we chose to use Latin@ at GTI and not Latino(s). We’ll explain.

The term "Latin@" emerged as a gender-neutral and inclusive alternative to the gender-specific terms "Latino" (referring to males or a mixed-gender group) and "Latina" (referring to females). The "@" symbol encompasses both the "o" and the "a," serving as a representation of all gender identities including non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals.

By using "Latin@" we’re hoping to promote inclusivity and ensure that all people, regardless of their gender identity, feel represented and heard!

As we commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, it's a pivotal time to spotlight the dedicated and vibrant group at the forefront of inclusivity. Siempre Juntos (Joint Together) is an Employee Resource Group representing Latin@s at GTI. Their mission is to foster an authentic and inclusive culture of belonging that empowers the voices of Latin@s and aspiring allies in the industry.

Guided by the core values of being authentic, community-oriented, and supportive, Siempre Juntos persevere to celebrate their roots. They stand together aspiring to not only reframe the narrative of Latin@s in the cannabis sector but to drive a more substantial, united, and influential team where trust, transparency, and inclusivity are not just words, but actions deeply embedded in their day-to-day operations.

Join us, as we unroll the rich narratives from members of Siempre Juntos @ GTI that are not just a testimony to the vibrant community but a beacon of our team's continual commitment to fostering an environment of engagement, belonging, and empowerment. Ready? ¡Vamos!

Kim Hernandez (she/her)

Since this is for Hispanic Heritage Month, can you tell us about your cultural background/family's heritage?

I am First Generation, Mexican American, or Xicana. My parents immigrated here from Mexico with nothing but the clothes on their backs and no money in their pockets. In lots of Mexican households, cannabis is very frowned upon. It's perceived to be the same as other hard drugs, for example, crack or cocaine. My family also had a very negative perception of cannabis but thanks to me, 1 of their daughters out of four children, they are able to see the healing benefits of cannabis. Me working in cannabis breaks a lot of generational curses and negative viewpoints in my family because when it was illegal, lots of my family members were incarcerated because of it. Thanks Dick!

I'm happy to be a positive and educational source of such a healing plant, to be able to inform my own family and others about it and see the positive impact it has on my family, and to be able to talk about something casually that was so taboo for so long. Whether it's giving my grandmas and uncles a topical or sharing a joint with my cousins, cannabis has brought us together. No matter how much they hate to admit it, it has impacted us in many positive ways.

How long have you worked at GTI and in the cannabis industry?

2+ years.

Can you share a little about your role and work at GTI?

One of the OG crew members to help open the California location. Inventory specialist!

How did you get your start in cannabis?

Smoking with the homies.

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

Access of unlimited knowledge about the plant every day! New day, new research.

Unjust cannabis laws have perpetuated inequities for Black and Brown people for far too long. What role do you think the cannabis industry plays in helping to reverse the harm of the War on Drugs?

Becoming local and more accessible to those who actually need it. As well as educating others and breaking down barriers that were put up for generations.

Do you have any additional thoughts?

As cannabis becomes legal and accessible, there needs to be acts placed to help those that the War on Drugs has impacted, which is almost exclusively Black and Brown communities. In addition there is a need for plans to protect families who have been growing the plant for generations.

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

Cannabis grown in Northern California, the Emerald Triangle.

Raquel Zoe Sosa (she/her)

Since this is for Hispanic Heritage Month, can you tell us about your cultural background/family's heritage?

Puerto Rican on my mother's side.

How long have you worked at GTI and in the cannabis industry?

I have been with GTI/cannabis industry for 4 years and 7 months

Can you share a little about your role and work at GTI?

I am a General Manager at RISE Kendall (FL). I manage my own store with the help of my team of supervisors. I started as a Shift Supervisor in 2019 (Deerfield Beach) and elevated my way to General Manager (Kendall).

How did you get your start in cannabis?

I come from all types of retail environments and my last job was critically affecting my mental health. A previous manager told me about a position available with GTI in Florida before the initial opening of the RISE Deerfield Beach store. I was hesitant because I had very minimal experience with cannabis in general, but I knew I needed a change. I took a leap of faith and almost 5 years later, I do not regret that decision.

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

I love the community that the cannabis industry brings together. There are people from all walks of life that use cannabis and are bringing so much life into the industry. Coming from a medical market, I enjoy seeing how cannabis transforms people's lives and well-being. Listening to patients tell me about the relief that cannabis provides them, I realized that I too can use this plant to better my mental health and wellness. There were a few patients in the beginning of my career that would tell me their symptoms and why they use cannabis, and I felt that I was looking in the mirror because they were describing my daily struggles.

Unjust cannabis laws have perpetuated inequities for Black and Brown people for far too long. What role do you think the cannabis industry plays in helping to reverse the harm of the War on Drugs?

The cannabis industry plays a major role in creating opportunities for Black and Brown people to thrive in this industry after being persecuted for so long. We have an obligation to right those previously wronged by the unjust and prejudiced laws that have incarcerated People of Color for cannabis. We need to do more to help those that have been affected by the War on Drugs - helping people get out of jail for cannabis-related charges and creating more job opportunities in the industry for those people. There is still a lack of diversity in the industry that needs to be remedied and we (those in the cannabis space) are the ones that need to help create that change.

Do you have any additional thoughts? Let us know!

As a Puerto Rican woman, I am doing my part to educate my family and break stigmas that are still present in the Latin@/Hispanic community. My mami has come a long way since I started at GTI - from hanging up on me when I told her about my new career path to now taking CBD gummies to help her sleep. It takes time and patience but even those little changes help in the long run. I am a proud Latin@ in the cannabis industry and I wouldn't have it any other way!

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

Rythm Flower - L'Orange

Bonnie Runimas (she/her)

Since this is for Hispanic Heritage Month, can you tell us about your cultural background/family's heritage?

My mother is Mexican and Native American (Apache tribe), the border crossed us, and we ended up on this side. So, we don't have family in Mexico, just like many Tejanos.

My father is an Immigrant from Argentina he migrated in his 30s, and he became a US citizen via marriage to my mother.

How long have you worked at GTI and in the cannabis industry?

Joined GTI in May of 2021. This is my first time in the industry.

Can you share a little about your role and work at GTI?

As the Director of IT Infrastructure, I am responsible for the design, development, implementation, integration, maintenance, and administration of GTI's critical IT services such as, Networking, Cloud Datacenters, Messaging, Data Protection, Identity and Access Management, Enterprise Content Management, as well as other key services that we require to conduct business every day.

How did you get your start in cannabis?

I have followed cannabis since college and when I saw the opportunity at Green Thumb that matched my experience, I knew I had to apply. Being here is truly having two of my biggest passions align. I have seen the power of the plant firsthand I have helped a friend break through substance abuse with homemade edibles. My brother also served significant time in a Louisiana jail for possession, while in jail his diabetes was left untreated, and he died. Nobody should go to jail for a plant. I’m very invested in seeing this industry succeed.

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

[Cannabinoid] components are natural to the human body. Cannabis helps people. It helps people with epilepsy, it helps people sleep better, helps with anxiety, and there is research to its effects on cancer cells.

Being in IT, I'm a natural problem solver and enjoy helping people. What could be more inspiring than knowing you are helping to improve people's quality of life?

Unjust cannabis laws have perpetuated inequities for Black and Brown people for far too long. What role do you think the cannabis industry plays in helping to reverse the harm of the War on Drugs?

It plays a huge role,but the realities of cannabis should be advertised more. For example, as a Latin@, it's frustrating to see Hollywood consistently typecasting Latin@ as drug dealers. When you go to a dispensary, you see all walks of life coming to buy products. At one of our store openings an elderly Caucasian woman proudly told me that she rolled her own joints when I asked her which her preferred medium was. Can we get a Golden Girl edition of Cheech and Chong's, "Up in Smoke"? We should because this is the reality and not what you see on TV.

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

Jack Herer!

Are there any Hispanic-owned or founded cannabis brands you would like us to showcase?

CEO of Cookies , Burner on the cover of Forbes. I was proud to see a Latin@ founder of a cannabis company have so much success.

Manny Clayton (he/him)

Since this is for Hispanic Heritage Month, can you tell us about your cultural background/family's heritage?

Latin@ - Puerto Rican/ Mexican. My mom is Mexican and my dad is Puerto Rican

How long have you worked at GTI and in the cannabis industry?

2 years and 10 months.

Can you share a little about your role and work at GTI?

Patient care specialist/budtender.

How did you get your start in cannabis?

I moved to Effingham Illinois a little bit over 5 and 1/2 years ago and I was looking for new opportunities. One opportunity arose to buy a home from one of my significant other’s friends who had cancer. From that experience I saw how The Clinic (before it became RISE) had helped her as a cancer patient. As we helped our friend through her battle with cancer, we saw what chemotherapy can do to a person. In solidarity my significant other and I even shaved our heads so she wasn't alone through her journey. We watched her beat aggressive stage 4 breast cancer. After that, I spent months trying to get an application into RISE and one day I got the call. Once I started my career at RISE I knew for a fact that what I wanted to do was help people in any way shape or form. In my 3 years here, I have helped so many wonderful people. It's amazing what the power of cannabis can do.

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

Whatinpires me about the cannabis industry is being able to see the relief people get from the plant. When I first started here, we had a medical side and it was dedicated to medical patients only. I dedicated a lot of my time to helping those medical patients when I could. A lot of them thanked me. A lot of them would ask for me and a lot of them truly made me feel special in being in this industry.

Unjust cannabis laws have perpetuated inequities for Black and Brown people for far too long. What role do you think the cannabis industry plays in helping to reverse the harm of the War on Drugs?

Telling people that cannabis isn't a bad plant and being an advocate for more diversity in the dispensary industry. Let’s show the community that we all can come together as one and unite.

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

Animal face

Jess Lemley (she/her)

Since this is for Hispanic Heritage Month, can you tell us about your cultural background/family's heritage?

My parents are both from El Salvador, a small country in Central America.

How long have you worked at GTI and in the cannabis industry?

I have been working at GTI for five years and I have been in the cannabis industry since 2016.

Can you share a little about your role and work at GTI?

I started out as a patient care specialist at the RISE Spanish Springs, NV location and worked my way up to GM. I knew when cannabis was legalized and dispensaries started opening in my home state that I wanted to be part of the industry. I set my sights on running a store and I accomplished that. I truly loved the journey but my husband who is in the military got stationed in Tennessee earlier this year so we moved our family to the south. I was fortunate to have the support of my regional director to help me find a way I could continue to work for GTI despite moving. I landed with our real estate team where I help find locations for us to stand up new stores in different markets. It’s very exciting learning a different side of the business, I am forever grateful to this industry and to GTI for always supporting my career advancement.

How did you get your start in cannabis?

Cannabis is something I always believed helped me. I got my start in the legacy cannabis market in Humboldt County, but because of the risk associated, got a a job outside the industry. Once cannabis was legalized in California, I took an opportunity as a budtender with Reef and became a supervisor after a few years. I had my eyes set on making the move to RISE after one of my former co-workers from Reed got a job with RISE and raved about the company and its culture!

What inspires you about the cannabis industry?

What inspires me about the cannabis industry is that everyone involved can help break the stigma surrounding cannabis and other homeopathic remedies. For years there has been unjust discrimination against this plant and people who use it. I think the industry can be influential to moving society away from synthetic prescription drugs and finding health and balance from nature.

Unjust cannabis laws have perpetuated inequities for Black and Brown people for far too long. What role do you think the cannabis industry plays in helping to reverse the harm of the War on Drugs?

The industry's role in reversing the harm of the War on Drugs is to support in every way possible cannabis policy reform and federal legalization.

What is your favorite (GTI) product or strain?

My favorite strain is Gelato, it calms my nerves without putting to sleep.

Muchísimas gracias to Siempre Juntos for sharing their journeys with us. Your stories are the heart of our community, and we are committed to continuing to amplify Latin@ voices across the company and the industry, today and every day.

Shop Latin@ Brands!

During Hispanic Heritage Month, we spotlight the monumental strides taken by Latin@ entrepreneurs in the continually evolving cannabis industry — a sector once mired in controversy and now brimming with opportunities ripe for change.

MOTA Glass

In Illinois, a state that has progressively embraced the legalization of cannabis, residents have the unique opportunity to support a brand that stands for more than just high-quality products. MOTA Glass, rooted in community empowerment and inclusivity, offers Illinois consumers functional glass products that embody a rich narrative of resilience and vision. Established to counteract exploitation and to uplift marginalized communities, it stands as a beacon in the industry, paving the way for inclusivity and local artistry. When you choose MOTA Glass, you are not just buying a product; you are supporting a story of resilience, a team that values its craftsmen, and a business that prioritizes ethical practices over profits.

Cookies Dispensaries

A prime exemplar of this transformative journey is Berner, the powerhouse behind the globally recognized Cookies Dispensaries.

Raised in the vibrant locale of San Francisco atop a Mexican restaurant, Berner’s Latin@ roots deeply influenced his formidable presence in the cannabis sphere. He embodies the dreams and aspirations of many young Latin@, merging heritage with ambition to carve out a space where representation was scant.

Today, Cookies Dispensaries stands as a testament to Berner’s unwavering resolve to uplift the community by fostering diversity and inclusivity, ensuring a significant portion of their shelves spotlight a myriad of brands, many of which are Latin@-driven.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, let's champion leaders like Berner who reverberate inspiration and empowerment through the corridors of the cannabis industry. By choosing to patronize Latin@-owned cannabis businesses, you lend your support to a movement grounded in resilience, dreams, and cultural richness, fostering a future where the industry mirrors the diverse tapestry of America itself.

As we wrap up this rich exploration into the world of cannabis through the lens of Latin@ professionals at RISE Dispensaries, it becomes abundantly clear that Hispanic Heritage Month is more than just a yearly celebration—it’s a living tapestry of history, culture, and resilience that continues to evolve and enrich our nation. This year’s focus on the cannabis industry serves as a testament to the grit and tenacity of Latin@ entrepreneurs, activists, and community leaders who are not just part of the narrative but are, in fact, driving it.

With current events further highlighting the need for inclusivity and representation, this is a wonderful opportunity to look into some amazing Latin@-owned brands and support the community. Whether it's choosing to shop at Latin@-owned cannabis businesses or supporting other ventures founded or run by the Latin@ community, together we can help reshape industries and break down barriers.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana!