Let’s Talk Cannabis with Dana Rone (First Black Owned & Woman-Led Retail Cannabis Dispensary In NJ)

By Gary A. Johnson – Host/Executive Producer (Calculations Talk Show.com)

May 2, 2023 – In her first interview, Dana Rone, CEO and Owner of The Flower Garden Dispensary took the time to chat with me, and my “Wing Man,” Christopher “C.J.” Johnson about the growing Cannabis industry.

Rone, a life-long civil servant and advocate in Newark and the County of Essex, worked closely with NJ legislators to ensure the NJ Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization (CREAMM) Act was drafted and passed with Social Equity measures for Black and minority participants.

I have little or no knowledge of terms such as CBD, THC, Bud Tenders, Dabs, Oil Rig, and Skunk. I think the only term I am familiar with is “weed.” As a result, I wanted this interview to be educational and informative. Between Ms. Rone and C.J., I got the knowledge and education that I was seeking, and additional insights on the legal disparities between Black and White consumers.

With the help of Marijuana Fact Check, I included a glossary of terms at the end of this article.

The Flower Garden Dispensary will be the first black-owned and women-led retail cannabis dispensary in the state of New Jersey. CEO & Founder, Dana Rone, along with partners and East Orange natives Dawn Middleton and Jose Rivera III, will operate a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art, four-story dispensary located in the heart of the city’s Arts & Cultural District. In addition to the ground floor dispensary store, The Flower Garden Dispensary plans to create cannabis consumption spaces, including:

A recreational consumption lounge
An educational hub
An events area
Co-working space, where adult customers can safely consume cannabis products

As you will see in the following interview, Dana Rone is all about investing and improving her community. The Flower Garden Dispensary has proposed a project to partner with the City of East Orange on the State’s Façade Improvement Program to participate in and support the City’s plan to revitalize the Arts & Cultural District, benefiting all its neighbors on the lower Main Street corridor. The project will also add plants and trees, benches, and
lighting to the area.

Here’s my exclusive interview with entrepreneur Dana Rone.

Marijuana Terminology

Bong
A bong is a marijuana water pipe, available in many sizes and shapes, usually made of glass.

Bud
Bud is the actual flower of the cannabis plant and is a general slang term for marijuana.

BHO (Butane Hash Oil)
BHO is a very potent marijuana concentrate made by dissolving the plant in a solvent, usually in a dangerous process using butane. BHO is very high in THC and creates thick oil also known as honey oil. Using BHO, also known as wax or shatter, is also referred to dabs or dabbing.

Cannabis
Cannabis is also known as marijuana and is referred to by many slang terms from the past and present. A few nicknames for marijuana and cannabis are: pot, ganja, bud, weed, and Mary Jane. Cannabis can be smoked, eaten, vaporized, dabbed or applied to the skin.

CBD (Cannabidiol)
CBD is an abbreviation for cannabidiol, one of the main elements of cannabinoids. It has very low potency and is considered effective for medical use without the psychoactive or “high” effects.

Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates are very strong substances made from dissolving marijuana plant material in a solvent. It has very high THC and produces products like thick oils (BHO), budder, wax, or shatter.

Dabs/Dabbing
Dabs or dabbing are slang words for using cannabis concentrates. See Potency >

Edibles/Medibles
Edible and medible cannabis refers to cookies, brownies, cakes, drinks, etc., that are prepared with marijuana for eating or drinking. They are a very popular alternative to smoking marijuana. Learn more >

420
420 is a number that has come to be associated with marijuana use and sometimes signifies the date April 20 which is linked to cannabis. Similarly, 710 and July 10 can be associated with OIL (710 upside-down).

Hash
Hash is short for hashish, a cannabis resin from the top of the plant, used for recreational and medical consumption. It is usually very strong and can be smoked, chewed or swallowed.

Hash Oil
Hash oil, or honey oil, is a concentrated form of cannabis, usually produced with a chemical solvent. Butane Hash Oil, or BHO, is dangerous to make and highly potent.

Hemp
Hemp is a variety of marijuana grown for its fiber. It is non-psychoactive and not used for getting high.

Joint
A joint is a rolled marijuana cigarette, also known as a spliff, reefer, blunt, etc. A single inhale of cannabis is called a hit.

Marijuana
Marijuana is also known as cannabis and is referred to by many slang terms from the past and present. A few nicknames for marijuana and cannabis are: pot, ganja, bud, weed, and Mary Jane. Marijuana can be smoked, eaten, vaporized, dabbed or applied to the skin.

Medibles/Edibles
Medible and edible cannabis refers to cookies, brownies, cakes, drinks, etc., that are prepared with marijuana for eating or drinking. They are a very popular alternative to smoking marijuana. Learn more >

Oil Rig
An oil rig or rig is a large pipe with a heated nail used to vaporize and inhale cannabis concentrates such as butane hash oil. The use of an oil rig also requires heat from a torch.

Paraphernalia
Drug “paraphernalia” refers to any accessories made for using or concealing drugs, typically for recreational purposes. Examples are bongs, pipes, scales and oil rigs.

Pipes
A marijuana pipe is similar to and used much like a tobacco pipe, although glass pipes are the most popular.

Pot
Pot is slang term for marijuana and cannabis.

Potency
Potency refers to the strength of marijuana and is usually measured by the amount of THC. Potency is much higher than in the past and the highest potency is around 25% or more. Learn more >

Purity
Purity describes the ratio of THC in a product and also refers to the absence of additives and chemicals in cannabis.

Rig
A rig or oil rig is a large pipe with a heated nail used to vaporize and inhale cannabis concentrates. The use of a rig also requires heat from a torch.

710
710 is a number that has come to be associated with hash oil (OIL upside-down looks like 710) and sometimes signifies the date July 10 which is linked to hash oil. Similarly, 420 and April 20 can be associated with cannabis use.

Shatter
Shatter is a transparent form of cannabis concentrate that, when cold, resembles amber-colored glass. It has a very high THC and is commonly used in dabbing.

Skunk
Skunk refers to an odor of cannabis that is similar to the smell of a skunk.

Spice (Synthetic Cannabis)
Spice and K2 are slang names for what is falsely known as synthetic cannabis. Unfortunately, it is made from dangerous chemicals unrelated to cannabis and its use can cause serious or even fatal side effects.

THC
An abbreviation for tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis that is responsible for the “high” effects.

Tincture
Tincture is a liquid cannabis extract that is usually dosed with a dropper. They are often flavored and can be placed on the tongue or mixed in a drink. Tinctures are usually very low in potency and used medicinally.

Topical
Topical is a kind of cannabis product such as a lotion or cream that is applied to and absorbed through the skin.

Vape Pen
A vape pen is a pen-shaped portable vaporizer that can be used with cannabis oil, wax, shatter or leaves. Also known as e-cigs, cigalikes or sneak-a-tokes, they are quick to use and often disposable. The inhaled vapor has little odor so vape pens’ use can be hidden.

Vaporizer/Vaping
Vaporizing or vaping uses electricity to heat and evaporate cannabis without the combustion of flames. It requires a battery-operated handheld or plug-in device, like an e-cig, vape pen, or vaporizer, which is used for dabbing marijuana concentrates. Learn more >

Wax
Wax is a form of marijuana concentrate. (see BHO, above)

Weed
Weed is a slang term of marijuana and cannabis.