Photo by Malik Brown for rolling out
Andre Johnson is a principal owner of 9 Leaves, an experience designed to help consumers restore the best version of themselves by reducing and eliminating ailments such as anxiety, pain, inflammation, and lack of sleep through the use of CBD, hemp and vapes.
Tell us about the journey to get here.
We went through all kinds of delays, trials and tribulations, and you often wonder if you’re ever going to be able to make this happen. With this being the initial start and initial business, and our flagship location, we went through a lot to make this happen. A tremendous amount of passion went into making this place. The investment was enormous because we wanted to create something that was different, so knowing that it took us more time than we could ever imagine, it was worth the wait. As you will see, people are extremely enjoying the space and the vibe, so we want to introduce something new to people and we are all about the holistic approaches to cannabinoid use and therapy.
What does this store do for the Black community?
We often don’t take the time until it’s too late to really focus on a holistic, healthy lifestyle. These products create that kind of mindset for folks. We’re here to inform, educate, and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle. Our products are designed to do one thing, and it’s restoring the best version of yourself. If you have issues with anxiety, pain, inflammation, sleep, or just general wellness, our products are done in an all-natural way to combat those issues.
How have you been able to support other Black businesses through your store?
This is a majority, African-American-owned business. My main partner, who is a civil rights attorney, is very new to the space, but saw the need to do something like this for the African-American community. We wanted to create an entrepreneurial incubator for African-American business owners that are in the health and wellness space, so we not only carry products that we sell, but we also promote products with other smaller entrepreneurs, and that’s our effort to create an atmosphere where we all can excel, and we all can co-promote and help each other.
