Being a small business in the cannabis industry is tough and getting tougher, especially with all the advantages that multi-state operators and other big businesses have over independent shops. But a small number of small cannabis businesses have succeeded, writing their own David and Goliath stories.  

One such entrepreneur is Hope Wiseman, founder and CEO of Mary and Main, a medical cannabis dispensary in Prince Georges County, Maryland. One of the youngest entrepreneurs in the business, Wiseman bootstrapped Mary and Main – in operation for four years now. 

Wiseman shares: 

• How she educated herself about the industry and mastered the application process
• How she funded her business plan, selected real estate, and found personnel to open her dispensary
• Why leaning into your base is the best way to survive tough economic environments
• Inventory management advice
• How to prepare for a possible recreational market 

Who is Hope Wiseman?

Hope Wiseman is the founder and CEO of Mary and Main, an independent medical marijuana dispensary in Prince Georges County, Maryland, that she opened in 2018 when she was 25. Wiseman is a graduate of Spelman College, where she founded the school’s Habitat for Humanity chapter and from where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Before cannabis, she worked as an equity institutional sales analyst at SunTrust Bank (now Truist), and was also a cheerleader for the Atlanta Falcons.