AACE INTERVIEW: ARW HOLDINGS of NYC
New York
Making it work on the east coast with William and Reynold
As cannabis moves across the states, we are seeing an interesting uptick in Asian Americans now interested in the cannabis industry, only a few years ago it was still untouchable due to culture, misconceptions, and disinformation. A new generation that grew up with cannabis legal in most states is now exploring how they can make their own individual mark. Freed from some legal constraints and with businesses already operating in the legal state markets, more Asian Americans are stepping into the green. Today with the start of Asian Heritage Month, we are honored to have Reynold Liang and William Hom – their partnership is entering the retail cannabis market. As two smart and fearless Asian Americans, we wish them the best of luck and if I may speak humbly for the community, we are all here for them and cheering them on. - Ophelia Chong
Tell us a bit about your family’s history in the US?
Reynold Liang: My grandma who was a single mother of 5 children from Guangzhou, China, was sponsored by her brother who was here in America already and she decided to make the leap as there was not much going on where she was at the time. Over here, she worked at the garment factory with my oldest aunt to support my father and mother who were working odd-end jobs too in order to go to college. For most of this time, everyone was living in tenements before saving enough as a family to live in a basement. Eventually, my father graduated with a mechanical engineer degree and my mother an accountant degree. After enough job-hopping, they decided to open up a construction business for themselves right around the time I was born. That company still stands today as one of the oldest Chinatown construction companies still around.
William Hom: I’m a first-generation Asian American born and raised in New York City. On my mother’s side, our great grandfather actually came over as a missionary, who sponsored my uncle over, who in turn slowly sponsored more family members in the 1960s. On my father’s side, a lot of it was the same, but my great uncle served in World War II, earned his citizenship, and was able to sponsor the rest of his family over to the United States sometime afterward. Again, this was in the 1960s after the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965.
My parents owned and operated a garment factory in Brooklyn right up until we were born. Wanting to spend more time with us, they eventually sold it and used the money to buy our house in Brooklyn. My mom continued working as a seamstress while my dad became a livery cab driver. My dad passed away just before I turned 11, which left my mom to raise both my sister and I. Luckily, I had a lot of family members living nearby so they all did their part to keep us out of trouble and on the right path. I helped my mom study and eventually, she got her citizenship in the early 2000s which opened up a lot of other job opportunities.
Cannabis has 10K years of medicinal history in Asia and 100 years of prohibition in the US, how do you believe we will turn the misinformed tide to see the plant and not the “drug”?
For the past 100 years, a lot of misinformation and outright lies have been spread about cannabis as a drug. We’ve been told that cannabis is addictive, that it is a gateway drug, and that it will stunt your brain development or go home and beat your wife. It is only recently that it has begun to be demystified and destigmatized in popular culture. We believe that continuing to educate the general population about what the plant is and isn’t will be the most important tool at our disposal. We want to give people all the factual information they need so that they are empowered to make their own choices and decisions themselves. We plan to provide pamphlets of information on store counters as well as during community outreach where there will be booths and educational sessions with a few local community groups and enrichment schools to spread the vibes.
What and when was the epiphany that you both had to be advocates of the cannabis plant?
When we first got on this journey, we did not know what to expect. Over time, we’ve come to understand and realize that the legalization of cannabis in New York, projected to be one of the largest markets in the country, is not just an opportunity to be capitalized upon. It is an opportunity to join in a national movement to right past wrongs and be part of a bigger long-term mission of making the plan federally legal so that we can realize the full potential of what it can do. It was during the CWCBE, we got a clear picture of what the culture and movement REALLY were about, the messages of spreading that energy that’s unique to the cannabis industry, and the ramifications of hemp, even though it’s a biodegradable alternative to plastic. We want to be a part of this movement and have a positive social and economic impact from the ground floor. We feel strongly about the benefits of the plant and want to change the stigma people have on it, hopeful that one day it will be accepted not just federally but worldwide.
How do you plan on manifesting this outreach in Bushwick?
We have every intention to give back to the community in which we plan to operate in. To that end, we have been reaching out to both local elected officials and community groups with the goal of understanding what issues are top of mind for the people in the area. We envision ourselves partnering with these groups so that we can bring about the most positive social and economic impact to the immediate area. To that end, we plan to donate a portion of our proceeds directly back into the community.
We have spoken to the Retail Workers and Department Stores Union (RWDSU Local 338) and intend to sign a labor peace agreement. We will also hire locally and provide professional training not just so that we can ensure a positive customer experience for our patrons, but so that our employees can fulfill their potential.
You have seen other states' entry into legal Cannabis, how do you think the wonderful, stylish, trendsetting state of New York will market cannabis? How East vs West in styles and conceptions of cannabis, we grow it out here, NY benefits from our grows now but the flavor profiles differ - CA loves fruity and gassy, NY loves dank, sticky high hitting bugs. Do you think NY will start influencing existing and new markets (NY and the talent out there sets the bar for the rest of the states, with an exception of CA)
We believe there will always be a sort of love-hate sibling rivalry. Although the environments have those tastes now, everything is subjected to change with new customers, products, and industry standards. Just like music every area will have its own flavors and that will continue to influence the taste in other areas, which in return will grant people higher quality buds all around. In such a fast-growing industry we expect who knows what’s going to be out there in the next 5…10 years, let’s just all ride the waves and enjoy what’s coming!
As a consumer, what experience do you want in retail, and on the flip side, what will you offer to consumers in Bushwick?
William: I remember my first time stepping foot into a dispensary and just being absolutely overwhelmed by what I saw. Prior to legalization in parts of the country, the only cannabis I smoked was whatever my dealer had on him/her at the time. But now, I have choices! What a world we live in! To that end, we believe it is super important that we cater to all types of customers, from heavy cannabis enthusiasts to curious shoppers. We want to give everyone a positive experience and hopefully convert them into regular customers.
Reynold: We want to offer the best products for our customers like any business would say. The way we plan on doing that is by keeping on top of what’s trendy and popular first and foremost. The supply needs to match the demands, but what we want to do that separates us and many others is we will have a weed consultation process to find out what works best for customers who need a little more information and guide them into product selection that works best for them. In New York, we will be allowed to make in-house deliveries that Bushwick is a Brooklyn hotspot we plan on going full throttle with our outbound services.