In the way that families pass down homegrown health remedies through generations, Suzan Nickelson’s Jamaican-born mother taught her about the powers of plants to heal. Tracing back to West Africa, her mother told mesmerizing stories about their lineage of female herbalists who used plant-based medicines to care for and protect their community.
“Cannabis was a normal part of our world. It was revered,” says Suzan, recalling how her mother grew the plant in their vegetable garden in Galloway Twp., teaching her daughter how to prepare the leaf to make balms, oils or tinctures and turn it into a soothing tea. Now, as CEO of Holistic Solutions, Suzan is one of the first women of color in New Jersey to own a licensed cannabis dispensary for both medical and recreational use.
“We’re different because of our purpose and our mission,” says the mother of 3 teenagers now living in Cherry Hill. “We believe there needs to be more diversity in the cannabis business. We also want to make sure there is more intentionality to ensure that those who were most impacted by the negative ways cannabis was used against our communities can participate economically.”
