6/26/2021 | SF Weekly
Canna Lounges Get the Spark Back
By Zack Ruskin
When COVID-19 first hit San Francisco last March, legal cannabis operators were quickly given “essential” status by California. This move ensured the industry could continue operating at all levels of the supply chain — with one notable... read more
"a representative for SPARC declined to provide an update on when its Mission Street location — and lounge — may reopen."
6/25/2021 | Green Market Report
The LGBTQ Leaders in Cannabis
By Debra Borchardt
Green Market Report wants to celebrate Pride month and all the members of the LGBTQ community. This list certainly doesn’t include every leader in the cannabis industry and we apologize if there are key people we missed. We put out requests on... read more
"Under the direction of [besito founder Maggie] Connors and the creative director Ely Kim, the brand advocates for LGBTQ rights, criminal justice reform, and the advancement of scientific research in cannabis."
"[Besito founder Maggie] Connors has an MBA from Stanford and a background in brand management and product design for global companies like Apple, Pepsi, and Starbucks. She was an early-stage cannabis investor and industry pioneer, before founding Besito in 2017."
Learn more: read about SPARC's long history in California cannabis
6/23/2021 | North Bay Business Journal
Founder of Santa Rosa cannabis dispensary SPARC wins Pride Business Leadership award
Erich Pearson, CEO and founder of Santa Rosa-based cannabis dispensary SPARC, is a winner of North Bay Business Journal’s inaugural Pride Business Leadership Awards. “For the past 20 years Erich Pearson has been dedicated to advancing the... read more
"For the past 20 years Erich Pearson has been dedicated to advancing the cannabis industry, promoting inclusivity and LBGTQ rights, and has been recognized for his vision and leadership. From long-time advocate to legislative consultant, from dispensary operator to cultivation expert, his credentials and experience are unquestionable. As for this contributions to the Pride Movement. Erich and SPARC have a long, rich history of LBGTQ activism and community support that includes policies and core values that are inclusive and value diversity, as well as contributions to a multitude of community organizations and projects."
Learn more: read about SPARC's long history in California cannabis
6/18/2021 | InStyle
7 Cannabis Brands That Give Back to Black Communities
As they should.
By Kayla Greaves
The state-by-state legalization of cannabis has been a slippery slope. On one hand, it’s given peace of mind and certain freedoms to those who consumed the plant during prohibition. But on the other, it’s become quite clear that the... read more
"Besito is an LA-based cannabis company that sells mini joints, full-sized pre-rolls, and vapes. Since September 2019, Besito has partnered with Equity First Alliance, a non-profit that aims to repair the damage done by the war on drugs, to create the A Record Shouldn't Last a Lifetime campaign, which pushes for widespread automated expungements and helps those in need find legal resources. The brand currently donates 1% of its profits towards the initiative. In addition, they are also among the founding members of Cannabis for Black Lives and were sponsors of National Expungement Week in 2020."
Learn more: read about SPARC's long history in California cannabis
6/11/2021 | Emerald Magazine
100+ LGBTQIA+ Owned Cannabis Companies to Support Right Now
By Melissa Hutsell
Currently, the legal cannabis industry is worth more than $9 billion, according to Grand View Research. It’s only expected to grow, providing alternative forms of treatment, relief, and millions of jobs along the way. The emergence of this... read more
"SPARC began in 1998 as a trailblazer in medical cannabis, and today continues to originate and propagate many of the industry’s most rigorous quality-control practices."
"SPARC is committed to advancing the standards of how cannabis is cultivated, packaged and retailed industry-wide, and being a force for good in the neighborhoods and communities we call home."
Learn more: read about SPARC's long history in California cannabis
6/10/2021 | Leafly
15 cannabis strains to take Pride in this year
By David Downs
Pride month celebrants and allies nationwide have more freedom to chose legal cannabis—indeed, multiple lab-tested types of it—than ever before. Across the US, there’s 18 legalized states, and 65% of the country supports a consenting adult’s... read more
Learn more: see all of SPARC's locations
6/4/2021 | Business Insider
Psychedelic patent wars
By Jeremy Berke & Yeji Jesse Lee
Welcome to another edition of Insider Cannabis. I hope you all had restful Memorial Day weekends. In the cannabis stock world, one thing you can count on is volatility. While Canopy Growth posted larger-than-expected losses in Q4, Canadian cannabis... read more
"San Francisco-based cannabis company SPARC is acquiring Besito, a cannabis brand."
6/3/2021 | SF Weekly
S.F. Gives Green Light to Canna Lounges
San Franciscans can once again take up in many of the city’s sensimilla salons.
By Veronica Irwin
Cannabis lounges aren’t just social places to toke up — they are a sacred local tradition and a piece of San Francisco’s history of pioneering drug policy. When Dennis Peron opened the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club in 1994, it was more... read more
"SPARC’s location on Mission Street, which has a lounge, is still closed as it has been throughout the pandemic."
6/2/2021 | PR Newswire
SPARC Expands Consumer Brand Portfolio with Acquisition of besito
SPARC, one of San Francisco’s oldest and largest vertically integrated cannabis operators, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire besito, a Los Angeles-based, women-founded company known for its premium products and mission to... read more
"We're thrilled to welcome Maggie as an accomplished founder to our executive team as we continue scaling our vertical business in California. Besito is a natural fit within our family of brands, committed to both quality and advocacy, and the integration will immediately add accretive value to our emerging products business."Erich Pearson
Founder & CEO, SPARC
"Besito is proud to join SPARC, whose longstanding history of community reinvestment aligns with besito's advocacy towards expungement and reparative justice for marginalized communities. The vertical nature of SPARC will advance besito's business across the board, from the high quality cannabis grown at SPARC Farms through to the retail footprint of SPARC stores."Maggie Connors
Founder & CEO, besito
Learn more: read about SPARC's long history in California cannabis