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Veteran's Affairs Plus discusses the issues that veterans in Las Vegas deal with on a daily basis. Your host, David L. Washington connects listeners with relevant community resources and information that they need to help veterans or themselves.
Kevin Krall 0:00
You're listening to locally produced programming created in KU NV studios on public radio K, u and v 91.5. You're listening to special programming sponsored by making moves life coaching services, the content of Veterans Affairs plus does not reflect the views or opinions of public radio K, u and v, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Unknown Speaker 0:39
Come on, you can see what's going on. What's going on? What's going on?
Unknown Speaker 0:58
Good morning, Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your hosts. We have a good friend of mine who will be our guests in the start of this show in just a moment. First of all, I'd like to encourage you firefighters out there who have not attended the Carl Holmes executive development institute down at Dillard University to check us out. We are a five year program that deals with management and leadership training for fire service professionals. Last week, we had brother use of and Rudolph Mohamad on and talked about disaster were in a preparedness for community, I will get further information on his show. So you guys can check it out, because there's some very important information that they share with respect to us being prepared for any disaster that me he had any we know that there are different types of disasters, whether they're manmade or from God himself or herself. That happens throughout the years. So we want to be prepared. And also I encourage our listening audience to participate in 91.5, jazz and Moore's spring membership drive. In fact, this week, I hung out with John Nash and the morning guy, we had a great time we raise the necessary funds to meet his goal for that particular day. So thank you all for participating. And I want to share that our brother, Tony Marshall has had some dental work done. So he's not been taking any, any appointments lately, so just hang on, he should be back up and running another few weeks. So we appreciate Tony for the work that he does for our community with respect to giving those needs and that information to veterans who are in need. With that I'm going to introduce our guests, Mr. Frank Hawkins have a couple of dispensaries in town and a and a what I call a grow house but his professional term is cultivation. Mr. Frank Hawkins.
Unknown Speaker 3:06
Good morning, brother Washington. No, how are you?
Unknown Speaker 3:10
I'm well I'm well. I wanted to get you on Frank to give us an update. Because I know you're busy man. You always got stuff going on. So could you give us an update on the status of the consumption lounge? What's going on? Because people asked me because they knew I dried Advan for them. When are they coming? When are they coming? We will soon I suspect please give us an update.
Unknown Speaker 3:33
Okay, so I've done this short enough times. I'm gonna give you a little update on three or four different areas. But the first area would deal with marijuana or cannabis. So for the cold school folks, we call it the marijuana weed. But the new technical professional, yuppie or whatever name now is cannabis. You got my date on cannabis.
Unknown Speaker 3:59
Friends, you got my engineering, he's cracking your
Unknown Speaker 4:05
consumption lounges first. So as you know, the state of Nevada, four or five years ago, maybe? Yeah, somewhere around there said the legislature says we don't have anything to do with it. That's up to the local governments to approve award those licenses. And then when the past Governor sisolak was in office, he put a moratorium in place that lasted for two years, which was would have expired in the last session. Had the legislature not came out with new rules and regulations, which they did. So the new rules and regulations were then sent to the Cannabis Control Board for them to create regulations from the laws that the legislature had passed. That took over a year. They finally got the regulations done. Then they came out about in January, February. Right, what an application period. So that period was for folks who wanted to apply for independent licenses and or apply for Social Equity licenses, were the real focus because there aren't very many minorities. African American Hispanics, other ethnic minorities in the business is packed leaves less than 1%. So the consumption lounge was supposed to be a measure to help to diversify the industry. So the licenses were applications were issued, and they got responses back, it's my understand, they tend to understanding that they are still still trying to work their way through the applications and may have to extend some of the requirements and timelines. Other than that, I would suspect, you might see other than the Indian consumption lounge because it's on the Indian Reservation, it's probably going to be towards the end of the year, early next year before you see enough of them in the industry that take shape in order to make an impact. And this applies to an entire state. So there's 10 of the social equity licenses and approximately 10 of the independent licenses, and then all of the licenses were folks by law, were grandfathered in because they met all the requirements. So I suspect before the end of this year, you'll see consumption rounds operating. Now the good news for buyers of cannabis, right is that cannabis prices are down, gasoline is up, groceries are up, cigarettes is up, liquors up, drinks is up, water is up, cannabis is down, marijuana is down, weed is down. That's good for the folks who are using this recreational also good for the folks who are using it for medicinal reason why it's down I think, because folks are having to make choices, do I put gas in my car pay my rent which is increased. So the fact that the market is down is good for business. However, the biggest holiday of the year for cannabis weed or marijuana is coming on for 20. So you'll see sales all over the valley all over the state. It's your local dispensary, rewarding the customer for being a customer. I know that we have so many specials and deep deep discounts. Buying one good one St. Paul can you can go to our website at WWW dot Nevada wellness centers.com and see all of our promotions and we'll have more coming as we get closer to 420 which is going to happen in two days. So plenty of specials. So Frank one of the two other things I want to share I know you got questions asked me but we are also building some new much needed affordable housing. What about other companies, community development programs in Nevada, which you are the chair on, we are building a total of 115 48 in this first phase which should wait around in the next 60 days. And this time next year the opening leasing up on new one and two bedroom units for individuals or a small family. And then this next one is not I don't want to tell talk about but I need to talk about because we've had two scam attempts. At our dispensaries. One of the scams is that some people call you they tell you your owner, or fellow employee or a member of your family is in jail. And this person acts like they're from the sheriff's office, or the constables office and they want you to send them cash or meet them and give them cash and they will not process the person to put them in jail. That's a scam. We've had two of them happen. Second. Second one. It happened late at night. Early in the morning. We can't reach people. Wow. Second one a guy called in and acting as the owner acting as me telling another employee to take money out of the driller and take it to a certain place and drop it off. And scam so what's your listeners to be aware? Because if it's happening to the businesses, you know, they're calling folks at home right and trying to hustle money out.
Unknown Speaker 9:49
Well,
Unknown Speaker 9:50
that that is my update mr. Washington I'd be more than happy to and
Unknown Speaker 9:54
we're certainly thank you for sharing that on the scam do because I did see something on the news. Yeah A day. And they were talking about how people were acting like police or the sheriff and trying to get money out of folks. And you can imagine, and I am a senior citizen myself, that some who may not be in the right frame of mind, are giving up money to these idiots man who are out there hustling, folks, that is shameful. But I know don't care when you're a crook, you just accrue. But I want to go back Frank to the consumption lounge. And you mentioned the special, I guess, application process for those who these folks may have been what? arrested or spend some time for, for use of cannabis in the past? And they can so give a little bit more detail if you would.
Unknown Speaker 10:44
Yeah, so. So the whole issue about not being a diverse industry, meaning that it's a white male dominated industry, okay. So there's things going on under lots of pressure for lots of years to try to diversify the industry. So they were going to use this consumption lounge concept, to try to diversify the industry because it wasn't going to cost the goal there was it wasn't going to cost multiple millions of dollars to get your doors open. So folks are requirements that I like from the CCB is that because of social equity, social equity mean, you qualify either by growing up in certain census tracts, low income census tracts, or a family member. And this got to expand it used to be, you would have to be connected felon, how in good standing, right to have your have a job be able to be ply, because you fell in status, because you went to prison for marijuana or marijuana related, right, then that would give you certain points. They expanded that to saying that that's still the case. But if members of your family or in the household, a mother, a brother, a sister, a nephew, cousin, an aunt, an uncle, that would make them qualified as well to good, same point. So so they tried to make the pool wider and deeper. I'm not sure that happened, we'll see at the end of the day, but supposedly, of the 10 licenses. And I can't confirm this is all hearsay right now, what I'm about to say is that the vast majority went to people of color. Now, don't know what that means. Because I haven't seen it. I've seen one guy on the news who said he had a license use an African American, but the other nine, I have no idea. So at the end of the day, we will see if the marijuana industry, cannabis industry is really going to be diversified through. Now the other good thing is what I said earlier, that social equity person, if they want to sale, they must sell to a social equity person. So that ensures that that license will always be social equity. So the big rich folks can come in, put some money in and buy you out. So you have to have 51%, which technically should mean that you should be operating and managing the process and the business and nobody can push you out. However, you know, with Kent the laws that lawyers found a way to skirt the issue, but for the practical purpose in the intent was to ensure that once a social equity license is issued, it will always forever remain associated license.
Unknown Speaker 13:38
So this, this is the law, but it seems more like a pilot program to me, because you really don't know what you're gonna get.
Unknown Speaker 13:48
That's exactly right. And it costs money to open allowance. So if you are a non experienced or non business person, and you have an idea, but you have no capital, you have a problem, right? The problem because you have no capital, you have a second problem because you don't have any experience, right? You have to develop a team. So where there was a guy with no experience and no money and not no experience in business go, right. So all of that has to be washed out, flushed out through the CCB. That's, you know, their responsibility, right. But that's why what the timeframe that they were issued, you might see them expanding or giving more time, because it isn't as black and white as was written. There's a lot more the devil is always in the detail.
Unknown Speaker 14:37
Right. So what's the difference dollar wise, if you can even state that, with respect to a dispensary versus consumption lounge dollar wise, is there? Is it significantly different?
Unknown Speaker 14:50
I would say yes. Your facility may not have to be as large but let's say it costs $4 million to open a dispensary So the first thing that the social equity person has to do is find a location, right? It has to be 1000 feet from a church school and apart that's hard to do. Well, another dispense right, or Casino. So challenge number one, challenge number two is getting the least from the person that I'm going to lease to you who has no experience with no capital, right? And, and trust that I'm gonna get paid, then you have to spend the money to build out the location. Right, so that's gonna cost, you can't get loans from banks, or cannabis for the most part. And then if you do get a loan, the bank requires some standard commercial lending an 8020 or 7030, which means that the bank will loan you 70%, if it costs you 100,000, they're gonna loan you 70,000, you're gonna have to come up with 30, you're gonna have to start paying interest when they make you the loan. And they'll give you a certain amount of time to pay back the principal. So if you don't have that 30% of that 20% In your out, now you got to go find somebody to stand in, that just has to be a part of your partnership, right? That can loan that money or come up with that money, and the have the expendable income to pay back the bank if the deal doesn't work. So that's that's a lot to chew on. For someone who does not have any experience exactly. All of the technical issues that must be met by the state law in the CCB regulations, as it relates to building out that facility that is not within 1000 feet of a church school apart.
Unknown Speaker 16:41
Right. You know, Frank, I worked for government, as you know, for 33 years. And I tried to be an optimist. But I'm skeptical, because many of the things that you mentioned, you know, lack of qualifications or experience to even deal with this type of industry. It's going to be hard to get people through that process, I believe. So that's why I've mentioned that I view this as a pilot project on the outset, and hopefully, some good things will come of it. It's a great idea. But if you have no experience no money. I see it as just window dressing on fortunately, I hope that don't be please make me wrong. Government. Right. Right. Right. Right. So as we get ready to wind down, again, talk about the housing a little bit more, because I think it's important for people to be aware that
Unknown Speaker 17:37
housing to the ceiling, there is always a need for affordable housing, especially in Las Vegas, right. So we have been in affordable housing developer for since 1997. So 20 plus years, we've been building affordable housing in the southern part of the great state of Nevada. So we just have another project started in the city of Las Vegas, on Decatur. And then in another project in North Las Vegas, which is a rental project, I'd like to share with you we were awarded a For Sale product that we're going to build in West Las Vegas. So if people are listening and they want to own home, we'll probably be coming out. We'll come back and talk more about that in the next few months. But we've got to go through the entitlement process, talking to the neighbors winning them over then go into zoning, getting that done getting put into a loan package together. So that'll take us four or five months and we'll be back to talk about some new homeownership opportunities that go along with our affordable rental housing opportunities as
Unknown Speaker 18:44
it is is it too early to share any particular area? You mentioned West Las Vegas, but that's a broad general statement. Or is this too early because you don't offer
Unknown Speaker 18:54
so the rental will be off of Decatur in Vegas drive. Okay. With the old one the world the people lived here all the time. Oh, yeah. In the North Las Vegas stops at dawn in North fifth. Oh, so that's how bad the Air Force Base. Right and then the ownership opportunity is gonna be off of Martin Luther King and between Washington and Vegas, right. Oh,
Unknown Speaker 19:21
okay. I know the air. Cool. Well, we'll say it my friend and continue to good work. I think you're doing a tremendous job because one thing I know about Frank Hawkins, not only does he make money, but he hires a lot of people. And I think employing people from our local area is very important to keep our economy on the moon. So we appreciate that. But
Unknown Speaker 19:44
another thing, Chief I put because we do we have a requirement that all of our folks, subcontractors hire from the community. Oh, excellent that that is good. And we have been committed to this since they weren't there. Great.
Unknown Speaker 20:00
All right, have we appreciate your time and we'll get you back on for further updates. Keep doing the great work. You're doing my brother. Take care.
Unknown Speaker 20:07
Thank you very much. All right.
Unknown Speaker 20:18
Once again, good morning, Las Vegas, this Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. We have our second guests. And I'm pleased to introduce and have her to give us an indication how long she's been here in Las Vegas and where she from? Miss Deborah green, Mrs. Deborah green. Hey, Deborah.
Unknown Speaker 20:42
Hey, Dave, how you doing today?
Unknown Speaker 20:43
I am. Well, where are you from? Deborah. And how long have you been in Las Vegas?
Unknown Speaker 20:47
Well, I am originally from Chicago and grew up. Absolutely. And grew up on the west side during my elementary days. And my family moved to the south side when I was in middle school, but I remained at my middle school because that's a very transformational and transitional stage for my mom. He said, Hey, no, you you'll stay there. Well, then I'm went to high school on the south side.
Unknown Speaker 21:18
Okay. Great. Now, how long have you been in Las Vegas?
Unknown Speaker 21:24
I have been in Las Vegas since May of 2021. And yeah, may have twins. What do you want?
Unknown Speaker 21:31
Okay. I know that you are married to a dear friend of myself and others here retired Army Captain layman green, and share a few thoughts about you, your husband, and if you would, and I can tell you that he helped us a lot. We ran a camp called Camp brotherhood. He came up and spoke and he really fired those young men and women up. So I appreciate him forever for that, for that work that he did.
Unknown Speaker 22:00
Well, Weyburn Greene was my first boyfriend. And we grew up together in Chicago. So for me, and for him, it's like, full circle, right, six degrees of separation and back at it. My husband is a fantastic man and gentleman. And when we were growing up, he always wanted to serve. He always wanted to be in the Armed Forces days. And so for me, I always wanted to go towards a medical profession, and ended up going towards the business. And so Laban and I reconnected in 2020. And our love and our bond was strong enough for me to say yes, I will marry you and move to Las Vegas, Nevada. Cool.
Unknown Speaker 22:53
Cool. So you mentioned your career, you say you were in a medical business field, please give us a little indication in depth about that. As well as how long have you done that?
Unknown Speaker 23:05
Okay, so what I ended up doing was foregoing that school that married had two beautiful children. And together Laban. And I have three fantastic kids and five grandchildren. So for me, my career path took me on a lot of different places. And I'm grateful for it. I worked for the number one Property and Casualty Company in the US and became a leader with State Farm Insurance. And at that point, the work that I was doing with that company was very impactful. And so having lived in multiple states, having led people across multiple states and at some point Canada, before we stopped doing business there. So I fell in love days with developing people. And so I was presented with an opportunity and a blank piece of paper to create an enterprise development program. And that's what I did for 36 years. I was with State Farm Insurance and I've lived Yeah, so started in Chicago moved to Bloomington, Illinois, from there to Minnesota, from Minnesota to Dallas, from Dallas to Austin, from Austin to Phoenix and from Phoenix to Las Vegas. Now
Unknown Speaker 24:24
you say so you were developing there, the state farms, employees,
Unknown Speaker 24:29
absolute leaders and employees, all levels, all levels and across multiple operations. So at the enterprise level, I had to work with individuals and tech, I had to work with individuals in the service and customer services side, the financial services side. We had a bank at the time. So there were a variety of experiences that I got and when I got the call to create something for what they were doing in a virtual environment, it became pretty exciting to me. So I got a chance to create that and serve 6500 folks every day. Now
Unknown Speaker 25:11
to me, in fact, I, you know, I wrote a program out of Delhi University. In fact, one of our speakers this year, I didn't learn until lady but he wants to do virtual. And then one of my directors has given me a little bit of pushback saying, you know, because in our we call evening sessions you have about, it can be anywhere from 150 to 300 people, students, if you will, and she just thinks that it's going to be hard to maintain their interests with someone on a screen. And I'm like, well, first of all, I think that the topic will be important. And also, I'm thinking about, maybe only having this person to present, like 30 minutes. And now now I'm kind of asking you to help me out. And then and then happen, and then have a panel discussion, after the presentation with some of the folks some of the leaders from our group.
Unknown Speaker 26:15
Sure. And that is very possible. I think people get afraid, you know, COVID brought about how shall we say, the fear of using media and technology to interact? So before COVID, I was virtual and dispersed. And so for me, it became a part of what I ended up doing. When I retired, I launched a company called cocoa 365, which is a performance and cognitively based company. In other words, how do people learn? How can we make people optimally perform, whether they're at work at home or at school? And so for me virtual, it was a way of life. And people aren't familiar with all the tools. So.
Unknown Speaker 27:01
So virtual tools, so virtual, you was doing it before? COVID? Pretty much way
Unknown Speaker 27:06
before COVID. Okay, yes. So you're not afraid of virtual in 2000? Wow,
Unknown Speaker 27:12
that's interesting pose. You know, some folks, it seems to be something that we've had to finally adapt to, but you already doing it before it even hit into company took
Unknown Speaker 27:24
off, took off during COVID. Because I could teach teachers how to use virtual technology. I could teach businesses, small businesses and medium businesses how to do it, and not skip a beat large corporations already had it already had the technology. And most people don't think about that, you
Unknown Speaker 27:41
know, when I was serving as fire chief, I asked my boss because I just knew about this thing called executive coaching. And I asked him, you know, Were you familiar with Dr. Silva said, Yeah, I'm familiar with it. I say, Well, you know, government don't use a lot of it, but mostly private industry, I'd like you to consider allowing me to have some of my to include myself, some of us coach by executive coaches, I say, because the difference between there's a certain amount of money that can be saved, where if you travel away, versus getting a person that's in your city that does professional coaching. And you say, Yeah, that makes sense. So he allowed me to have some of my executive level persons, including me, Coach, but anyways, I'm gonna be picking your brain more about that. So I want to go to the next. Sure.
Unknown Speaker 28:31
Because, by the way, I do have my international coaching Federation occations Deb salutely
Unknown Speaker 28:38
Deborah was what's a favorite pastime for union I got a couple other questions before we have some closing remarks from you because time is really flying. Yes. Worries. What's the favorite? pastimes
Unknown Speaker 28:49
they music? Okay, music music, I can be seen probably at a concert Jazz Festival. Smith Center. I prefer a smaller venue, but I definitely am meant to my music. I enjoy listening to it, as well as dabbling in it a little bit. And that was the other thing Laban and I had in common. We played in the band together. Wow. Growing up. So for reading family hanging out with with family and grandchildren, bones on my pastime, friends, good friends coming over and playing games with them as well.
Unknown Speaker 29:28
Look, there's something you're involved in, called black mother form. Give us a little insight as we're preparing to close out here.
Unknown Speaker 29:40
That'll be fantastic because that became my passion as well as doing my own business with Coco. So my best friend Janelle wood is the CEO and founder. And then together we had made this organization something to behold and so I would Love for Las Vegas to have a similar experience where mothers and women come together and create a sisterhood around education and our children, we want the best for them. We got started by being advocates for our kids in schools. And we've heard some news over the last several weeks in Las Vegas that requires our mothers, grandmothers, sisters to get together and be strong advocates for our children. And so that's how we came to be. So four pillars, education, health, wellness, prayer and safety. We have legislative where we wrote legislative policies and laws and I will talk to you some other time about some of that legislation that impacts the nation because I was an advisor to Congressman Gallego. And so the other pillar that we have is economic development. And we think that's very important.
Unknown Speaker 30:55
Let me say this, Deborah, I definitely want to get you back on the show because I've squeezed my time and you have so much information to share. And I want to get you back on so I appreciate you coming on. And I will certainly be in touch because I want to pick your brain on a number of things that I can hear and know that you have well qualified. So thank you Deborah. This is Veterans Affairs plus.
Unknown Speaker 31:19
Thank you and definitely support our veterans
Unknown Speaker 31:23
wish you This is Veterans Affairs plus 91.5 Jazz and one Dave wants to talk to you next time.
Outro Song 32:02
Hey, when they said on the show
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