Plus Provide Jobs to Those Most Impacted by The Failed War on Drugs
– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Los Angeles, CA – December 8, 2021 – Today on National Brownie Day, serial entrepreneur Divinity Matovu is ecstatic to unveil her company’s signature product: the decadent, delicious Exodus Brownie – a vegan, cannabis-infused, gluten-free chocolatey treat. Divinity is currently in R&D mode consulting with a team of chemists and developing plans to launch more cannabis-infused baked goods like banana pudding and peach cobbler.
Divinity was only 7 years old when federal DEA Special Agents swarmed her family home, bulldozed the front door with a battering ram, and violently arrested her mother for selling and distributing cannabis. That was 1993 in Wisconsin, one of 32 states where cannabis is still illegal. Now 28 years later, Divinity is launching her cannabis brand – Exodus Edibles – in California.
As founder and CEO Divinity has built a diverse, remote team that includes Jamaica-based naturopath and herbalist Dr. Lakisha Jenkins and Dr. Dan Price, a medical doctor and cannabis expert based in San Francisco.
Speaking to Divinity’s appreciation for the science of cannabis, Dr. Dan says, “Of the 15,000+ consultations I’ve performed for patients considering medical cannabis, I would place Divinity in the top 1% with respect to her appropriate caution and respect for this medicinal plant and her strong desire to learn how it can be used most safely and effectively.” Dr. Lakisha added, “Attention to detail is critical when developing consumer products, and nutrition is the cornerstone of health and wellness. Supporting your endogenous cannabinoid system, nutritionally, is the greatest form of self-care. Divinity’s business acumen, creativity, and hard work to veganize her grandmother’s recipes positions Exodus Edibles to shake up the market as a differentiated brand that embodies the health and wellness aspects of cannabis-infused edibles.”
Despite high barriers that exclude many Black entrepreneurs from the legal cannabis industry, Divinity plans to disrupt the tech bro culture in cannabis dominated by wealthy white men. Centering racial equity, Exodus Edibles is dedicated to repairing the damage the failed war on drugs wrought on the Black American community through advocacy for federal legalization and a commitment to hiring formerly incarcerated individuals impacted by cannabis criminalization.
Divinity is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with The Last Mile (TLM), a nonprofit that prepares incarcerated individuals for successful reentry through business and technology training. TLM will amplify Exodus Edibles career opportunities to their broad network of returned citizens and incarcerated individuals awaiting prison release. Jason Jones, a TLM alum who is currently Senior Manager of Partnerships led the way to solidify the Exodus Edibles partnership said, “One of our pillars is Equity, so we do our best to provide equitable opportunities for those returning to society. Although it is never going to be a cookie-cutter solution for reentering society, the ability to offer jobs in an industry that has been criminalized and used as a mechanism to support mass incarceration is a win-win. We’re not only disrupting this industry, but we’re also disrupting the cycle of generational incarceration.”
Exodus Edibles products will be available in retail dispensaries and through cannabis delivery apps in California by 4/20/2022. Join the company’s customer waitlist and learn more at www.exodusedibles.com. Follow their journey @exodusedibles on TikTok, Instagram, Vimeo, and Twitter.
About Exodus Edibles
Exodus Edibles is a health and wellness cannabis infusion brand. Its mission is to delight customers with delicious Southern-style gourmet desserts infused with high-quality ingredients including medical-grade cannabis. All recipes for Exodus Edibles products have been passed down orally through the matriarchs of Divinity’s family dating back to her great, great, great grandmother Gertrude who was the daughter of slaves in New Albany, Mississippi in the 1800s.
About The Last Mile (TLM)
TLM is a San Francisco-based 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to provide opportunities for personal and professional growth through education and technology training for justice-involved individuals. Learn more at www.thelastmile.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Marilyn A. Hopkins, Publicist
Hopkins + Co
marilyn@marilynahopkins.com
310-929-0459
