The Parent Company (TPCO) is making its first big move. The business, of which Jay-Z is Chief Visionary Officer, will be making its first major investment into Josephine & Billie’s. Josephine & Billie’s will open in Los Angeles this year, and will be designed to mimic a prohibition-style jazz lounge and speakeasy. The speakeasy/ dispensary will require a password, which is “Billie sent me.” The business advertises itself as a place for BIPOC women of color and allies.
Whitney Beatty and Ebony Andersen founded the speakeasy/dispensary and function as the CEO and COO, respectively. Both women are mothers and entrepreneurs. The Andersens named their business after legendary artists and revolutionaries Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker.
“Josephine Baker and Billie Holiday are our inspirations. Their lives and careers were negatively affected by the racially tinged prohibition of cannabis and the stigmatization of the plant — so in legalization we immediately felt drawn to honoring them, their legacy and what they were resilient in fighting for,” Whitney Beatty told Forbes. “They stand for strength in the face of adversity, and more importantly, healing. Cannabis is a plant. That plant offers a pathway to ease muscle tension, anxiety, insomnia, it offers relaxation. It’s healing.”
The cannabis speakeasy will be the first in the nation that is owned and operated by Black women. The space will highlight jazz and black culture from that era. “It is a callback to the Jazz Age,” explained Beatty, “to the pearls and feathers of Josephine and to the poetry of Billie crooning on a rainy evening.”
“We’re re-creating that era with plant medicine,” Beatty continued. “We’ve curated an experience that’s centered around recognizable healing needs, like relaxation, better sleep, and pain relief. We want to help Women of Color learn about cannabis — because not being a cannabis expert shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing self-care. In our space, there’s no question not worth asking.”
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