Simply Pure — The First Black-Owned Dispensary in America

Last verified: May 2026

The Founders

Wanda James and Scott Durrah are the founders of Simply Pure, the longest-operating Black-owned cannabis dispensary in the United States. James, a former Navy lieutenant, political-campaign operative, and Obama campaign Colorado finance committee member, brought political and business experience to the cannabis industry. Durrah, a chef and military veteran, brought culinary and operational depth.

The two married couple founded:

• Apothecary of Colorado in 2009 — the first African American-owned medical dispensary in Colorado.
• Simply Pure as an edibles company in 2010.
• Simply Pure dispensary at 2000 W. 32nd Avenue in the LoHi (Lower Highlands) neighborhood in December 2015 — the first Black-owned dispensary in the United States.

The LoHi Location

Simply Pure’s flagship at 2000 W. 32nd Avenue sits in the LoHi (Lower Highlands) neighborhood, across I-25 from downtown Denver. LoHi has emerged as the Black-owned-cannabis flagship neighborhood through Wanda James’s two-decade presence. LoHi neighborhood.

⚠️ As of early 2026, Simply Pure was negotiating a lease renewal at its longtime Highlands location amid industry-wide retail contraction. The lease-renewal status is one of several near-term operational questions for the dispensary.

Wanda James’s Political Career

Wanda James was elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents in 2022. She is the only cannabis professional elected to public office in Colorado. The Board of Regents is the elected governing body of the University of Colorado system — CU Boulder, CU Denver, CU Colorado Springs, and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

James’s election to the Board of Regents was significant for several reasons:

• Direct cannabis-industry-to-public-office transition (rare in Colorado and nationally)
• Public visibility for a Black-woman-owned cannabis business
• CU’s federal-funding-compliance posture under DFSCA — cannabis prohibition campus-wide — sits in tension with the cannabis-industry experience James brings to the Board

Wanda James’s Cannabis Tourism Position

James has argued bluntly that Colorado’s restrictive consumption rules undercut its tourism case: “There is absolutely no reason for people to come to Colorado for cannabis tourism” (Axios Denver, April 2024). The position is provocative within the Colorado cannabis advocacy community but reflects honest assessment of the consumption-lounge thinness, the DIA no-amnesty-box reality, and the loss of first-mover tourism premium as 24+ states have legalized adult use.

The Apothecary of Colorado Origin

Apothecary of Colorado opened in 2009 as one of the earliest Colorado medical dispensaries — predating Amendment 64 by three years and the rec market by five. The medical-era operations gave James and Durrah:

• Direct experience with patient-base operations
• Operational learning before the much-larger rec market opened in 2014
• Brand equity and consumer recognition
• Network position within the early Colorado cannabis advocacy community

The Edibles Company — Simply Pure Edibles

Simply Pure as an edibles brand launched in 2010, predating both the dispensary at 2000 W. 32nd Ave and the rec market itself. The edibles brand operated under the Colorado MIP (manufactured infused-products) license framework and built brand recognition that carried over into the dispensary launch in 2015.

The Dispensary Operations

Simply Pure operates as a single-location independent dispensary — distinguishing it from the multi-store chains (Trulieve-style at the Florida-comparison level; LivWell, Native Roots, Cannabist at the Colorado level). The operational model emphasizes:

• Direct customer relationship
• Curated product selection
• Owner-operator presence
• Community engagement around Black cannabis-industry advocacy
• Educational programming

Black Cannabis Industry Context

James and Durrah’s position as the founders of the first Black-owned U.S. dispensary sits inside the broader context of cannabis-industry racial-disparity:

• Black entrepreneurs have historically been underrepresented in U.S. cannabis ownership
• Capital access barriers have been steep due to federal banking restrictions
• Cannabis convictions disproportionately affect Black Americans, often disqualifying them from license eligibility under traditional pre-equity frameworks
• Denver’s social-equity licensing program (April 2021 reforms) was designed in part to address these patterns — though Simply Pure predates the equity program by nearly six years

James has been a consistent voice in Colorado and national cannabis-equity discourse since the early 2010s.

The Lease-Renewal Watch

⚠️ As of early 2026, Simply Pure was negotiating a lease renewal at its longtime Highlands location amid industry-wide retail contraction. The Denver post-2020 contraction has put pressure on rent economics for cannabis dispensaries, particularly those in gentrifying neighborhoods like LoHi where commercial rents have increased substantially.

Companion Page — LoHi Neighborhood

For deeper LoHi neighborhood context, see our LoHi page. For the broader social-equity program context, see our social-equity licensing page.