THE ROYAL BLEND STORY

From Kingston, Jamaica to Kingston, New York

Delaurna and Sonia Murphy are the founders and sole owners of Royal Blend Dispensary. The husband-and-wife team immigrated to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica over 35 years ago. For the Murphys, America is where success is open to anyone with a vision and the willingness to work hard. But it was in Jamaica where their entrepreneurial spirit first took root.

Before coming to America, Sonia partnered with her mother, aunt, and close friends in Jamaica to make and sell sheets, pillowcases, curtains, and tablecloths, while simultaneously working as a kindergarten teacher. It was a successful family business, affording Sonia and her family the opportunity to be self-sufficient and self-reliant, while at the same time providing job opportunities to their community. It was at the family business that Sonia met Delaurna, who joined the team as a seamster and salesman. Delaurna also sang, danced, and performed with an internationally acclaimed Jamaican folk group and established and led a community-based cultural group in Greenwich Town, Kingston.

Sonia and Delaurna fell in love and had two children. They decided to move to the United States to pursue their dream of raising a family and building a successful business. They settled in New York City, got married, and gave birth to their third child.

Hard Work and an Entrepreneurial Streak

As new arrivals to the United States, Sonia and Delaurna worked hard to support their young family. First Sonia worked as a domestic helper while Delaurna worked as an office assistant, and later Delaurna trained to become a licensed polysomnographic technologist. But Sonia and Delaurna always saw themselves as small business owners, and through this vision they created the Royal Blend Group of Services. Under this umbrella, they launched their first family-owned business, Royal Blend Perfume Oils & Accessories, and later added Royal Blend Foods, where they sold (and continue to sell) delicious Jamaican and soul food.

Early on, Sonia and Delaurna were also street vendors, selling clothing, accessories, and, on occasions, marijuana. During this time Delaurna was arrested for selling marijuana in an encounter that turned violent, as he was beaten by the police. This unfortunate incident, however, would later enable the creation of Royal Blend Dispensary. Using their success as small business owners, and Delaurna’s prior arrest for marijuana, they obtained a New York State Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license. This special license was created to promote social equity in the state's new cannabis market by prioritizing opportunities for people with previous cannabis convictions. With this license in hand, they were ready to launch Royal Blend Dispensary.

It Takes a Village

Like most CAURD license holders, Delaurna and Sonia faced challenges in New York's complex and regulated legal cannabis market. They were constantly approached by predatory investors who offered financing and management support for a very steep price. To get around the predators, the Murphys sought help from advocacy groups whose mission aligned with the restorative justice and social equity goals of New York State's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA). They teamed up with the Bronx Cannabis Hub, a division of the Bronx Defenders, and the pro-bono division of the law firm Cleary Gottlieb. These organizations provided training on dispensary operations and legal advice on negotiating with investors. During a network meeting, Sonia and Delaurna met Dr. Reginald Fluellen, head of the NYS Cannabis Social Equity Coalition, who in turn introduced them to Housing Works.

As the nonprofit operator of New York State's first legal adult-use cannabis dispensary, Housing Works was eager to partner with other CAURD license holders like the Murphys. A nonprofit with over 30 years of experience providing health care, social services, and job training to people impacted by the War on Drugs, as well as equal experience running retail establishments such 10 thrift shops and a bookstore cafe, Housing Works believed that supporting people like Sonia and Delaurna Murphy was a natural extension of its broader mission toward social justice. The organization has advised Royal Blend on retail operations, finance, human resources, cannabis purchasing, marketing, and more.

Together with their team of experts, Sonia and Delaurna launched Royal Blend Dispensary in August 2024 to bring quality cannabis product at the best prices to Ulster County and beyond.