Susan Hwang
Founder, BEST Dispensary
Susan Hwang, known as Mama Su, is founder and CEO of BEST Dispensary and one of the original license holders when Arizona legalized medical marijuana in 2011. She is the only Asian American woman to own dispensaries in the state.
Born in South Korea, she immigrated to the United States at age 12 and grew up in Los Angeles and Tennessee before settling in Arizona. She earned a B.S. in biochemistry and an M.S. in microbiology from Arizona State University.
When the state's medical program opened she moved early, opening her first dispensary in Eloy in 2013. She later built BEST Dispensary in Mesa as what she has called Arizona's only luxury dispensary — "the Louis Vuitton of cannabis." She holds 14 vertically integrated licenses covering dispensary, cultivation, extraction, infusion, manufacturing, and distribution, with locations in Mesa and Yuma and expansion plans that have included Los Angeles.
She also runs SH Management Services, Jamestown Center, Susu Holdings, and DailyDose, a CBD brand. She is a Titan 100 honoree (Phoenix 2023), co-founder of the Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, and market leader for Women Grow Phoenix and Women Grow Los Angeles. She supports G.I.V.E., Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girl Scouts of America, and One Community, which gave her its HERO Award.
She Didn't Speak English, Now Susan Hwang Owns Arizona's Biggest Dispensary
Key takeaways from the episode featuring Susan Hwang:
+Her Immigrant Journey: Susan Hwang shared her journey from South Korea to the U.S. at age 12.
+Cannabis Industry Pioneer: Susan became involved in the cannabis industry in 2011, focusing on removing negative stigmas and becoming a significant player in the field.
+Overcoming Challenges: She faced significant obstacles in zoning and permitting for her cannabis business, emphasizing the importance of persistence and crea…