MARVINA THOMAS BALANCES SUCCESS, GIVING BACK

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Weekly Staff

Black entrepreneurs account for less than 2% of the nation’s cannabis businesses — a narrative being changed by Marvina Thomas and her company Fourtwenty Collections, a 100% Black, female-owned business.

With headquarters in Arizona and New Mexico, Thomas is a community-forward entrepreneur who uses her success to give back and provide opportunities to underrepresented communities.

In the cannabis industry, women only maintain 22% of executive roles, and minorities, 13%, cites a recent study. Thomas doesn’t allow these odds to deter her.

“My company, Fourtwenty Collections, consists of CBD skin care, THC-infused medibles, and a fashion line for men and women,” she explains.

Fourtwenty Collections has been serving the cannabis industry in Arizona since 2016 and expanded into the emerging New Mexico market in late 2022. Both locations place an emphasis on providing job opportunities to un- derrepresented members of the BIPOC community and women, according to Thomas.

“We (Fourtwenty Collections) handcraft luxury skin care and indulgent edibles to enhance our clients’ self-care regime and the lives of those in need,” she said. “A former registered nurse, I am interested in the benefits of CBD and THC to help promote a healthy body and mind. This includes utilizing these products to help those impacted by drug addiction.”

Thomas’ transition from nurse to entrepreneur was inspired by her former patients who battled with addiction.

“One patient still stands out in my memory and heart,” she recalls. “A drug user, her face was badly burned from a pipe that blew up in her face. I had just started making soaps, and I brought her one, and in about two weeks her skin started to heal. That was a pivotal mo- ment for me to move from nursing to full-time cannabis enthusiast and entrepreneur.”

From the beginning, Thomas said that Fourtwenty Collections was community oriented.

“I wanted to provide relief to my clients while building an operation that had the ability to give back to those in need. This is what fueled Fourtwenty

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