Brooklyn man shares journey from Rikers Island inmate to successful business owner
James Adames says he started his lengthy criminal record at just 18 years old.
More Stories
A Brooklyn man is sharing his journey from being a Rikers Island inmate to becoming a successful business owner.
James Adames says he started his lengthy criminal record at just 18 years old.
"Almost every week, I would get arrested for marijuana and accumulated enough arrests that landed me in prison." he recalls.
That prison sentence sent him to Rikers Island for a four-month sentence.
He got out in two months for good behavior, but life after prison was where his real struggles began.
"I couldn't find no work anywhere." Adames explains on the challenges of finding work after a prison sentence. "You have to get used to people saying no."
Fifteen years later, after a successful career in production, he is now a business owner.
Kushmart is one of New York City's newest, legalized, cannabis dispensaries.
In 2022, New York City started a program that offered its first round of dispensary licenses to those previously convicted with a marijuana-related offense.
Adames qualified, which led him to where he is currently.
Kushmart opened this month.
Adames says the feeling is "bittersweet" because he still has friends serving time for marijuana related drug offenses.
His story of success also comes with a big weight. He says he feels guilt that he is the one out of his friends who made it out of prison.
Adames says he does not take that responsibility lightly.
"I can't mess this one up," he says.
