Two Baltimore-based cannabis organizations, Tea Pad and Burner’s Block, are teaming up to host a food and diaper drive during Tea Pad’s upcoming event on Nov. 13 at Stem & Vine in downtown Baltimore. The event aims to support families facing food insecurity and diaper shortages as the holiday season approaches.
The evening, described as “live jazz, good eats, plentiful libations, and provocative conversation,” will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 326 N. Charles St. Entry is $40, with proceeds supporting Tea Pad’s Fellowship Program, which provides cannabis science and policy education, mentorship and workforce training for women entering the industry. Guests are encouraged to bring canned food, diapers (all sizes), hygiene products, and children’s books for donation.
The Nov. 13 event will feature a fireside chat with Christina Betancourt Johnson, founder and CEO of Standard Wellness Maryland. An Afro-Latina entrepreneur who has raised more than $15 million in cannabis funding, Johnson serves on the U.S. Cannabis Council, the National Hispanic Cannabis Council and Maryland’s Advisory Board on Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis.
“This partnership represents the intersection of economic empowerment and community care,” Jacquie Cohen Roth, founder and CEO of Tea Pad, said. “While we’re celebrating women’s leadership in cannabis and creating pathways to careers through our Fellowship Program, we’re also addressing the immediate needs of our neighbors. That’s what true community building looks like.”
Tea Pad’s partnership with Burner’s Block reflects how the cannabis industry can be a force for social change. Founded in 2019 by Shawn Williams, a Black transgender entrepreneur, Burner’s Block has evolved from a rolling paper brand into a grassroots movement tackling systemic inequities in Baltimore through food drives, homeless outreach, and community empowerment projects.
Williams, a graduate of the University of Maryland’s MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program, met Cohen Roth when she served as his professor. Their shared passion for community empowerment led to this collaboration, which blends Tea Pad’s focus on long-term equity and workforce development with Burner’s Block’s direct-action approach.
The drive will collect donations to combat two critical issues in Baltimore—food insecurity and diaper need. Collected goods will be distributed through Burner’s Block’s local community networks. “Watching Shawn’s journey from student to community leader has been incredibly inspiring,” Cohen Roth said. “He embodies exactly what we hope to cultivate through Tea Pad—someone who uses their cannabis industry knowledge and connections to uplift their community.”
While the event celebrates leadership and progress within the cannabis industry, organizers say the effort speaks to larger community issues. Food insecurity, poverty, and unequal access to essential goods continue to challenge families across Baltimore, particularly during the holiday season.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at https://bit.ly/TEAPADCOMMUNITY.
