Dreka Gates: ‘Cannabis Would Be A Trillion-Dollar Industry For Black And Brown Communities—If It Hadn’t Been Criminalized’
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2024. Some time references have been updated as of April 2025 for clarity and context.
“Imagine if it was never prohibited. Cannabis would be a trillion-dollar industry that was ours,” says Dreka Gates in an exclusive interview, reflecting on the historical and social implications of cannabis prohibition and its disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities in America and beyond. As an accomplished entrepreneur – and wife of rapper Kevin Gates, Dreka is carving out a significant space for herself in the wellness and cannabis industries, driven by a profound personal connection to plant medicine.
Dreka’s journey with cannabis began in her teen years with a challenging first encounter. “My first time smoking was an absolutely horrible experience,” she admits. Paranoia and anxiety marked her initial attempt, but her curiosity pushed her to try again. This time, cannabis provided a sense of relaxation and openness that became central to her wellness routine. Today, Dreka uses cannabis to manage anxiety and incorporates other therapeutic plants and fungi into her daily regimen. “I also microdose with psychedelic mushrooms for healing past traumas and functional mushrooms daily,” she explains.
Her holistic approach to wellness is deeply rooted in personal experience and education. Dreka took a three-day crash course at Oaksterdam University in Oakland in 2016, which covered everything from seed to sale, business and growing aspects of cannabis. This foundation empowered her to enter the cannabis industry with confidence and expertise.
A Crop Harvested With Love
In 2021, a Michigan-based cannabis company offered Dreka a partnership, where she took on roles in marketing and research and development. This opportunity was a stepping stone to her solo venture, Love’s Harvest, based in Mississippi.
Dreka Gates. SHANNON LAURINEX
“Love’s Harvest is my love, my harvest,” she says, describing her cannabis operation. Her vision for Love’s Harvest is to create a space that educates and destigmatizes cannabis use, particularly in the conservative Bible Belt. “I’m still in the Bible Belt, and a lot of people still look at it like, ‘Oh, that’s dope, that’s a drug,'” she explains.
However, she is confident in her ability to educate and transform these outdated views, showing that cannabis can be a powerful tool for wellness and healing. “You can literally just plant a seed outside in your backyard and you don’t have to do anything to it. It’ll just grow and it’ll just be there. How can this possibly be illegal?” she adds.
Weed Wellness
The wellness market in the U.S. is booming, valued at over $1.5 trillion and still projected to grow steadily each year. Similarly, the cannabis market is experiencing rapid expansion, with estimates suggesting it could reach $43 billion in 2025 — a milestone the industry …