Dope Roots
by Nekima Levy Armstrong
I chose the name Dope Roots to honor my ancestry—descendants of enslaved people who persevered through oppression, dehumanization, and inequality across generations. Their persistence, their struggle, and their sacrifices made me who I am. Without my grandmother’s legacy—a cafeteria lady, fisherwoman, activist, matriarch, and baker from Mississippi—I wouldn’t have had the courage, fortitude, or skills to build Dope Roots from scratch, the way she baked from scratch, with love and purpose.
She didn’t have much in terms of material wealth, but what she had—Black woman magic, grit, and passion—she passed on to me. Building Dope Roots is one of the ways I keep her memory alive. It’s also how I honor the healing and medicinal powers of the cannabis plant. I never imagined this path would bring me closer to my roots, but it has—in the most profound and unexpected ways.
I launched Dope Roots to bring high-quality, lower-potency THC products to the market, specifically for people like me: working moms, busy professionals, and everyday folks who want to integrate cannabis into their wellness routines without getting overwhelmed. My product line includes hemp-based canna butter, chocolate canna spread, gummies, beverages, snacks, and infused desserts—all crafted to normalize micro-dosing as a tool for self-care and intentional living.
Micro-dosing isn’t just a trend for me—it’s personal. In September 2022, I was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor that required emergency neurosurgery and follow-up radiation. It was terrifying, and although the tumor was benign, the experience was life-altering. I’m still on a healing journey, and micro-dosing cannabis has been instrumental in that process. It’s helped reduce my stress, manage anxiety, improve my focus, and bring a sense of calm that I had been missing.
Before this journey, I struggled to unwind after intense days or be fully present when I wanted to be. As an occasional cannabis smoker, I found that I needed alternatives—options that were easier to control and fit naturally into my lifestyle. Through experimentation, I discovered that micro-dosed edibles worked best for me. But when I visited dispensaries, I kept running into the same issue: products were overwhelmingly high in THC and lacked variety in flavor, quality, and intention. Many of them tasted like THC instead of treats.
That’s when the idea hit me: What if I could create infused cookies that taste like the ones my grandmother baked—soft, flavorful, and full of love? What if I could make low-dose canna butter so others could infuse their meals at home? That’s how Dope Roots was born—from a desire to infuse healing, joy, and creativity into everyday life.
As an activist, I’ve always believed in putting power into the hands of the people. That philosophy informs everything I do with Dope Roots. There’s something liberating about being able to create your own infused foods—something that once felt so restricted and out of reach. That’s why many of our products are designed to give people that agency.
This journey has been more than entrepreneurial. It’s been deeply personal. And at times, it has felt like groping in the dark, trying to find my way. I’ve had to dig deep—emotionally, spiritually, and creatively. What I’ve found is that the deeper I go, the more I reconnect with my roots. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m tapping into something ancestral—something humble and spiritual that can’t be explained by intellect or education alone. And I didn’t expect that. I went into law. I was the first in my family to graduate from a four-year college. That kind of path can sometimes disconnect you from your roots. But Dope Roots has brought me back.
This work—the products, the storytelling, the advocacy—is all a part of my healing. It’s part of my grandmother’s legacy. And it’s a love letter to everyone navigating their own journey with cannabis, healing, or reconnection. There’s power in our roots. There’s power in our stories. And there’s power in doing things from the heart.