By Michael “PoppaDukes” Serrano
When Coss Marte walks through the doors of CONBUD on Delancey Street, he’s not just entering his dispensary. He’s experiencing a full-circle moment. It would make even the most seasoned storyteller emotional. This powerhouse entrepreneur has transformed from running a $2 million-a-year cocaine operation. Now, he’s building a $12 million projected cannabis empire. This empire is redefining what second chances look like in America.
Here’s the part that will truly amaze you. His dispensary is located just blocks away from where he was arrested over a decade ago. Talk about reclaiming your narrative!
From Rock Bottom to Rock Solid: The Ultimate Comeback Story
Let’s keep it real – Coss Marte’s journey isn’t your typical feel-good business story. This Lower East Side native grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. During those years, his neighborhood was ground zero for the drug epidemic. By age 19, this trailblazer was making over $2 million each year. He was running one of New York City’s largest drug delivery services. But sometimes the universe has other plans.
In 2009, Marte was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison as the leader of a multi-million-dollar cocaine operation. Most people would see this as the end of the road. But, Marte saw it as the beginning of his real education.
“Prison saved my life,” Marte has said. When you see what he’s built since his release, you’ll understand exactly what he means.
The Awakening: How Solitary Confinement Sparked a Revolution
Here’s where Marte’s story gets truly game-changing. While incarcerated, doctors delivered devastating news. They said his high cholesterol and obesity would likely kill him. He needed to make drastic changes. Picture this – you’re locked in a cell with nothing but time and the weight of your choices. What do you do?
Coss Marte turned his prison cell into a laboratory for transformation. Using only bodyweight exercises, he designed a revolutionary fitness system that helped him lose 70 pounds in six months. This social entrepreneur didn’t stop there. He taught this method to 20 fellow inmates. This effort created the foundation for what would become his signature “prison-style” bootcamp approach.
This moment of spiritual awakening in solitary confinement didn’t just change his body. It rewired his entire mindset about purpose, community, and the power of second chances.
CONBODY: Building an Empire on Redemption
After his release, Marte could have disappeared into the background, grateful just to be free. Instead, this visionary decided to turn his prison workout system into a business revolution. CONBODY, his fitness studio on the Lower East Side, doesn’t just hire formerly incarcerated individuals as instructors. It celebrates their stories. It showcases their transformation.
The numbers speak for themselves: CONBODY has served over 25,000 clients. It has gained recognition in more than 200 major media outlets. These include NBC, CNN, The New York Times, and TED Talks. The company now operates locations across the country, including inside correctional facilities, proving that authentic stories of redemption resonate everywhere.
But Marte wasn’t done disrupting industries. When New York legalized cannabis, he saw an opportunity to create something even bigger.
CONBUD: Where Cannabis Meets Social Justice
In October 2023, CONBUD opened its doors on Delancey Street, and the cannabis industry hasn’t been the same since. This isn’t just another dispensary. It’s a statement about who deserves to profit from an industry that once criminalized so many.
The business is already pulling in $800,000 per month with projections to hit $12 million in first-year revenue. But here’s what makes this truly revolutionary: nearly all of CONBUD’s 50 employees have prison backgrounds. Marte isn’t just talking about second chances. He is writing the playbook for how businesses can create generational wealth for marginalized communities.
Qualified for a CAURD license due to his past cannabis conviction, Marte shows proven business success. He represents exactly what New York’s social equity program was designed to support. His dispensary features his own mugshot on the wall. It is displayed alongside other celebrities with cannabis-related legal issues. The dispensary prominently displays the 13th Amendment to address social justice issues head-on.
Marte worked alongside his cousins Junior and Alfredo. He has expanded to the Bronx with a second location. This proves that this model isn’t just sustainable – it’s scalable.
The Dominican Dream: Breaking Generational Cycles
Marte’s story is deeply rooted in the immigrant experience that defines so much of New York’s character. He came from a Dominican immigrant family. He witnessed firsthand how limited opportunities and systemic barriers can push young people toward dangerous choices. His initial involvement in the drug trade wasn’t born from greed. It was a desperate attempt to escape poverty. He also wanted to provide for his family.
This context makes his transformation even more powerful. Marte didn’t just change his own trajectory – he’s creating pathways for others who come from similar circumstances. Through Second Chance Studios NYC, a nonprofit he co-founded, former convicts learn digital media skills. This adds another layer to his commitment to community uplift.
More Than Money: The Social Impact Revolution
What sets Coss Marte apart from other successful entrepreneurs isn’t just his revenue numbers. It’s his unwavering commitment to using business as a tool for social change. In an industry where social equity is often just a buzzword, Marte is proving that authentic transformation creates authentic profits.
His advocacy for prison reform and social reintegration extends far beyond his own businesses. He shows that formerly incarcerated individuals can be trusted with significant responsibility. He rewards them accordingly. By doing this, he’s challenging decades of discrimination and stigma.
The cannabis industry disproportionately impacted Black and brown communities during prohibition. Now, it has a living example of how legalization can serve as reparations when done right. CONBUD isn’t just de-stigmatizing cannabis – it’s de-stigmatizing people who society has written off.
The Ripple Effect: Inspiring a Movement
Marte’s success is creating waves throughout New York’s cannabis scene and beyond. Other social equity operators are looking to his model as proof that doing good and doing well aren’t mutually exclusive. His story is becoming required reading for anyone serious about understanding what authentic social equity looks like in practice.
This transformation happened in the Lower East Side. It’s the same neighborhood where his story began. This fact adds layers of symbolism that you can’t manufacture. This is about reclaiming spaces and rewriting narratives. It shows young people that there are multiple paths forward, even after the biggest mistakes.
What This Means for the Industry
Coss Marte’s success with CONBUD represents more than just another dispensary opening. It is validation that New York’s social equity program can work when implemented thoughtfully. His $800,000 monthly revenue proves that consumers are hungry for authentic stories and businesses that align with their values.
For other entrepreneurs considering the cannabis space, Marte’s journey offers crucial insights. Authenticity resonates with people. Community investment pays dividends. Second chances can become second-to-none opportunities.
This is a transformation story that makes you believe in redemption. It shows the power of hard work. You should never give up on yourself or your community. Coss Marte didn’t just serve his time. He used that time to serve his community. Now his community is serving him right back.
If you’re looking for inspiration, read CONBUD’s story. It shows what’s possible when you combine authentic purpose with relentless execution. CONBUD’s story is required reading. Here is how you turn your biggest failure into your greatest success. It’s also how you build something bigger than yourself while staying true to where you came from.
Michael “PoppaDukes” Serrano is the executive producer and host of The OG Social Network Podcast. A life-long New Yorker and cannabis advocate, PoppaDukes is educating his community about cannabis, politics, and culture.
Sources:
- NYC Cannabis Industry Reports
- CONBODY Corporate Communications
- New York State Cannabis Control Board
- Business Insider Cannabis Coverage
- NYC Social Equity Program Documentation
- Forbes – Out Of The Shackles And Into The Industry: Coss Marte’s CONBUD Dispensary Is Coming To NYC
- High Times – From Prison to Pot Shop: Inside Coss Marte’s Con Empire
- Coss Marte – LinkedIn
- CONBUD – Official Site
- CONBUD – Alternate Link
- CONBODY – Official Site
#SecondChances #CannabisJustice #NewYorkCannabis #CannabisEntrepreneurs #SocialJustice #CannabisEquity #NYCCannabis #CannabisReform #TheOGSocialNetwork #CONBUD