Joyleaf

Although cannabis is legally available to buy in nearly half of the U.S. – including New Jersey – stigma surrounding its use remains. As president and co-founder of Joyleaf, Casinathen is making it a priority to snuff out those stereotypes.

A cannabis advocate, educator and entrepreneur with 20-plus years of corporate leadership experience, Casinathen teamed up with Jason Ackerman, founder and former CEO of FreshDirect, in December 2023 to open the Roselle-based dispensary.

As a female business owner, Casinathen made an immediate impact. Along with gaining a reputation as a trusted destination, Joyleaf was named Best New Business 2024 by the Roselle Chamber of Commerce and earned over 1,000 Google reviews with a 4.9-star rating. It serves a customer base that ranges from 21 to 96 years old who seek the right product for better sleep, relaxation, medicinal needs or a good time.

Shortly after Joyleaf’s grand opening, Ackerman recalled first meeting Casinathen when she interviewed for a position during his two-year tenure as CEO TerrAscend, telling NJBIZ, “I just thought she had a spark and an intelligence that you don’t always see. When you’re an entrepreneur, sometimes you don’t know what jobs someone’s going to fill, but you can tell that they’ve got capabilities.”

Before getting into the legalized industry, Casinathen worked in finance, holding positions at KPMG Canada and PepsiCo.