Son of BMF’s ‘Southwest T’ opens dispensary

263 Cannabis Co. is licensed for adult-use sales in River Rouge

May 18, 2023 at 3:31 pm

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Terry Flenory Jr., Instagram (@swtee263)

Terry Flenory Jr. has opened 263 Cannabis Co., a new dispensary in River Rouge.

Metro Detroit’s latest cannabis dispensary has opened Downriver — and it has a connection to the hit Starz TV series BMF.

263 Cannabis Co.’s founder is Terry Flenory Jr., son of Terry “Southwest T” Flenory of the famous BMF organization, or Black Mafia Family, depicted in the popular show of the same name.

Made-in-Detroit Starz crime drama ‘BMF’ is all about family: As it heads into its second season, the hit TV series gets a real-life Motor City story right

“We are beyond excited to open our doors and introduce the 263 Cannabis Co. experience to the River Rouge community,” the younger Flenory said in a statement. “Our team has worked tirelessly to create a dispensary that combines exceptional products, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a welcoming atmosphere. We look forward to serving the cannabis needs of our customers and being a positive addition to the local community.”

The dispensary, located at 286 Burke St., River Rouge, is licensed for adult-use cannabis sales, available to anyone age 21 and older with a valid ID.

It will celebrate a grand opening celebration on Saturday and Sunday with food trucks, prizes, and live music.

Location Details

263 Cannabis Co.

286 Burke St., River Rouge Wayne County

shop263.com

More information about 263 Cannabis Co. is available at shop263.com.

The real-life BMF was a drug trafficking organization that launched in Detroit in the 1980s, which prosecutors say grew to a multi-state operation that pulled in more than $270 million. Terry Flenory Sr. and his brother Demetrius were indicted in the early 2000s and convicted with 30 years behind bars.

Flenory Sr., 53, was released from prison in 2020 on a reduced sentence. In the show, he is portrayed by the actor Da’Vinchi.

Demetrius Flenory is scheduled for release in 2028.

The BMF series premiered in 2021, and has been praised for its portrayal of Detroit history and culture. It was renewed for a third season earlier this year.

Slideshow

The best Detroit moments from ‘BMF’ season 2 [PHOTOS]

Coney Island restaurants (throughout the series)Just like in real life, Coney Island diners are like a character in the BMF series, where you’ll find coney dogs — and also drug deals, meet-ups, sex, and shootouts.

Episode 1: The Raven LoungeIn episode one, K-9 invites Meech to a business dinner at the historic Raven Lounge, which opened in 1966 by Sam Watts and prides itself on being Detroit’s oldest blue’s bar. The club was created “to give up-and-coming Motown [talent] a place to play,” owner Tommy Stephens told National Geographic “It’s where stars came to listen to the blues.” Those stars included B.B. King, Diana Ross, Martha Reeves, and Smokey Robinson.

Episode 1: Chinatown“My sister and I used to ride our bikes all over the place when Chinatown was still around,” detective Jin (played by Kelly Hu) tells her partner during a car ride. “And then they started displacing us to the Cass Corridor…”The Chinatown comment speaks to the city’s Chinese-American community, which government leaders in Detroit unsuccessfully tried to relocate in the 1950s. It by far wasn’t one of Detroit’s finer moments, and oftentimes gets overlooked at how it impacted Detroit’s Asian-American community.“I remember doing the research on that and how they really just got rid of Chinatown. They tried to move it to another area, and it never really stuck, and so much of the gentrification of Detroit started during that period,” Hu tells Metro Times.

Episode 3: Devil’s Night/Angel’s NightEpisode 3 starts off by giving viewers an oral and visual history of Devil’s Night fire-starters in Detroit, but also sees Charles Flenoy (Russell Hornsby) with his two sons (younger versions of Meech and Terry) chasing a would-be arsonist away.“These things are saying, ‘Hey, we’re taking our city back, we’re here to protect our residents, our people, we’re here to keep everybody safe,’” Hornsby tells Metro Times. “I think things like that are needed all across the country. Detroit’s going to take something negative and turn it into a positive and it’s a beautiful thing.”

Episode 3: GatorsIn episode 3, Alvin (played by Donnell Rawlings) watches Lamar (played by Eric Kofi-Abrefa) remove a deceased man’s gator shoes off his feet and put them on. “I know you ain’t thinking about taking a dead man’s gators nigga … you can’t do that, it’s a violation,” Alvin says in the episode.The clip is a testament to when alligator skin shoes were a mainstay in Detroit’s fashion culture. When asked about it, Donnell Rawlings tells Metro Times, “To me, a pair of shoes is a pair of shoes, but what made me think of how important it was, was the Biggie Smalls line: ‘Pink gators, my Detroit players.’ And so for Biggie to acknowledge that and to know how important it is to establish that’s what Detroit is about, there had to be significance to it,” he says.

Episode 3: The RoostertailTerry Flenory (played by Da’Vinci) and Markisha Taylor (Played by LaLa Anthony) have dinner at the historic Roostertail.Although now mostly utilized as a space to host weddings, proms, and parties, the 65-year-old riverfront venue was once the preferred destination for private events among Detroit’s performers, politicians, and upper class. Elton John, Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, and many Motown acts have had events and concerts held at the Roostertail.

Episode 4: Maserati RickTerry references famous Detroit crime figure Maserati Rick as he’s getting Meech out of the hospital. “This ain’t ‘bout to be no Maserati Rick repeat,” he says during the scene. Notorious drug crime boss Richard “Maserati Rick” Carter was murdered inside of his hospital room at Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital on September 12, 1988. Two days earlier, he had been shot in the stomach. On Sept. 16, 1988 Carter was famously buried in a Mercedes Benz casket at Peace Chapel.

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About The Author

Lee DeVito

Leyland “Lee” DeVito is the editor in chief of Detroit Metro Times since 2016. His writing has also been published in CREEM, VICE, In These Times, and New City. He once asked porn star Stormy Daniels to spank him with an issue of Metro Times. She obliged.

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