Gud Essence founder Jasmine Johnson pays entry-level workers up to $24 an hour, far above Florida’s coming minimum-wage hike, and credits explosive growth in legal THC drinks for the generous checks.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – While most Florida employers brace for the state’s minimum wage jump to $15 on September 30, Jasmine Johnson is already writing paychecks that make that number look small. Her hemp-derived delta-9 THC beverage stores under the Gud Essence banner start new hires at $18 to $24 an hour, plus health benefits and paid time off. The 36-year-old CEO says surging demand for legal intoxicants is fueling the payroll party.
The secret lies in the 2018 Farm Bill. It legalized hemp and anything derived from it with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight. Clever manufacturers realized they could pack far more buzz into gummies and drinks by measuring THC against the much heavier liquid or sugar base. The result: cans and shots that get adults comfortably high yet stay fully legal in states without recreational marijuana laws.
Johnson spotted the trend early. She opened her first Gud Essence storefront in Clearwater in late 2023. Within 18 months the chain grew to eight Florida locations plus wholesale deals with Circle K and independent convenience stores. Foot traffic routinely tops 1,000 customers a day per store on weekends.
Cash Registers Ring, Paychecks Grow
Gross sales hit $1.2 million in August alone across the eight stores, Johnson told reporters during a tour of the new St. Petersburg location. Margins on the drinks run 400 to 600 percent above wholesale cost. That river of cash flows straight to workers.
“I can either buy another Lamborghini or pay people what they actually deserve,” Johnson said, laughing. “I don’t need another car.”
Front-line staff now average $21 an hour. Shift leads earn $24 to $28. Every employee gets health insurance after 60 days and unlimited sick time. Turnover sits below 15 percent in an industry where 200 percent churn is common.
- Starting pay: $18-$24 per hour
- Average hourly wage: $21.50
- Full health coverage kicks in after 60 days
- Unlimited paid sick days
- Quarterly profit-share checks hit $800-$2,100 last period
Workers Feel the Difference
Kayla Rivera, 28, used to sling burgers for $12 an hour plus constant drama about call-outs. Six months ago she started at Gud Essence in Tampa.
“I paid off my car in three months,” Rivera said while stocking neon cans of “Cosmic Punch.” “I never thought a retail job could do that.”
The high wages also pull talent from competitors. One new hire left a bank teller job that paid $17.50 because Gud Essence offered $22 plus weekends off if she wanted them.
Florida’s Minimum Wage Still Matters
Come September 30, Florida’s minimum wage rises from $13 to $14 for non-tipped workers and then to $15 exactly one year later under a 2020 constitutional amendment. More than 800,000 Floridians currently earn at or near minimum wage, state labor data show.
Yet in the blazing hemp-THC market, $15 already feels like old news. Rival chains in Orlando and Miami now advertise $20 starting pay just to keep doors open.
| Company | Starting Pay | Benefits Package | Locations in FL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gud Essence | $18-$24 | Full health, unlimited sick | 8 |
| Typical gas station | $13-$15 | Rare | Thousands |
| National coffee chain | $14-$17 | Partial after 90 days | Hundreds |
Community Ripple Effects
Local apartment managers near the Clearwater store report applicants suddenly qualifying for better units because pay stubs show $3,000+ monthly take-home. One complex raised its income requirement last month and still filled every vacancy.
Johnson plans to open six more stores by summer 2025 and promises the pay structure stays. She also launched a training program with St. Petersburg College so employees can move into lab tech or compliance jobs that pay $55,000 to $80,000 a year.
A Model or an Outlier?
Labor experts caution that not every business enjoys 500 percent markups. Still, Johnson’s approach challenges the tired argument that higher wages kill jobs.
“When money pours in this fast, sharing it keeps good people and keeps customers happy,” she said. “Happy people sell more cans. It’s not rocket science.”
As Florida prepares for its $15 minimum, Jasmine Johnson and her neon-lit empire have already raced far beyond it, proving that in America’s newest legal vice, the workers can win big too.