Greenhouse Staff Spotlight - Nate
Today’s Greenhouse Staff Spotlight is your chance to get to know Greenhouse budtender Nate a little better! Everyone drop a “congrats Nate” in the comments. The greater Greenhouse Fam just went +1 as Nate recently welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world!
Nate, what's your favorite way to consume cannabis?
Smoking or vaping flower hands down. I really love the control you have when smoking/vaping flower.
What's your favorite thing(s) to do while “partaking”?
I really love to cook and create new dishes and desserts, it's definitely one of my favorite things to do.
What's your favorite strain? I’m pretty passionate about this one. I absolutely love Kalkushka from Real Leaf Solutions!! It's such a nice chill buzz that is great for after work, plus it's pain management benefits are incredible. It takes the pain and melts it away. Honestly anything grown by Real Leaf Solutions is absolutely cream of the crop, from quality that goes into the growing down to the trimming of the buds.
What's your favorite thing about bud tending? I love educating people on the many benefits of terpenes and flavonoids and how they affect your buzz length, quality and their medical benefits. There’s so much more to it than just THC content!
What do you do when you're not bud tending? I'm a new father so I have been loving hanging out with my son and getting to know him. I also love spending time with my dogs and wife, cooking and growing various fruits and vegetables.
If you could share a joint with any celebrity or person from history…who and what's on the menu? The great Buddha and we would smoke the sativa strain “Laughing Buddha”
Primitiv - Hall of Fame flower, Hall of Fame Founder
Congrats to our friend Calvin Johnson on being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame today. Calvin, along with former Lions teammate Rob Sims founded the Michigan Cannabis company “Primitv.” The Greenhouse is proud to carry Primitiv flower and products. Head over to primitivgroup.com to learn more about Primitiv.
The 3rd Annual Darren McCarty Charity Golf Outing sponsored by The Greenhouse
We’re proud to be a sponsor of this year's Darren McCarty Charity Golf outing, and so happy to share this day with 4 of our great Greenhouse customers! TJ, Justin, Tim and Brad won this weeks giveaway and are joining Darren and Jerry on the links! It’s going to be a great day!
Greenhouse Staff Spotlight - Christian
Everyone meet Christian! Christian is one of our awesome and super knowledgeable budtenders at The Greenhouse!
Christian, What's your favorite way to consume cannabis? Although I partake in pretty much all forms of consumption, a good old fashion joint is definitely my favorite!!
What's your favorite thing(s) to do while “partaking”? Honestly sitting outside with a hot fresh coffee enjoying the quiet is probably what I enjoy doing most while partaking.
What's your favorite strain(s) or type of flower? My favorite strain is definitely strawberry cough or anyting mixed with strawberry cough. My body reacts really really well to the terpenes in that strain. Always makes me feel like I could run a marathon. And with a busy busy life who couldn't use a little bit of extra motivation.
What's your favorite non flower product or brand? I absolutely love the choice sativa dark chocolate bites! They offer such a nice energetic uplifted high while leaving you clear headed and sharp.
What's your favorite thing about bud tending? My absolute favorite part of bud tending is helping people. I especially love waking up every day and coming into work knowing that I am doing my part to help with the opioid crisis!
What's a cannabis question you wish more customers asked? I definitely wish more people would ask more questions about our CBD products. There are so many wonderful benefits to taking CBD on a regular basis. And for me it's use has been absolutely life changing!
What do you do when you're not bud tending? Being a mom of six I spend a lot of time doing regular mom tasks. Me and my crew often like to pick up and go on day trips though. We'll take our tent to go for a day or two and visit all kinds of different places all around Michigan. We love learning all about our wonderful state while making great family memories.
If you could share a joint with any celebrity or person from history…who and what's on the menu? Donnie Wahlberg and some Durban poison to set the mood
The Greenhouse Adopts a Highway!
The Greenhouse is proud to be participating in Michigan’s #adoptahighway program! One of our duties when “adopting a highway” is getting out there and picking up litter. We have a 2-mile stretch of I-96 just before US-23 In Brighton… I can’t tell you how many garbage bags we filled, but it’s a lot
Jerry from The Greenhouse says "Leave the Caregivers Alone!"
Michigan's "caregivers" have come under attack lately. Jerry from the Greenhouse says "Leave the Caregivers alone" on FOX 2 Detroit's "Let it Rip
Greenhouse Staff Spotlight - Mike
Everyone, meet Mike. Mike's a father, a former college football player, and a senior budtender here at the Greenhouse. He’s managed to earn himself the nickname “Roadhouse” for reasons better explained in person
Mike, what's your favorite way to consume cannabis?
Smoking flower is still my preferred method of cannabis consumption. Both the experience and effects of flower are second to none, in my opinion.
What's your favorite strain?
Although I enjoy all types of cannabis for their differing attributes, sativa leaning hybrids tend to be my favorite due to their ability to help with pain alleviation and stress relief while also helping one stay uplifted and motivated.
What's your favorite non-flower product?
My favorite non-flower products are the Wana gummies. They’re made with pectin as opposed the gelatin which gives them a great, chewy mouth-feel. They also deliver in spades when it comes to taste and effects.
What's a cannabis question you wished more people asked?
The cannabis question I wish more customers asked would have to be about the terpenes and peripheral cannabinoids and the role they play in regard to the effects of cannabis. A good portion of consumers seem hyper-focused on THC content, when in reality, some of the most impressive cannabis I’ve consumed has come from more moderately testing plants. There are several different compounds contributing toward the “entourage effect”, which gives each strain of cannabis their distinct qualities.
What do you enjoy when you’re not budtending?
When I’m not Bud Tending, I’m spending time with my wife and kids, golfing or watching sports. We like to go on adventures together, kayak, and generally smile as much as we possibly can.
If you could share a joint with any celebrity or person from history…who and what’s on the menu?
Some Lilac Diesel and a round of golf with Bill Murray seems like a pretty kick-ass way to spend a day
Sha’Carri Richardson banned from the '21 Olympics? The Greenhouse says they should #LetHerRun - Fox2
Sha’Carri Richardson is one of the fastest athletes in the world. While Richardson won a spot on the U.S. Olympic Women’s Track team, she was banned from competing due to a 30-day suspension after testing positive for THC, the main psychoactive component found in marijuana. Though marijuana is legal in Richardson’s home state of Oregon, where she qualified, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency bans athletes from using the substance during or outside of competition.
Jerry from The Greenhouse joins our friends from the FOX 2 Detroit morning team to talk cannabis use amongst athletes and why it should be allowed.
Greenhouse of Walled Lake displays banner in support of Sha’Carri Richardson
We're happy to see we're helping raise awareness for Sha'Carri Richardson and the ridiculous rule preventing her from participating at this Summer's Olympic Games. Hopefully this will be the last year that the Olympics considers cannabis as a "banned PED." Thanks to our friends at The Oakland Press for covering this #LetHerRun
By DREW ELLIS | dellis@medianewsgroup.com | The Oakland Press
PUBLISHED: July 17, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. | UPDATED: July 17, 2021 at 2:07 p.m.
WALLED LAKE – Sha’Carri Richardson had hopes of fulfilling a dream and winning a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
After winning the 100-meter dash in the U.S. Olympic trials in June with a time of 10.86, Richardson appeared to be well on her way toward achieving that goal.
However, a positive test for cannabis during the trials wiped out her results and will keep her from competing in the Olympics.
Cannabis is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, labeled a performance-enhancing drug.
That decision doesn’t sit well with Jerry Millen, owner of the Greenhouse of Walled Lake, which sells recreational and medical cannabis.
“I know, plenty of professional athletes that use cannabis. They don’t use it for performance. They use it for things like inflammation, relaxation and anxiety,” Millen said. “I feel that the (WADA) is probably filled with a bunch of people that don’t understand cannabis, and they’re more archaic than the law itself.”
To show support for Richardson and raise awareness against the stigma of athletes using cannabis, Millen has put a 25×8-foot banner across the outside of the Greenhouse of Walled Lake with Richardson on display.
“They’re not gonna let her run, but what does that mean? Do we stop trying to spread that message? Absolutely not. Because to me, cannabis should be federally legal,” Millen said. “The Olympics should take it off the banned substances. Alcohol used to be banned in the Olympics. Caffeine used to be banned in the Olympics. Now, you can use caffeine and drink a pot of coffee before you’re going to run a race. For me, caffeine is more of an enhancement than cannabis.”
The Greenhouse of Walled Lake displays a banner outside their shop in support of Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson won the U.S. Olympic trials in the 100-meter dash, but will not be able to compete after testing positive for cannabis during the trials. Cannabis is considered a performance-enhancing drug by the World Anti-Doping Agency. (DREW ELLIS – MediaNews Group)
Richardson stated that the stress of her mother’s recent death, combined with the pressure of preparing for the Olympic trials, led her to using cannabis.
“Miss Richardson, I think she is going to be, fortunately or unfortunately, the catalyst to change that rule,” Millen said. “I guarantee you the Olympic Committee is embarrassed now because they’ve been exposed for this stupid rule. Forty-seven countries have legal medical cannabis, and 19 states plus Washington DC has legal recreational cannabis.”
Millen has offered Richardson $20,000 to make an appearance at the Provisioning Center in Walled Lake, but he has not heard a response to the offer.
“I feel bad for her. She’s in a tough position. The rule needs to change. Olympic athletes, unless you’re Michael Phelps or Flo Jo, it’s hard to make money being an Olympic athlete,” Millen said. “They sacrifice a lot and they don’t make much money. This was her chance to maybe make a career out of this. But now, because she used cannabis, and it’s deemed a performance-enhancer, her career could be done.”
Millen has been researching the medical benefits of cannabis for 17 years, and his website www.greenhousemi.com provides informational videos for anyone looking to learn more about cannabis.
“I grew up a child of the D.A.R.E. program and was always told about how bad cannabis was because it was a drug. But, over the last 17 years, I’ve been working on promoting cannabis as a medicine and trying to convert a lot of naysayers. I think we’ve done a great job of that across the United States of showing the medical attributes. Now that it’s recreationally legal here in Michigan, I just think it’s time that these archaic laws and rules are rolled back to fit our modern-day society,” Millen said.
“Just do your research. Go to our website. We have videos out there that explain what THC is, what CBD is, how you can use it for your benefit. The only thing I ask is if you’re against cannabis, or you’re curious, just do your research. Maybe cannabis isn’t for you to use, but there may come a time in your life where your loved one might need it. So just get educated now.”
Greenhouse of Walled Lake is located at 103 E Walled Lake Dr. in Walled Lake.
“Gas prices are getting high, but are you?”
Check out the commercial we made with our friends at Element Extractions and be sure to let us know if you see it airing “in the wild”
Greenhouse Staff Spotlight - Ashleigh
If you’ve been to The Greenhouse you’ve probably seen Ashleigh. Ashleigh is one of our Senior Budtenders with a passion for cannabis and the knowledge to match. Whether you’re looking for some products for a fun weekend, or need to consult about cannabis for medical issues, she can help!
Ashleigh, whats your favorite way to consume cannabis?
I like to consider myself a “discreet stoner.” My two favorite ways to consume are cartridges and edibles. I don’t discriminate though I love my flower too!
What's your favorite strain?
I’m a big fan of indicas and hybrids. Any of the “desert strains” I tend to enjoy. Very flavorful and great for relaxing, depression and anxiety. Top two would probably be Ice Cream Cake and Slurricane with outstanding parental genetics.
What do you enjoy most about working at The Greenhouse?
Helping people! I especially love first timers and seniors looking for a more holistic way to approach any ailments or discomfort they may be experiencing. It’s so rewarding.
What's a cannabis question you wished more people asked?
Of course THC content is important but there’s so much more to it! I love discussing cannabis genetics and all the other cannabinoids in the marijuana plant, there is so much medicinal value! I aim to specialize in pain management and neurological degenerative diseases. My grandfather died of ALS so I’m constantly looking for new approaches to help people with similar diseases like MS, Parkinson’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
What do you do when you’re not budtending?
I enjoy doing lots of cannabis research (reading and partaking) but I also love being outside. Hiking, camping, yoga and kayaking are some of my favorite activities.
If you could smoke with any celebrity or person from history…who and what’s on the menu?
Robin Williams and Gelato, now it’s a party!
#LetHerRun Banner at The Greenhouse
Sha'Carri Richardson is probably the fastest woman in the world.
Not the fastest in her neighborhood. In her city. In her county. In her state. In her country.
The World.
The amount of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice it must have taken her to achieve these heights is staggering. And all of it is for naught because there are still too many people in this world who have demonized cannabis.
They say it is a performance enhancer. They’re right. It enhances creativity, anxiety, introspection, focus, personal connection, patience...It reduces pain, both physical and otherwise. Cannabis does not make you run faster. Sha'Carri Richardson will not run this summer, but hopefully her tragedy will open the door for others and get these archaic anti-cannabis regulations changed so people will not be punished for cannabis use in the future.
Sha'Carri Richardson is probably the fastest woman in the world. Unfortunately we will not know. #LetHerRun
Greenhouse Staff Spotlight - Jackson
We want to try something new so you can get to know our amazing staff a little bit better. Everybody meet Jackson. Jackson is a Senior Budtender at The Greenhouse with a voice for radio and a love for cannabis.
Jackson, What’s your favorite way to consume cannabis?
While each of the many means of cannabis consumption have their unique benefits, I prefer dabbing concentrates for the immediacy of effect, the control I have over the temperature at which I dab, and, of course, the potency!
What’s your favorite strain?
My favorite cannabis strain is Northern Lights. True to its name, it makes me feel like I’m the aurora borealis itself; calm, but resplendent.
What’s your favorite edible?
When shopping for edibles that will reliably get me to the state where I want to be, I go Kushy Punch. I can experiment with higher doses of their sativa gummies better than many other brands due to the Full Spectrum oil they use, it really helps curtail any potential collateral stress, anxiety, or paranoia.
Whats your favorite part of your job?
The best part about budtending for me is the chance to educate the general public on this often misunderstood plant and industry (and have fun doing it!) I feel I’m serving our community best by being on the front lines answering questions both common and complicated and clearing up misconceptions and concerns about this complex and wonderful medicine.
What’s a cannabis question you wish more customers asked?
The number one thing I wish more customers would ask would be what to look for in cannabis products besides THC. While THC is certainly a critical component to consider when looking for an ideal cannabis product, many other factors such as terpene content for flower and concentrate products should be investigated just as thoroughly.
What do you do when you're not budtending?
When I’m not budtending, I’m of course conducting extensive “market research” on cannabis products to stay up to date on my knowledge and recommendations, but that research is often complimenting evenings of tabletop roleplaying games with friends or doing deep dives on all genres of the year’s new music releases.
If you could smoke with any celebrity or person from history…who and what’s on the menu?
If I could smoke with one person from history, it’d be my favorite author, Charles Dickens; after a few bowls of Russian Snow out of my personal twelve-percolator water pipe on a snowy London’s eve, we’d have deep, imaginative discussions that’d possibly inspire a few more ghosts in A Christmas Carol and, who knows, maybe even A Tale of THREE Cities!
The Greenhouse Guide to Edibles
Hey Greenhouse Family! Check out our newest “Greenhouse Guide” video. Jerry and Michelle are here to teach you the basics when getting started with Edibles. Edibles are one of the most popular ways to consume cannabis, but if you dive in head first it’s easy to overdo it. The Greenhouse Beginners Guide to Edibles teaches you everything you need to know when starting out with cannabis edibles. We’ll teach you what to expect when consuming, proper dosage, the differences between indica and sativa edibles, and much more. Check it out, if not you could end up “Buggin” like Jerry
I swore I'd never touch marijuana. Here's why I finally did
Jeff Seidel - Detroit Free Press
A sharp pain developed between my shoulder blade and spine, like I was being stabbed in the back with a pencil. I thought I pulled a muscle while weight lifting, although it might be a stretch to call it weight lifting. I’ve reached the age when it’s more like glorified stretching with some weights.
So I stopped “lifting” and devoted all my time to the elliptical. I was getting addicted to working out before the pandemic closed down my Planet Fitness, losing weight and feeling better than I had felt in years.
But when I went to spring training in February, I started experiencing a tingling sensation in my right hand and a sharp pain in my elbow. I thought I had an elbow injury. Maybe from throwing javelin for four years on the track team in college. Or maybe, it came from years of throwing batting practice to my son’s travel baseball teams. Or maybe, it was from using the elliptical too many days in a row. I listed my symptoms to one of the Tigers trainers near a dugout on the back fields at Tiger Town. “It doesn’t sound like an elbow problem,” he said. “It sounds like a nerve issue.” He nailed it.
Seven months later, I'm still dealing with the pain, which has grown far worse and more frequent. At times, it feels like somebody is hitting my hand with a hammer. At other times, I'm so weak I can't open a bottle of pickles. The pain has left me lying on the floor in the press box at Comerica Park and forced me to try marijuana-infused gummies for relief — something I never thought I'd do. Surgery is just a few days away.
Nerves from hell
After the pandemic shut down everything, it took months to navigate the health care system to try to figure out what was wrong. Everything was moving in slow motion and backed up, from setting up appointments and going to different doctors to getting a batch of X-rays, nerve tests and an ultrasound.
Finally, an MRI revealed that I have a bulging disc in my neck along with three messed up vertebrae, which has caused all kinds of pain and strange symptoms. Two fingers on my right hand have been numb for about six months. That’s been the only consistent symptom because the pain moves around, depending on the day.
At times, the pain is dull and aching, almost impossible to pinpoint or describe. It’s deep and constant, as if it is coming from my bones. At other times, it hurts to breathe. Then, the pain skips from my back to my forearm to my hand to my shoulder blade and then to my triceps.
On some days, my right hand feels like it is burning, like I’m touching a hot stove. And then, without warning, it feels like somebody is smashing it with a hammer. Nerves can be funny that way. Incredibly unpredictable. This has created some awkward moments. My wife has had to cut my dinner into small bites, like I’m a toddler who can’t hold a knife. In the shower, my right hand can be so useless that I’ve had to lean my head under the shampoo bottle and push the lever with my left hand, so it would squirt into my hair. Other times, the pain will arrive out of nowhere and I’ve had to get out of the shower and laylie on the tile floor, still dripping wet.
Brushing my teeth with an electric toothbrush is beyond comical, just trying to turn it on with fingers that don’t work. And typing with a couple of fingers that are numb and tingly has been a challenge. All summer long, I would write a little, take a bath or ice my arm, and then write some more.
While covering the Tigers during their summer camp, I would watch until the pain woke up and then I had to laylie down on the carpet in the press box. Finally, I figured out it was easier to type while sitting on my couch, propped up by pillows.
Thankfully, the Free Press has worked with me, trying to make accommodations or change my assignments. I’ve been lucky and I’m thankful for that. How many people are stuck in jobs where bosses aren’t accommodating for all kinds of ailments?
'I'm in incredible pain'
The pain kept getting worse. In July, it was nearly impossible to sleep. I tried sleeping on a bed but the pain fired through my arm like I was hooked up to electrodes. I tried different pillows, different positions. But nothing helped. I slept on the floor for more than a week but couldn’t get more than a few hours at a time. Late at night, I would wake up in pain, go downstairs and amble around in the darkness, in a daze, because it didn’t hurt as much as trying to sit down.
I went to physical therapy and the only goal was to get me to a stage where I could lay flat long enough for an MRI. God bless physical therapists. I was taking all kinds of medications — from painkillers to anti-inflammatories — and if I’m being honest, I was exceeding the recommended daily dosage on all of them.
I was desperate. I tried ice, heat and countless baths to trick the nerves into calming down. And I used a simple traction device, a head hammock that dangled off a door handle. I even carried it with me into the Tigers’ press box at Comerica Park. But nothing gave me relief. When the pain becomes debilitating, you become desperate. There were nights when I would drink several glasses of wine, just to knock myself out.
I realize that is not exactly healthy and certainly not recommended. I'm just being honest. At one point this summer, I got a nerve block. “A 50% chance of working,” my doctor said. I guess I ended up on the wrong side of those odds because the pain came back after a few days. When I was asked to go to Cincinnati to cover the Tigers' opening game — a last-minute assignment — I was afraid my back would seize up on a plane and my boss was worried that I might get stuck in a hotel, unable to get off the floor. So I drove. Actually, my wife drove because I couldn’t sit behind the wheel without upsetting my back. I had to recline in the passenger seat to find a position that didn’t aggravate my neck.
I filed a story with a note on top to my editors: “Please give a good read. I’m in incredible pain.” All of this has made me appreciate injured athletes even more. I know several have had neck and back issues: Peyton Manning, Jordan Zimmermann, Tiger Woods, Tony Romo and Mario Lemieux. When we hear that an athlete has a serious injury, they kind of disappear onto an injured list. We rarely consider the pain-filled sleepless nights or the grueling hours of rehab or any of the lingering issues.
First dance with Mary Jane
One day, my wife was talking to one of her friends. She described my symptoms and he said: “Has he tried marijuana to sleep?” Ah, no. I’ve never done pot in my life. As a kid, I saw somebody struggle tremendously with addiction and it has scared me for my entire life. But the more I struggled with pain, the more I started hearing about people who take edibles for pain. So-and-so’s mom takes edibles for her back.
So-and-so uses marijuana because she has cancer. So-and-so’s husband took edibles for a bulging disc. I was shocked. And it made me start to consider it. Finally, I hit the breaking point. I broke down and went to a local marijuana dispensary. It was as easy as walking into a McDonald's. And the menu was even bigger.
“Recreational or medicinal,” a guy at the front door asked me. “Ah, recreational,” I said, because I don’t have a card. I was directed into the recreational line, although I was hoping for medicinal benefit. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I guess, I thought it would be a dark, creepy, smoke-filled store. Or maybe, I pictured some dude in a back-parking lot, selling stuff out of his van. But this store felt like an upscale convenience store and five cashiers stood behind a counter.
There were at least 10 people waiting in line. I found it surprising that most of the customers were in their 50s or older.
Everybody was required to wear a mask and remain socially distanced because of the coronavirus pandemic. Thank goodness for the masks. I don’t think I would have had the courage to walk into a cannabis store without one. I put on my mask before I even parked.
“I’m waiting to have surgery on my neck,” I told the salesperson, a woman who looked like she was in her early 20s. “I need something for pain and inflammation. Something that can help me sleep.” “An edible?” she asked. “Yes. I’m not looking to get high.” She gave me a colorful box of edibles, which had a mix of THC and CBD that, she said, counteract each other and reduce the high. “Take one,” I was told. “It will help with inflammation and pain.” It looked like a small slab of purple Jell-O in a white tray, about the size of a deck of cards.
I went home, cut a small square with scissors, took it and … a few hours later, it felt like I was being sucked into the couch. I became incredibly mellow. Not high. Just completely relaxed. The pain in my arm was still there but it felt distant. I slept all night for the first time in weeks.
Pot meets kettle I’ve been taking edibles for about 1½ months now — only at night and always after I was done working — and it has helped tremendously. More than anything, it seems to deaden the pain. It helps me fall asleep, and the next day the pain doesn’t seem as severe.
More importantly, I have been able to cut down how much Tylenol and prescription antiinflammatory medication that I’m taking. I’m sure my liver is thrilled.
And now, I guess I have something in common with Darren McCarty and Calvin Johnson. McCarty, the former Red Wing, has been a marijuana proponent. And Johnson told Sports 9/26/2020 How marijuana edibles cured my chronic nerve pain Illustrated that he used marijuana after games for years to deal with the pain.
I’ve gone back to the same cannabis store three times and I’ve tried different edibles with different ratios of THC and CBD. I had no idea there were so many products, so many variations that do different things. At least, that’s what they claim. Every time I’ve gone, the store has been packed with people, mainly in their 50s and older, and I’ve overheard several of them talking about getting something for pain.
You don’t realize how many people are struggling with extreme pain until you go into a place like this. “I don’t really feel a high, although I’m not entirely sure what a marijuana high feels like,” I told the salesperson on a return visit. “You won’t with this type, with this ratio,” she said — and kind of laughed. “I take one,” I said. “It would take four to get me high,” the woman said. All right then, so I’m a newbie.
For weeks, I took a single edible at night but didn’t tell my kids, who are 24, 22, and 20. I was too embarrassed, too ashamed after all my speeches about avoiding drugs. And now, I feel incredibly hypocritical and even had apprehension about writing this column.
For most of my life, I have looked down on people who use pot, and I have certainly preached no drugs to my kids. But I have tried to justify it in my head: It’s a plant. Plenty of other medicines come from plants. How is this any different? I came to a conclusion: it’s legal in Michigan. I’ve never been against cancer patients using it — if it helps them, go for it. And if I can tell my story, and if it helps somebody in pain, or if it helps take away some of the stigma, then I should be honest about this. It sounds a heck of a lot safer than somebody turning to opiates.
Because I now know what debilitating pain can do. Pain can affect everything. It can leave you cranky and miserable, can make working nearly impossible and keep you up at night and make you feel like you are going crazy. But most of all, it can push you to a point where you do something that you never thought you’d do.
I sent a rough draft of this column to my kids — that’s how they found out I am using edibles. They were stunned. And then, within a matter of minutes, they sent me numerous GIFs making fun of me, including one of Homer Simpson totally stoned. “When we went Up North, I told our friends,” I told my daughter. “When Snabes (a friend) found out, he Googled Cheech & Chong to tease me.” “What’s that?” she said. Ah, never mind.
Stone-cold done I’m scheduled to have surgery in a few days. A surgeon will remove the bulging disc, fuse three vertebrae together and pack it with bone stuff (I have no idea where this bone comes from and don’t want to know). It is called a cervical spine fusion. I will have to wear a neck brace for a month or so. I am under strict orders: I can’t drive, can’t bend or twist or push or pull and can’t lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, so I won’t be doing any yard work or vacuuming for a long time (that little detail is for my wife).
And I won’t be back writing columns for at least a month (that little detail is for my boss). I hope to return to work in mid-October or early November, at which point, the Lions could already be out of it, I know. Or maybe, the stars will align, and the Lions will be undefeated and Matthew Stafford will be playing like an MVP and Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn will get extensions. OK — that’s probably the pot talking.
See, I can even joke about it now. I don’t plan to continue taking cannabis after this surgery. Hopefully, the surgery takes away the pain. The doctor says it has a “90%” chance of full recovery. I like those odds and realize I’m lucky. Far too many people put off major surgery because they can’t afford it or they are suffering through something that doesn’t have a cure. For all of you, I just hope and pray that you find some relief, as well as some sleep. I’m not telling anyone to try edibles. 9/26/2020 How marijuana edibles cured my chronic nerve pain But it helped me get through the worst summer of my life.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.
Coin Shortage Lays Bare Cannabis Industry’s Payments Problem
While most retailers have instituted contactless transactions to meet changing customer expectations, dispensaries are still largely operating with cash only.
September 17, 2020 - Paul Barbagallo
Business and finance Dispensary News News
It will be quite some time before we understand the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But history tells us one important thing: during times of crisis, how an industry is regulated often affects its ability to adapt and survive or even gain advantage.
Take payments and banking. While most brick-and-mortar retailers have been instituting contactless transactions to meet changing customer expectations and prevent the spread of the virus, cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. are still largely operating with cash only. They cannot accept major credit cards because marijuana is illegal under federal law. And now they’re facing a nationwide coin shortage.
With the coronavirus crippling economic activity in the U.S., the circulation of coins has dropped off significantly. Hardest hit has been restaurants, laundromats, convenience stores, arcades, and supermarket chains—businesses that rely on the flow of paper currency and need to make change. Yet unlike dispensaries, these businesses can more easily accept alternative forms of payments.
“We still can’t operate like other businesses, unfortunately,” says Jerry Millen, owner of the Greenhouse of Walled Lake, a fully licensed medical and recreational cannabis dispensary in Michigan.
“First we ran out of pennies,” Millen says of the coin shortage. “We didn’t want to gouge the patient or the customer, so we rounded [transactions] down, which didn’t cost us a whole lot. But then we started running out of quarters, and suddenly we started to feel an impact.”
Seeing the coin shortage affect his bottom line, Millen took note of how other local businesses were responding to the crisis. Some were simply encouraging customers to pay with exact change or with credit cards or debit cards, he says, while others were turning the crisis into a marketing opportunity. Why not Greenhouse of Walled Lake, too?
In late July, Millen launched a promotion called “Coins for Cannabis”: Customers that redeemed $100 or more in rolled coins—pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters—in exchange for cash received a free premade joint. The gimmick paid off. As of late August, the Greenhouse of Walled Lake had collected almost $15,000 in coins, Millen says.
“I was shocked,” Millen says of the public’s reaction to the promotion.
Coins for Cannabis also proved successful at stimulating new business and creating brand awareness for the Greenhouse of Walled Lake. Sales for recreational cannabis have increased “four, five-fold” during the pandemic, Millen says.
Minor Inconveniences, Real Problems
Other dispensaries across the country have been navigating the coin shortage reasonably well. Aaron Varney, director at Dockside Cannabis in Seattle, said the crisis made day-to-day transactions more complicated for several weeks but has not severely impacted operations. One reason is that cannabis customers have become accustomed to a cash-payment experience, and the coin shortage is just another minor inconvenience, Varney says.
But, for Varney, the crisis has underscored the importance of having a reliable, tested, and affordable cashless option for payments.
Though Visa and MasterCard do not allow merchants to use their cards for cannabis purchases, alternative-payment options do exist for dispensaries. There are cashless ATMs; payments via ACH (Automated Clearing House), the network used in the U.S. for electronic payments and money transfers; virtual currencies; and a range of startup wallet apps. And still, many dispensaries remain cash-only as they evaluate different mobile-payment and merchant terminal software options.
“It really comes down to being tired of being in the ‘beta test’ phase of every startup with a hot idea,” Varney says of not opting for one of the tech-centric cashless options. “The learning curve comes at our expense.”
Millen echoed those sentiments, saying he’s concerned about payment-processing startups “disappearing with dispensaries’ money” if the venture fails. Then there are state-by-state regulations to worry about.
“With compliance challenges, you have to be careful with payments especially,” says David Belsky, CEO and founder of Flowerhire, a recruitment and staffing agency in the cannabis space. “There are various differences in different states in terms of what you can do and what services are available in those states.”
The cash-only problem is one felt across the supply chain.
Jill Ellsworth, founder and CEO of Denver, Colo.-based Willow Industries, which cleans and purifies flower and trim, says many of her cultivator clients can only pay their invoices in cash, which presents a security and liability issue for her company.
“That’s become very cumbersome for us,” Ellsworth says. “Here we are operating a legal business. And we have to figure out: We have a bunch of cash; what do we do with it?”
Coin shortage or not, broader banking and financial reforms are needed to level the playing field and ensure long-term stability and profitability, says Belsky.
For example, while most businesses can deduct any number of expenses when preparing their tax returns—salaries, rent, equipment, etc.—cannabis companies can only deduct expenses directly related to earning a profit, or the cost of goods sold (COGS), Internal Revenue Code 280E.
Without the restrictions of 280E, Belsky notes, “the margins suddenly are much better.”
Paul Barbagallo is a Boston-based writer and a former senior editor for Bloomberg News and beat reporter for Bloomberg BNA.
The Greenhouse Guide to Concentrates
Hey Greenhouse Family! Cannabis education has always been so important to us, so we decided to create a video series to help educate about all things cannabis! This is our first video of the series and it goes over everything you wanted to know about Cannabis Concentrates but were too afraid to ask Jerry and Derek from the Greenhouse give you a beginners guide to cannabis concentrates. How are they different from other forms of cannabis like flower, edibles, vape cartridges, ect. What to expect the first time you try a concentrate, and some suggestions on how to get started. We look at some products from some amazing Michigan brands like Real Leaf Solutions, UBaked, Monster Xtracts, Element, Redbud Roots, and Fwaygo.
The Greenhouse of Walled Lake is a recreational and medical dispensary in Oakland County, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The Greenhouse is locally owned grass roots dispensary, and we love to share our passion for our favorite plant with the anyone who will listen!