The Genie Is Out of the Bottle

In December, Main St. marijuana dispensary Om of Medicine celebrated its opening for recreational sales with a party attended by state rep Yousef Rabhi. The first customer was veteran local legalization advocate Chuck Ream.

A few days later, the place was jammin’ with shoppers perusing varieties of Cannabis sativa, as well as concentrates, patches, and CBD products. (Om was still awaiting its edibles license.)

Asked who’s buying, marketing person Lisa Conine waved an arm, as if to say “look around” at adults of every age and ethnicity and gender.

In mid January, Herbology, on Jackson Rd. just west of the I-94 overpass, was still waiting for its recreational license. An inspector from Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency had just been by to review its security system, product labels, and employee background checks.

Manager Dana Gengle explains that Herbology outlets are owned by Grassroots, a Chicago-based company that has 800 employees and locations as far east as Pennsylvania. This one’s main room has three display cases for marijuana, paraphernalia, and edibles, including a $25 candy bar.

Though they’re venturing into recreational sales, Gengle says, they like to be thought of as an apothecary. They have a list of recommended doctors who can write prescriptions. One, Pied Piper Compassionate Care, charges $99 for an initial visit, $75 for a follow-up, or $150 for a house call within a thirty-minute drive of its office on Packard.

A flyer advised that “Although Veterans Affairs doesn’t prescribe medical marijuana as a form of treatment, veterans will not be denied VA benefits because of marijuana use. Veterans are actually encouraged to discuss marijuana use with their VA health providers.”

But medical sales weren’t generating the buzz of recreational: during a reporter’s forty-five-minute visit, they didn’t have a single customer.

Inquiries at Bloom City Club, on Miller at the foot of Spring, were initially encouraging: a phone call was transferred to the general manager, who said, “I’ll get back with you, it shouldn’t be too long. We’ll have to run it through legal.” But no callback ever came. According to Bloom’s ad in the January Observer, they offer “craft cannabis,” edibles, concentrates, oils, patches, topicals, and tinctures. They also have a dispensary in Burton, near Flint.

Om of Medicine, 111 S. Main. (734) 369-8255. Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. noon-4:19 p.m. omofmedicine.org

bloomcityclub.com