KENT COUNTY, Mich. — It's Monday, April 20th, perhaps better known as 4/20; a day with special significance for marijuana enthusiasts.
This year marks the first time recreational sales are legal in Michigan on 4/20. Voters approved recreational marijuana in 2018, but sales did not begin until December 2019.
Marijuana dispensaries have been allowed to stay open under Governor Whitmer's 'Stay-at-Home' order. Several that FOX 17 spoke with Monday said business has been booming ever since, and especially on 4/20.
“Today has been nonstop, the parking lot has been busy, we’re running all curbside and online ordering to comply with everybody staying safe,” said David Setzke, co-owner of Green Koi. "I would say there’s definitely been an uptick in our sales, I think it has allowed an opportunity for people that are off work that have always been curious to try recreational adult-use marijuana."
The Green Koi, along with Park Place and Exit 9, have a number of measures in place to keep both workers and customers safe.
"We have decided not to run a lot of specials which our competition is doing – either on the medical or the recreational side – because we feel like we want to be socially responsible, we want to protect our employees and our customers," explained Tracy Powers, the Vice President of Agri-Med, the parent company of Park Place and Exit 9. "Because even though we’ve taken measures to protect them - gloves and masks and it’s all being done outdoors - there still is contact with a large number of people every day."
All three have shifted their business to online ordering and curbside, drive-thru service during the pandemic.
"We were very grateful that we were allowed to remain open," Powers told FOX 17. "I get comments every day from customers, either on our social media or in person, about how much they appreciate what we’ve done and that we’re staying open and that we’re able to help them through this. Because, for a lot of people it’s their medicine, and even for a lot of recreational customers, it still is their medicine, they just don’t have a med card... cannabis has been proven to help with anxiety and this is a pretty anxiety-prone time."
Just a reminder, you must be at least 21 to purchase marijuana in Michigan. If you're taking part in 4/20, don't forget to celebrate responsibly.
