As California's medical marijuana industry grows more mainstream, so too is the business behind it. And that movement is playing out in San Jose at a rapid pace.
San Jose is already home to about 60 medical marijuana dispensaries and over the weekend, another one held its grand opening. But this one is standing out for another reason.
The MedMar Healing Center at 170 Autumn St. is not your ordinary medi-pot club. In addition to the kush, hash and haze on site, they are offering something extra for their patients: Cannabis classes. Patients and caregivers can sign up for the onsite CannAcademy, where they'll to learn how to grow their own plants and and cook with cannabis.
MedMar Healing Center celebrated its grand opening in on Saturday, with a live band, BBQ, and special guests. They've been in operation since March but held off on the official grand opening, MedMar CEO Doug Chloukek said. Chloupek said he wanted to do everything just right in the eyes of the law, especially given the city's recent efforts to regulate and tax medical marijuana dispensaries.
Jade Kine, a greenhouse expert who has been a consultant in the cannabis-growing field all over the U.S. and Canada for over a decade, will head up the academy. The CannAcademy partnership wih Medmar makes the center the first medical marijuana school in the South Bay.
The non-profit center also offers other methods of treatment, including accupuncture, massage therapy and organic alternatives to traditional medication. There's also a gym for yoga, pilates and meditation classes and a store where clothes and other products made from hemp will be sold.
Here's an excerpt from MedMar's website explaining their mission:
MedMar Healing Center is a grassroots, community-based, healing center offering support and alternative health resources to people facing health challenges. Our primary goal is to advocate and support a proactive approach to health management by providing a local, affordable, and safe environment to dispense medical cannabis and other alternative health services.
Most, if not all of the other services are provided free for MedMar patients
