Education, community engagement are key to medical marijuana industry success
By Wendy Callicoat
I can still hear First Lady Nancy Reagan saying, “Say yes to your life. And when it comes to drugs and alcohol, just say no.”
In a blink of an eye, “Just Say No” became the nation’s war cry in an effort to educate and empower students to resist peer pressure. Cannabis was broadly categorized as “bad,” no different than federally-illegal drugs like crack cocaine and heroin. In the nearly 30 years since Just Say No, we’ve learned substantially more about the medical and economic benefits of marijuana.
Still, there is no denying it made an impression on a generation of Americans. This is the same generation we all want to become our customers. This is also the generation likely to be in charge of enacting the local ordinances that will affect our ability to grow, process and sell medical marijuana in cities and counties across Missouri.
I am extremely proud of the tremendous work we did during Amendment 2 to educate voters about medical marijuana as a medicine. While the election is behind us, there is still much work to be done to educate the public if the cannabis industry is going to flourish in our state. As advocates seeking to open business in Missouri, that responsibility falls to us.
My family and I plan to enter this industry through our medical marijuana business, Sarcoxie Nursery. We are creating a vertically integrated cannabis company with cultivation and manufacturing facilities on-site at the nursery in Sarcoxie, MO. Our mission is to bring patients a high-quality, safe and effective therapy to supplement their medical treatment.
The history of Sarcoxie Nursery dates back to 1875, when the Wilde Brothers first began growing peonies and other varieties of exotic flowers. After gaining international recognition as “The Peony Capital of the World,” the nursery was split up and sold off in the 1990s.
We knew the property was the perfect site for our business after seeing the original water tower, the historic barn from the mid-1800s and the rows and rows of beautiful maple trees. Our goal is that Sarcoxie Nursery will soon grow the finest flowers in the world once again.
Sarcoxie is a tight-knit community of about 1,330 people in rural southwest Missouri. We understood the importance of sharing our plans with and gaining the support of citizens, civic leaders and law enforcement before moving forward with purchasing the nursery.
We’re following the same approach in each of the communities where we hope to open a dispensary. It’s why I took the time to personally meet with members of Monett Planning and Zoning Commission and Monett City Council as they considered regulations for dispensaries.
In Kansas City, where we hope to also have dispensaries, I have joined the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Officials are now creating a membership category specifically for the cannabis industry.
Many patients and caregivers will find themselves in the situation of wanting to learn more about medical marijuana. We must be there for them.
My husband, Dr. Paul Callicoat, is a retired cardiologist who continues to educate himself, medical providers and others about the benefits of medical marijuana. He stays busy with public appearances and is frequently quoted in the media. This is important because even though 35 states and the District of Columbia have now made it legal to use marijuana for medical purposes, the word itself still carries negative connotations.
Open conversation is also valuable for patients who may feel embarrassed to ask their doctor if medical marijuana could help them. The last thing we want is for them to go untreated.
In addition to continuing to be educators and patient advocates, it is essential to engage in our communities.
Sarcoxie Nursery had been abandoned for six years before we purchased it, so restorations were our first order of business and are currently underway. Our son Jonathon is a botanist. His passion for this is industry was the catalyst for Sarcoxie Nursery. He continues to develop breakthrough cultivation techniques at the nursery that will pave the way for unique strains of medical marijuana to help Missourians live healthier, happier lives.
We are excited to be working together as a family to bring life back to this beautiful spot and envision it being a community gathering place.
The same is true for our dispensaries. Assuming we are fortunate enough to receive licensure, it will be months before we are ready to serve patients. Still, Sarcoxie Nursery is busy making plans for a yoga and wellness event at our proposed Joplin dispensary site. We want to share information about the industry and the potential medical benefits of medical marijuana with residents well in advance.
After all, this is the Show Me State. Being proactive in our communities and answering questions with honest, factual information is the best way to alleviate fear and to turn this fledgling industry into an economic success story for Missouri.
Wendy Callicoat is a principal with Sarcoxie Nursery in Sarcoxie, MO.