Community and pharmacy roots lend to early success at MOJO Dispensary
Missouri Joint Ventures opened in mid-January and has worked diligently since to accommodate the patients they serve.
Founded by local pharmacists and business owners, MOJO brings a clinical approach and local feel to medical marijuana. Greenway spoke to co-owner, general manager, and in-house pharmacist Dana Sullinger, R.Ph., about MOJO’s early successes and the struggles of an independent dispensary early in the market.
“Our background is in the medical field, so we wanted our dispensary to reflect that. It has a very medical feel to it. We took over an old doctor’s office with a large waiting room and added online-ordering and a drive-through for convenience.”
“You can expect a clean atmosphere with friendly and well-trained staff. We don’t have a ton of display cases, what we have is an inviting area where we sit with you and talk with you about your medical needs. Then we help you decide what products are best for you.
“I had a lot of people ask me why I would walk away from being a pharmacist to work at a dispensary. It has a lot to do with the limits that traditional medicine has. I needed another avenue to help my customers. I got tired of talking with customers who were asking for help because their current treatment wasn’t working. Now I can give them that option. It’s going to take a lot of education, for both patients and medical staff. Hopefully, I can be that person that can help both the patients and their doctors feel comfortable with this process,” Sullinger explained.
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It’s this foundational idea of hands-on customer interaction and support that has overwhelmed the community. MOJO offers the depth and breadth of service and attentive care that has sustained local businesses for so long.
While many dispensaries function as high-end retail locations or as functional exchanges, it is the care and welcoming spirit that Missouri Joint Ventures hopes will build long-lasting relationships with their patients and customers.
“Our unique setup allows us to give our customers a one-to-one experience. Sitting and talking with them allows us to really get to know them. We take their order, then send it to the back while it gets filled. After that, the customer is free to shop around or wait in their seat until it’s time to pay. For those with limited mobility issues, this has been game-changing.
“If you have medical concerns, such as drug/drug interactions, then our in-house pharmacist comes out to talk with you. Our style is a little different, but people seem to really like it,” Sullinger continues.
“Right now, we get a lot of questions on how to get a medical marijuana card. We have been handing out a lot of referral cards for this. A lot of people just want to come in and talk with the pharmacist to see if they think this is even an option for them, and we are more than happy to talk to them. We cover disease states, drug/drug interactions, and what to expect when applying for a medical card.
“We love to get to know our customers and follow their success stories.”
MOJO’s roots lie in the community.
“I am a pharmacist that has worked in the Nixa/Springfield area for the past 34 years, with the last 19 years at Walmart in the Nixa/Ozark area,” Sullinger continued, “We’ve lived here and worked here for 30 plus years; we’ve raised our kids here. This is home for us.”
It’s that community bond and clinical approach that gives MOJO a distinct flair.
MOJO struggled with supply at times, as any independent facility often will in an early market. Earlier in March, Sullinger told Greenway, “Shortages are just how it is right now. There’s simply not enough supply to meet the demand.”
“The limited supply we have received has pretty much just gone out the door, so we are only able to be open a few days a week,” Sullinger said at the time.
In just the short time since our initial interview, the market has grown and MOJO no longer faces supply issues. With a steady supply on hand, MOJO has moved to full-time hours and now offers more available options for purchase size, as well as a lowered price point.
As the market grows, we also see changes in pricing and offerings, and while most offerings in Missouri are still priced between $55-$60 per ⅛, MOJO currently offers some flower options at lower price points at $45 per ⅛ and $15 per gram. Additionally, MOJO has committed to “rollout pricing” where all new strains will see a week-long discount before regular pricing, which means the Flora flower at MOJO is only $42 per ⅛ this week. Patients can order flower in gram, ⅛, ¼, or ½ oz sizes.
MOJO currently carries Wana and Robhot gummies, pre-rolls and Keef drinks from Clovr, and flower from Flora Farms.
They have also partnered with Heartland Labs and will be adding additional products including cookies, chocolate, infused honey, gummies, and vape cartridges in the near future.
MOJO, open Monday – Friday 10 am-6 pm, and Saturday 10 am-2 pm, is located at 202 S West Street – Suite 1 in Nixa, right off Highway 160, just south of Highway 14.
Photos provided.