Om of Medicine| Michigan

Collective name: Om of Medicine

Address: 112 S. Main St., 3rd Fl, Ann Arbor, 48104

Website: www.omofmedicine.org

How and when did your collective start up?

We have always been advocates of cannabis and believe in the healing power of this plant. Several years ago, we were approached to provide startup capital for a dispensary in Lansing. We took stock of our combined resources and with our passion for the science of the plant we opened the Om of Medicine in the summer of 2010. We chose Ann Arbor for many reasons, including its progressive and sensible cannabis policy—decriminalizing possession use and transfer 45 years ago.

What’s the story behind the name of your collective?

We originally wanted the name to be an acronym for “Organic, Holistic Medicine” then it occurred to us that “Ohm” is a unit of measurement and we were looking for the “Om” which stood for the sound of the universe. It’s a sacred chant made during meditation, prayer and in rites of passage ceremonies. We see this symbol being an awakening for western medicine to return to a more natural path of healing.

What does your collective offer patients that they can’t find anywhere else?

We set out to completely re-imagine the dispensary experience from the perspective of a patient. We wanted a relaxing and inspiring space focused on education, science and advocacy. A critical component of this was the establishment of private consultation rooms so a patient can feel comfortable discussing health issues or symptoms instead of the typical “over the counter” design that may be intimidating or unappealing to patients disclosing sensitive information. We take the time to listen to our patients, to share the current medical information available and we are committed to continual learning as the potential of cannabis continues to be studied.

We want patients to feel different leaving our space, to feel empowered about using a natural organic medicine, to feel more confident in their knowledge of the plant, to feel more involved in initiatives to protect their access, to feel part of our larger community, to feel connected, to feel hopeful and inspired.

How has the cannabis industry changed since you have been in the business? Where would you like to see it go?

We will continue to focus our efforts advocating for responsible and sensible law changes on the local and state levels. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act was passed in November of 2008, making it the 13th state to pass such legislation. Every state to pass medical cannabis legislation since 2008 has enacted a functioning and regulated distribution (dispensary) system. Our lawmakers have been slow on implementing the same here, which puts the patients in Michigan at risk and with very few options on how or where to acquire their medicine. Once the state laws have changed, we will work with the city and local partners to ensure a licensing process is established further solidifying safe access for patients.

Finally, we would like to see the expansion of medical cannabis research and we will continue our support of re- search projects.

What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a collective? . . . Biggest joys?

The biggest and most frustrating challenge is our ever-changing legal/illegal status. The IRS considers us to be drug traffickers. The State of Michigan indicates we are operating in a legal gray area. Our City Council would like to proceed with a licensing process but is waiting on the state. There are many people suffering from debilitating medical conditions, many of whom have tried every pharmaceutical prescribed by their doctor only to find that synthetic drugs have done very little to improve their quality of life. Cannabis works with their body to alleviate a myriad of symptoms and conditions in a natural way. For many, it is the only treatment that actually works, making it our biggest joy and why we take the risk.

If someone wanted to open a collective and get their feet wet in the industry, what advice or counsel would you give them?

Do your research, become educated on the science of the plant, reach out to reputable organizations operating in this space and most importantly get involved—commit to becoming an advocate and activist for patients and the larger injustice caused by decades of propaganda and misinformation. Upon opening our collective, we promptly invited the entire Ann Arbor City Council, mayor, city attorney, chief of police, as well as our state representative and state senator for a meeting and tour of our new facility. Each visited individually and spent time asking questions, talking to our patients and learning about our operations. Upon leaving, many stated that they were more knowledgeable, comfortable, and supportive of the industry and movement as a whole. It is both an exhilarating and extremely challenging time to enter the cannabis industry. You need nerves of steel and the ability to deal with regulations that change on a daily basis. You need to be comfortable operating in the unknown and you need to be prepared to lose everything.