Business
Ann Arbor Wellness Collective | Michigan
Ann Arbor Wellness Collective
321 East Liberty St., Ann Arbor 48104
(734) 929-2602
Interviewed: Jonah Copi (Owner)
How and when did your collective start up?
Ann Arbor Wellness Collective opened in July of 2010, as one of the first collectives in Michigan. Our mission is to provide MMMP Patients with a truly unique, safe and high caliber experience. We offer a wide array of high grade, lab-tested cannabis products as well as therapeutic, healing and support services.
What’s the story behind the name of your collective?
Ann Arbor Wellness Collective pays homage to Ann Arbor’s long and rich legacy as a center for activism, and the progressive cannabis movement. We are a member based collective of caregivers, patients and advocates, united by a common mission to embrace health and wellness, sensible cannabis policies and safe, sustainable cannabis practices.
What does your collective offer patients that they can’t find anywhere else?
Ann Arbor Wellness Collective is a sanctuary. We offer a carefully curated menu of high grade cannabis options that feature the state’s largest selection of high CBD flowers, edibles and concentrate solutions. Our in-house edible program produces a constant rotation of delicious, innovative and accurately dosed digestive options. Whether you use cannabis everyday or it is your first time considering it as an option, we offer a comfortable atmosphere.
How has the cannabis industry changed since you have been in the business? Where would you like to see it go?
The most significant change has been the public acceptance of cannabis as medicine. We would like to see an end to prohibition. To be part of an industry and a movement that: Creates sustainable jobs, increases access to safe, lab-tested cannabis products, furthers cannabis decriminalization and legalization and changes laws that drain tax payer dollars and lead to disproportionate incarceration rates.
What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a collective? . . . Biggest joys?
The biggest challenges we face are the contradictions between local, state and federal laws, and therefore the lack of access to legitimate banking options. Our greatest joys are working with patients and witnessing the positive impact that safe access to medical cannabis has on their quality of life. We feel honored to serve our local community and always appreciate the opportunity to build real and vibrant relationships with our patients.
If someone wanted to open a collective and get their feet wet in the industry, what advice or counsel would you give them?
During California’s Gold Rush, one of the biggest profiteers was a tailor named Levi Strauss. Be innovative and think about sustainability.
