KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The City of Kalamazoo will see the opening of a new medical marijuana dispensary this week as the medical facility KKIND prepares to open its doors.
KKIND is planning on offering the best in customer service to help patients figure out which strain is best for their individual needs.
“When a strain or product comes in, we can focus on the test results and see which cannabinoids they are heavy in,” KKIND Chief Operating Officer and co-owner John Taylor said. “We can make associations between that and listening to the patient when they come in, see what brought them there in the first place, and then try to make recommendations or suggestions that’ll steer them in the right direction. Not just the strain, but also dosing levels.”
Taylor served as a Kalamazoo County Commissioner for 14 years, plus a Board Chair for two.
“My roots are in the community,” Taylor said. “We’re really excited to start a business, to start employing folks and create living-wage jobs for people in our community.”
Taylor is currently unsure of whether KKIND will apply for a recreational marijuana license when the time comes.
“You can apply for the recreational license in November,” Taylor said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, probably more than likely we will go recreational. I think that’s where all the businesses are going, but we certainly have a medical focus on our dispensary. We focus on the medical aspects of cannabis…and taking back quality of life issues.”
Importantly, the dispensary is focused on creating jobs for the local community.
“We’re creating living-wage jobs, the lowest-salaried employee we’re paying is $15 an hour and up,” Taylor said. “It’s a brand-new industry, so we have an opportunity to really set the standard, and we want to make sure that we’re not only taking care of our patients, but taking care of our employees as well, and then taking care of our community, making sure that we’re giving back and that we’re a positive impact on the community.”
The grand opening ceremony will be taking place this Thursday at 11 a.m. beginning with a tour of the facility, followed by a ribbon cutting at noon, at which point only patients and caregivers will be allowed in.
Special guests expected to appear include Senator Sean McCann and Kalamazoo Treasurer Mary Balkema.
KKIND will be located at 521 E Mosel Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49004.
