DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY
MICHIGAN MARIJUANA : DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY BY ALEX MANESS
The Green House , Walled Lake
THE marijuana industry in Michigan is just now getting on its feet in a very real way , but that isn ’ t to say that it hasn ’ t existed as a gray market for years . Some cities , including Detroit , allowed dispensaries to open and run despite the fact that medical marijuana was ultimately deemed to still be illegal by the state itself . It should come as no surprise that being legal in a city while illegal on the state level created a gray area , legally speaking , and led to a lot of dispensary raids by law enforcement . Even so , the cases were often dismissed or won in court by dispensary owners , but that didn ’ t change the disruption caused .
Fortunately , people like Jerry Millen out of Walled Lake , Michigan , in Oakland County are actively fighting against public misconceptions and pushing the reality of marijuana not only through the eye of the media but also through legislative barriers . With an extensive background in media , Jerry worked in entertainment for over thirtyfive years , going from a television host into radio , transitioning to on-air sports personality , and eventually moving all the way up to the vice president of a major mixed martial arts company in Japan . With a family , however , Jerry found that all the travel became a tough pill to swallow . Having friends in California and Colorado who knew the marijuana industry , Jerry decided to dip his feet into the industry in the best way he knew how : through media .
He reached out to Mike Callton , a local pro-marijuana state politician , and offered his services as a media consultant . Mike graciously accepted the help and introduced Jerry to the National Patients Rights Association ( NPRA ) whom he also helped with media . With the help of his agent , and the owner of a media company , Mort Meisner , Jerry and his team were able to successfully combat a lot of the stereotypes which had plagued the industry
Jerry met with parents , elderly patients , and others who have been helped by the industry . He saw Parkinson ’ s patients who were able to get relief . He met former addicts who kicked their opiate addictions with the help of marijuana . He met children with seizure disorders who overcame their illnesses when they could find no other relief .
Jerry found Walled Lake in Michigan ’ s Oakland County and decided it was the perfect place to open a dispensary of his own . He got a city license , as a local ordinance allowed it , but decided to forego opening until he could get a state license . This cost a lot of profits , but Jerry knew that doing things the right way was essential to success and changing public perception . He purchased a building downtown on Main Street , holding off opening until he could get a license from the state . Nothing “ illegal ” or “ criminal ,” just a gray area .
Jerry ’ s end goal is to raise the level of customer service , perception , and quality in the marijuana industry . With new renovations , a very nice aesthetic , a safe and inviting atmosphere , and ( most of all ) the ability to pass the “ grandma ” test (“ Would you take your grandmother there ?”), Greenhouse of Walled Lake is doing just that . Customer service is king , as with any industry , and that is how Jerry means to grow the business on an organic and ( pardon the pun ) grassroots level . He is even offering free classes to the public with doctors and product displays to show people the reality of what it is and help change perception and educate the public .
Despite almost a century of misconceptions about marijuana , the sky isn ’ t going to fall if a dispensary opens . Businesses like Greenhouse and men like Jerry are showing that . For more information about Jerry or Greenhouse of Walled Lake , contact them at info @ greenhouseofwalledlake . com or 248-956-6181 or drop by their website at greenhoueofwalledlake . com .
Jerry Millen
With a 35 year career in the world of broadcasting , Jerry Millen has seen it all . Covering the NFL and NHL as a sports anchor for CBS , to working with A-List Hollywood celebrities as an on air host for E ! News Live and EXTRA , to working with some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts and boxing like Chuck Liddell , Floyd Mayweather , Randy Couture and Manny Pacquiao while producing events in Tokyo , Moscow , Los Angeles , Amsterdam , Rio De Janero and Soeul . With a career that has taken him across the globe , Jerry ’ s new focus is to spend more time with his family and less time on the road . A life-long Michigan native and father of 3 , Millen has dedicated the last 6-years to becoming an expert in the field of medical marijuana . With his new Greenhouse label , Jerry is dedicated to helping his patients and is eager to pioneer the emerging medical marijuana industry here in Michigan .
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