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The Former Terrapin Care Station in Missouri
is Now Elevate MO with Full Local Ownership
The EVOLUTION Magazine Newsroom
The regulated cannabis industry in the U . S . will likely consolidate at increasing rates as even more states legalize both adult-use and medical marijuana over the next few years . And Missouri is no exception to this . Since Missouri lifted restrictions for non-local investors last year , more and more out-of-state conglomerates have purchased Missouri medical marijuana licenses . But it ’ s nice seeing the opposite happen for one new company — Elevate MO , a cannabis business that just became 100 % locally owned .
Local business owner and investor Chuck Cuda jumped on a recent opportunity to purchase majority ownership of Terrapin Care Station ’ s Missouri presence , which includes three area dispensaries and a large , state-of-the-art growing and manufacturing facility in Kansas City , MO .
An Ever-Growing Commitment to Community and Education
Current public perception has largely shifted from past generations when marijuana was non-ironically dubbed “ the Devil ’ s lettuce .” But most American adults can still recall fear-based , anti-marijuana PSAs that saturated airwaves in the late 20th century to the early 2000s . As a result , there ’ s a lingering stigma in many minds when it comes to using cannabis , regardless of its legal status .
Rather than glossing over questions and concerns from those newer to cannabis-based products , Elevate MO is taking a more helpful approach to educating the local community . This includes partnering with local medical professionals to offer free informative seminars about medical marijuana and improve access for patients in need who otherwise wouldn ’ t be able to afford products . Elevate MO will also develop ongoing resources and provide in-depth product information for cannabis consumers of all experience levels .
“ It can be an intimidating process for someone to figure out which strains and types of marijuana are best suited to them and at what amounts ,” said Ian Peak , Director of Growth and Development at Elevate MO . “ That ’ s why it ’ s so important for us to offer educational resources and personalized guidance to patients as they ’ re deciding which products to try out — something our budtenders are carefully trained to do .”
Ian Peak ( Director of Growth and Development ) and CEO Chuck Cuda at Elevate ’ s state-of-the-art cultivation and processing facility .
“ As a native Missourian , I want to invest my time , energy , and resources right here . And I ’ m passionate about serving our community . I want the people of Missouri to benefit — whether it ’ s from more local jobs or better access to high-quality products ,” said Cuda .
The Benefits of Becoming 100 % Locally Owned
Local businesses recirculate a greater share of every dollar spent back into the community as they create local supply chains , invest in employee development , and generate tax revenue for their city and state . And now that Elevate MO products will be exclusively owned , grown , manufactured , and sold in Missouri , all money spent on Elevate products will stay in-state .
Elevate MO further supports the community through non-profit involvement in local outreach projects such as clothing and food drives , as well as partnering with area animal shelters .
The Elevate MO Harvest team in the harvest / trim room of Elevate ’ s 45,000-square-foot facility in Kansas City , MO .
A Continued Commitment to Top-Quality Cannabis
This customer-first approach extends to Elevate ’ s passion for providing superior-quality products . “ We pride ourselves on making ongoing enhancements based on customer feedback and industry developments ,” said Chris Issinghoff , Director of Operations at Elevate MO .