Finds Working in The Cannabis Community Supportive and Uplifting
Canna Employee Spotlight ►
Army Veteran – Scoob Litz
Finds Working in The Cannabis Community Supportive and Uplifting
by Rocco Scarcello , contributing writer
Other than potholes , Missouri ’ s major cities are mostknown for food culture . Barbecue is king near The EVOLUTION Magazine headquarters in the Kansas City suburbs — at least until you ’ ve worked in one of the kitchens for a couple of years .
Before beginning their employment in Missouri ’ s cannabis industry , many of today ’ s cultivation , lab , and dispensary workers were cannabis consumers and patients . Much like constant exposure to barbecue pork ribs and baked beans could desensitize a barbecue line cook over time ; some questioned whether the constant exposure to marijuana would desensitize the industry workers to the plant that pays their bills .
While it would be silly to assume these scenarios never occurred , there is also another demographic of workers who have , for one understandable reason or another , never actually tried cannabis in any of its forms before employment .
“ Scoob ” wasn ’ t Litz ’ s given name , but it has been his moniker since he was too young to bait his own fishing hook . While people aren ’ t always tied to their nostalgia , Litz loved the television show “ Scooby-Doo , Where Are You !” so much that his family members started calling him Scoob , after the famed canine detective .
“ I used to freak out when anybody turned off the show ,” Litz said with a rowdy smirk . “ So it stuck with me .”
While staying true to his Pennsylvania roots , Litz was also molded by the time he spent in Kuwait ( 2002 , 2005-09 ), Iraq ( 2005-06 ), and Afghanistan ( 2007- 08 ), among other countries and military bases across his nearly decade-long career serving in the U . S . Army .
Scoob Litz pictured here inside a tank , never tried cannabis in his nearly decade-long career while serving in the U . S . Army .
( Photo contributed .)
Despite having never used cannabis , Scoob was surrounded by smokers and growers throughout his enlistment . He had never used cannabis before , though he would eventually find himself elbow-deep in his new medicinal marijuana career .
You might find it odd that anyone would choose the cannabis industry for their full-time career if they had never tried it in any of its forms or “ would NEVER be able to use it ” ( more on the quoted part shortly ). While one could simply point out similarities in other lines of work — such as a vegetarian or vegan loving their job as a server at one of Kansas City ’ s barbecue restaurants — it seems , in this case , it ’ s more efficient just to say , “ Yeah , that sounds like Scoob alright !”
Army veteran Scoob Litz and his beloved late wife , Nikki , who passed in 2022 . Scoob keeps pushing forward , leading his crew at Elevate Missouri ’ s cultivation facility . ( Photo contributed by Litz .)
For three years , Scoob Litz , SSG , U . S . Army tanker retired and now Elevate Missouri ’ s trim manager , was a member of this camp . But after a long , suitably unique journey , Litz now allows cannabis to aid him through its various medicinal uses .
A few years after returning stateside for good , Litz would eventually find himself working for Colorado-based cannabis cultivator Terrapin Care Station beginning in 2018 , doing a few different jobs on the production side of its operation in Michigan before rooting down in Missouri as trim manager for the former Terrapin ( now Elevate Missouri ) upon the opening of its Missouri cultivation facility in 2021 .
The idea that he “ couldn ’ t ” consume cannabis didn ’ t bother Litz , partially because he — much like many other veterans — had never tried it and thus couldn ’ t crave its ’ healing properties , and simultaneously didn ’ t want to risk having his much-earned benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs held back .
40 September 2023