First of its kind in Mid-Michigan
CLIO -- A health and wellness center formally opens in Clio, but it’s not your typical facility.
It’s the home of a marijuana research institute that wants to change the negative stigma about the drug, but some neighbors have mixed feelings about that.
The co-founder of the All Natural Health and Wellness Center in Clio says marijuana is vastly misunderstood.
“It has no addictive properties. There is no recorded death to marijuana use in human history,” said Eric Gunnels, the Co-Founder of All Natural Health & Wellness Center.
The center hopes to educate the public on the medicinal benefits of marijuana through its non-profit Cannabis Research Institute.
“We can get them a doctor’s appointment for new patient approval, we can help them send it in to the State of Michigan, we can teach them different ways to use their medicines,” said Rob Lapeen, the Co-Founder of All Natural Health & Wellness Center.
It's the first patient care facility in Michigan to allow marijuana use in order to gather research about the drug.
“Our pharmaceutical companies have been charged with crimes, they've had recalls over and over again, we've had people receiving wrong dosages, this is an opportunity to take medicine into your own hands,” said Anita Saint Clair, an approved medical marijuana patient.
But Jim Neeley lives next door to the center and has some mixed feelings about it.
“I have a granddaughter that lives with me that is 15 and I’m not real enthused about it you know,” said Neeley.
Neeley says he's worried the center will attract criminals to his neighborhood, but the co-director says no marijuana is left in the facility after hours.
And then there's Truce who is a trained protection and security dog. He’ll be patrolling the parking lots so when medical marijuana patients come in and go, they can feel safe; something one patient appreciates.
“Before this place, I was going out and meeting people in parking lots and having to get my supply that way,” said Wes Promenthenkel who is a medical marijuana patient.
The center says they want to help put an end to the black market of marijuana and hire 50 new employees in the process.
The center also plans on offering protection dog training for medical marijuana care-givers who want to guard their homes.
Do you think pharmaceutical companies have aided in medical marijuana stigma?
