Pubdate: Thu, 16 Oct 2014
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2014 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: Chris Flora

CUSTOMER CONCENTRATION

The Apothecary Has Evolved Along With Its Industry

If the customer is always right, then The Apothecary, recently ranked 
in a patient survey as Tucson's number one medical marijuana 
dispensary, has a lot going for it.

Immediately noticeable upon entering, The Apothecary has a spacious, 
well-lit lobby, reminiscent of a doctor's office, where patients are 
buzzed in before being led to a showroom. There, a vast array of 
medical marijuana products are displayed-from the 14 different 
strains of THC and CBD concentrates to dozens of edible options like 
cookies, peanut butter bars, chocolates, tea, coffee, and gummies.

Six staffers make up The Apothecary, each trained to educate patients 
and help match their symptoms to a suitable and effective strain.

Owner Bryan Hill says since The Apothecary opened on Aug. 20, 2013, 
it has continued to gain a positive reputation in an industry that is 
both new and evolving.

"It's the crushing of the stigmas," says Hill, whose interest in the 
field was thanks in part to his father, who as an oncologist studied 
the positive effects medical marijuana has on cancer.

"There used to be so much fear about what marijuana was," says Hill. 
"We get to help people and turn that perception around, and that's a 
really cool thing."

The Apothecary is evolving right alongside the industry, and has seen 
some major changes as recently as Oct. 7, when the Town of Marana 
Council authorized medical marijuana delivery and expanded hours, 
both of which Hill says his business will take advantage of.

That means offering improved access both on site and for those who 
prefer or would benefit from delivery, such as those who may be 
immobile or disabled, Hill says.

Soon, prices are also likely to drop because The Apothecary is in the 
process of establishing its own grow, the first harvest of which is 
slated to be ready in two to three months time.

"We're excited about it," says Hill. "We can control our costs that 
way, we know what's going into the product, and we can pass that 
quality on to the patient. We are going to have some really great 
stuff-strains that haven't shown up in Arizona yet."

The Apothecary, like many dispensaries around town, sees a broad 
spectrum of clients. While demographically the majority of medical 
marijuana cardholders in Arizona are older than 50, Hill says there 
isn't much uniformity in who visits the dispensary.

"We get people of all levels," he says. "What we try to do here is 
create an atmosphere-both with the staff and the customers-that this 
is a comfortable place to come. We want to make the environment one 
that is a premium retail experience at a place that happens to sell 
cannabis. Customer service comes first for us."

Seeing customers benefit from cannabis is also where the reward comes 
in, Hill adds.

"It may not sound like much, but when someone comes in an says they 
got their first full night's sleep in five years, that's good to 
hear," he says. "Cannabis won't cure hepatitis or HIV, but it will 
allow you to live with a better quality of life."

The Apothecary is located 6205 N. Travel Center Dr. A list of 
inventory can be found on the company website at 
http://apothecarytucson.com/. The Apothecary can also be found on 
social media as well as weedmaps.com.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom