Pubdate: Thu, 16 Apr 2015
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2015 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: Maria Ines Taracena

420

Maryjane, Weed, Dope, Pot ... Whatever You Want to Call It, It Has 
Taken Root to Call Tucson Home

In upcoming weeks, Earth's Healing dispensary will get to christen a 
10,000 square-feet cultivation site with new medical marijuana strains.

The one they are most proud of was donated to the dispensary by a 
caregiver who wanted the special medical strain he'd been harvesting 
for years to have a legacy. The so-called Champasu is highly enhanced 
with CBD, or cannabidiol, one of the major medicinal compounds of 
ganja. CBD is used for treating chronic pain, diabetes, cancer, 
post-traumatic stress disorder, and other neurological disorders.

"Having that CBD strain, which a lot of people don't have or aren't 
able to get, is going to be a staple," says William Elliott, Earth's 
Healing operations director. Champasu's CBD metabolites doubles the 
amount of THC metabolites, the compound that makes you high. Earth's 
Healing already has a few kinds with high levels of CBD but this one 
will be different, and they want you to stay tuned.

For decades, the industry solely focused on weed with tons of THC. In 
recent times, CBD strains have begun to make a name for themselves, 
especially among patients who seek the healing powers of pot without 
the stoner aftereffects, but they still like that.

There's a handful of other kinds of premium marijuana the dispensary 
will debut after they finally move into their new growing facility in 
approximately four to six weeks. Earth's Healing owner Vicky 
Puchi-Saavedra got her hands on the site early into 2014. For more 
than a year, the dispensary's been in the process to get city and 
state permits, and fluffing the place up to grow some pristine green 
for their customers.

The current site is only big enough for a limited amount of 14 
different strains. More room now means at least 20 strains, and lots 
of plants for each.

The move is possible thanks to the Tucson City Council's unanimous 
decision last September to get rid of size restrictions on 
cultivation sites. Before then, these facilities had a size limit of 
3,000 square feet, leaving many dispensaries, including Earth's 
Healing, with no other option but to purchase pot from Phoenix 
dispensaries - where growing spaces can be unlimitedly large""to keep 
up with the demand.

It took a while, but the city jumped onto the unlimited-space train 
after many dispensary owners showcased the potential grand economic 
benefits it could have in Tucson, not just among dispensaries but 
patients, as well. Also, renting or buying property results in 
property tax revenue for the city.

"The council members want us to stay in Tucson, they want us to 
generate business and they want us to generate employment," 
Puchi-Saavedra says. If the council didn't give in, she considered 
moving the cultivation site to Phoenix, which would have meant 
creating more jobs there rather than down here.

Also, the cost of weed traveling from Phoenix reflects in what the 
customers are paying. Now, Earth's Healing is looking forward to 
being self-sufficient and have that trickle down to lower prices and 
maybe even incentives for patients who can't afford their medicine. 
(Although, the dispensary is already one of the cheapest in town at 
about $13 to $20 per gram.)

Since the size restrictions were lifted, Earth's Healing has hired 10 
new people and expect to bring many more on board. A new facility 
means a greater need for weed trimmers, at least one warehouse 
manager, people to keep track of the inventory and security personnel.

They already have a decent amount of local growers, who "keep getting 
better with time," Puchi-Saavedra says. And where do they find these 
growers? "At Circle K," Elliott jokes.

No, they are actually professionals, some with degrees in biochemistry.

"It is more like a manufacturing lab than a mom-and-pop growing 
facility," Puchi-Saavedra says. "Growers wear lab coats, we are going 
to go through a lot of sanitation, make sure everything is sterile. 
We are trying to grow medicine that is potent. We don't want any 
mold, any pesticides. That is our goal and that is why it takes so 
much time and effort to get there."

The dispensary currently sees an average of 200 patients a day, 
according to its marketing director, Florence Hijazi. As soon as the 
growing site is up and running, a bigger office is next in line and 
perhaps branching out in Arizona and other states.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom