Patti Kornoelje says that when her son Casey Kornoelje was a teenager, she worried about the direction in which he seemed to be heading.
In March 2020, he launched Pharmhouse Wellness, a medical cannabis dispensary that has since expanded into recreational cannabis, making it the city of Grand Rapids’ first locally owned recreational cannabis business.
“I had attempted to get into the armed services and was declined,” he said.
“These are all illnesses that I’ve seen cannabis directly touch and benefit in a very positive way.
She heard stories from him about patients dealing with serious conditions who turned to medical marijuana for help with symptoms like pain or lack of appetite.
Casey explains that his past experiences, like his cannabis convictions and his work as a caregiver, are part of who he is.
“The social equity program, I think, at its roots, is designed to encourage and participate people in the cannabis industry who otherwise wouldn’t have had so much of an opportunity to enter that marketplace,” he said.
Patti says there can be a generational divide when it comes to people’s opinions about cannabis — although her perspective has changed on it, some people she’s spoken with who are of her generation or older don’t share her current feelings.
“Being in the arena that he’s in now, it just — it’s like, to me, it’s like watching a bird take flight, you know, spreading their wings,” she said.
It’s now expanding into recreational sales.It’s also the first store to open with help from the city’s Cannabis Social Equity policy, which offers discounts on licensing fees for applicants who meet certain requirements.
But Seattle-based cannabis industry website Leafly is out with its fifth annual national jobs estimate.