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Harborside
Health Center by Steve DeAngelo
Utley Larry
Harborside Health Center counter with video menu. by: Photo
M attracted huge numbers of patients. Overnight, they turned into
y name is Steve DeAngelo. I am co-founder
and CEO of Harborside Health Center, Oak- very lucrative businesses without even really trying.
land’s newest medical cannabis dispensary.
These successes, in turn, attracted a new group of dis-
Open since October 2, Harborside is already widely rec- pensary operators, many of who were mostly attracted by the
ognized for setting new standards in the medical can- prospect of quick profit, rather than a desire to provide com-
nabis industry, and has received incredible reviews on passionate service to patients. There was a rush to open dis-
pensaries, often without first obtaining a license from munici-
the on-line patient forums including www.icmag.com and pal authorities, often in unsafe buildings and sometimes even
www.weedtracker.com. This is the story of how and why without functioning restrooms.
we hope to transform the medical cannabis industry. Dispensaries were launched in inappropriate locations,
I’ve been a cannabis reform activist my entire life, most sometimes close to schools, residential zones, or other sensitive
of which has been spent in Washington, DC. When I moved to neighbors. Insufficient attention was paid to keeping patients
California in 2001, the public image of medical cannabis was and the surrounding neighborhoods safe, to providing adequate
very positive, and focused on the need of patients for safe ac- parking, and access for disabled patients. Within the space of a
cess to medicine. few years, we went from a couple dozen dispensaries to hun-
Dispensaries were relatively few and far between. Most dreds statewide.
were operated by dedicated activists who were usually long Unfortunately, many of the new operators lacked profes-
on integrity, but short on business savvy and experience. Be- sional management experience. Employees were hired with-
cause there were not many dispensaries, the early ones quickly out background checks, and put to work without adequate train-
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Health Center by Steve DeAngelo
Utley Larry
Harborside Health Center counter with video menu. by: Photo
M attracted huge numbers of patients. Overnight, they turned into
y name is Steve DeAngelo. I am co-founder
and CEO of Harborside Health Center, Oak- very lucrative businesses without even really trying.
land’s newest medical cannabis dispensary.
These successes, in turn, attracted a new group of dis-
Open since October 2, Harborside is already widely rec- pensary operators, many of who were mostly attracted by the
ognized for setting new standards in the medical can- prospect of quick profit, rather than a desire to provide com-
nabis industry, and has received incredible reviews on passionate service to patients. There was a rush to open dis-
pensaries, often without first obtaining a license from munici-
the on-line patient forums including www.icmag.com and pal authorities, often in unsafe buildings and sometimes even
www.weedtracker.com. This is the story of how and why without functioning restrooms.
we hope to transform the medical cannabis industry. Dispensaries were launched in inappropriate locations,
I’ve been a cannabis reform activist my entire life, most sometimes close to schools, residential zones, or other sensitive
of which has been spent in Washington, DC. When I moved to neighbors. Insufficient attention was paid to keeping patients
California in 2001, the public image of medical cannabis was and the surrounding neighborhoods safe, to providing adequate
very positive, and focused on the need of patients for safe ac- parking, and access for disabled patients. Within the space of a
cess to medicine. few years, we went from a couple dozen dispensaries to hun-
Dispensaries were relatively few and far between. Most dreds statewide.
were operated by dedicated activists who were usually long Unfortunately, many of the new operators lacked profes-
on integrity, but short on business savvy and experience. Be- sional management experience. Employees were hired with-
cause there were not many dispensaries, the early ones quickly out background checks, and put to work without adequate train-
24 greenkindgreenkind
24
24
24 greenkind
24 greenkindgreenkind
