In a very different kind of Memorial Day deal, a Phoenix business celebrated its grand opening by giving veterans deep discounts.
On medical marijuana.
Phoenix Relief Center, a medical-marijuana dispensary tucked into a shopping center at 35th and Southern avenues, sold marijuana to former servicemen and -women at a discount — 20 percent off — and gave away free pot cigarettes to treat illnesses and pain. Dozens of veterans with cancer, chronic pain and other illnesses have since flocked to the center for one-eighth-ounce bags of Tokyo OG, Hawaii Five-0 and other strains of marijuana.
“We didn’t want to focus our grand opening on ‘Hey, look at us, we’re open, and we want business,’ ” said Patrick Romo, a principal officer and Phoenix Relief Center board member. “We wanted to say, ‘Hey, we’re open, and we’re here to serve the community.’ ”
The dispensary’s strategy to market to veterans and the broader community illustrates an effort among dispensary operators, patients and others in the medical-marijuana industry to shake the stigma associated with medical cannabis and gain mainstream legitimacy.
Read more: Aiming for legitimacy
