A Dozen Reasons to Shop Local for Cannabis

We’re proud that Pharmhouse Wellness is Grand Rapids’ only 100 percent locally-owned cannabis dispensary. Being local matters to us, to the community and you! We know you have many Grand Rapids cannabis stores to choose from, but we believe local is best. So we’re giving you 12 reasons why you should shop local for cannabis.

1. Local character—we’ve got plenty of that! Unlike cookie-cutter cannabis dispos that love to compare themselves to Apple stores, we’re not that. We’re more like your neighborhood bodega. Our store is pretty funky on the inside, and we’ve commissioned local artists to make art for our fences and grow facility exterior walls. We have a flower garden out back, and during the summer, we have cookouts and artist markets. If you are looking for character, we’ve got it.

2. Local jobs—the people that work in our store and grow are from around here; we’ve created more than 30 jobs, and we pay wages that are competitive with other cannabis businesses. 

3. Local money—when you shop local for cannabis (or anything for that matter), more of your money stays in the community. We make it a priority to utilize local vendors, and more than 80 percent of the money we spend (outside of cannabis flower and other products) is local. For every $100 you spend at locally owned businesses, $68 stays in the community. When you shop at a chain cannabis store, around $43 stays in the community.

4. Local decisions—no one from Colorado, Illinois, or California decides what happens at Pharmhouse. When we take a stand on an issue or fly Pride, Trans Pride and BLM flags, it’s because we believe it and live those values. It feels good to shop local for cannabis when you’re aligned with the company.

5. Local expertise—with your neighbors, friends and community members working in our store, you know that we have your best interest at heart. We listen to our customers and strive to provide the best cannabis products and the best local cannabis shopping in Michigan. 

6. Community benefit—Studies have revealed that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the level of chain shops. We might not make the biggest and the splashiest donation, but when we say we’re going to do something, we do it. If you want to see what we’ve done to support local causes, check out our social equity page.

7. Creating community—we call you the Pharmhouse Pham for a reason. We try to take the time to get to know our customers and hope you’re getting to know us, too. Our events like the Artist Market, Juneteenth celebration, movie night and Toke Tent are meant to get to know you better. 

8. Social equity—at Pharmhouse, we take social equity seriously and do our best to undo the harms done by cannabis prohibition. We were one of only three cannabis companies in Grand Rapids to comply with the City’s social equity policy. While others make promises about doing good through the lens of social equity, we live it. As someone who has lived experience with the harm of cannabis prohibition, our owner Casey follows through on his social equity promises.

9. Environment—the more local you shop, the less negative impact you make on the environment. If you buy our flower, it comes from just across the parking lot—that’s hyper-local.

10. Supporting entrepreneurship—if you’ve been with us from the start, please know that you’ve helped build a new business and support an aspiring entrepreneur—owner Casey. Pharmhouse Wellness is his first solo entrepreneur business. 

11. Supporting other local cannabis businesses—we specialize in carrying cannabis and cannabis products that are locally focused and family or woman-owned. For instance, we offer flower from HOG in Cannon Township, Michigrown in Muskegon and Real Leaf Solutions in Kalkaska and Old Dune Farm in Grand Junction.

12. Local businesses are destinations—think about the places you love to visit where local shops are abundant. In Eastown, or Creston here in Grand Rapids; in Saugatuck, Traverse City or Midtown in Detroit, each of those places is resplendent with local businesses. Pharmhouse strives to capture that local vibe in our store, our grounds, our events, our products and our people. 

Can you feel the local love?