This month, NCIA checks in with Lilach Power, Managing Director at The Giving Tree Wellness Center based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Giving Tree Wellness Center has been a member of NCIA since September 2013, taking an holistic approach in supporting their clients by offering a range of medical marijuana products along with alternative healing methods, including massage and acupuncture, to promote the best quality of life possible through both their North Phoenix and Mesa locations.

Cannabis Industry Sector:

Medical Cannabis Providers

NCIA Member Since:

2013

How do you uniquely serve the cannabis industry?

When Gina and I started our business, we had a vision of creating a safe and inviting environment for patients, and I think we have succeeded. We have beautiful spa-like stores that are very inviting. We do not have the traditional pot shop that I think a lot of people think of when they envision a dispensary. There are no bars, bullet-proof glass or tiny bank windows. This is truly a place to get help and find quality medicine.

We understand that patients might be intimidated coming to a dispensary at first, so we like to make them as comfortable as possible. We have private consultation rooms where patients can really sit down and be comfortable discussing their medical issues and see what options we have for them. We encourage patients to schedule one-on-one consultations with our patient consultants or with our medical director (my business partner, Gina Berman, M.D.). We never up-sell or push patients to buy anything. Our goal is only to find the ideal medicine for each patient. We never rush patients – whether they are a first timer, or this is their hundredth visit.

The Giving Tree takes pride in its local community philanthropic endeavors. We participate in two big fundraising events annually. Our next one is on April 11th, the Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis walk. We match all donations and I am proud to say many vendors have been participating, so we are getting the industry involved in our community as well. Our other big annual event is the breast cancer Walk for the Cure in the Fall. In addition, we raise money and hold canned food drives during the holiday season to help local folks in need.

Realizing that there are patients for whom the cost of this medicine is a burden, we started our own program for discounted medicine for patients on SNAP or long-term disability. We also deliver for patients with physical hardship, with no delivery charge.

Why should patients looking for medical cannabis services go to The Giving Tree Wellness Center?

Service and quality: We have an elite team of patient consultants (PCs) and we are patient-focused. Our PCs are truly passionate and have a fund of knowledge – I am so proud every time I walk into the dispensary and see how much they really care. Our patients really do become part of The Giving Tree Family.

Our medicine: We grow a majority of the medicine we offer. We stress quality over quantity and grow strains based not on their yield but on the merits of their quality and variety. We do not use pesticides, and we always use an independent, third-party lab to test all our medicine. We definitely have learned a lot during this process and our goal is to make each harvest better than the last. We are proud each time we harvest and cure and see our medicine on the menu.

Can you give us some insight into the medical cannabis community in Arizona, where it’s been and where it’s headed?

Arizona is a really unique cannabis community. There are not many medical marijuana dispensaries operating and there won’t ever be, per statute. That really takes the competition out of the equation for the most part and we can really just focus on creating and maintaining a well-regulated and upstanding industry where the focus is truly just on the patients.

Arizona has a great medical program and it is run well. The program will only improve as new rules to better regulate the market are established.

Also, as time goes on and more and more Arizonans are helped by cannabis, our communities will hopefully embrace us as offering a much-needed service instead of being thought of as the criminal-laden underbelly of the cities. The regulated stores are dramatically different than any black market operation. I think this will become more apparent as time goes on as more people in the community are exposed to state-regulated dispensaries.

Why did you join NCIA?

We proudly joined NCIA because it brings political legitimacy to our industry at the national level. We are a group of professionals who demand to be taken seriously and stand up for the rights of this burgeoning industry. There are many issues that need to be addressed in this industry and NCIA stands up for patients and industry professionals alike.

We see the need for an organization to bring us all together and represent us on the national stage. There is no other organization that does that. We see the importance in supporting it, becoming part of it, and hopefully being more involved in the future. It is the only way to move our industry forward.

Contact:

Lilach Power

The Giving Tree Wellness Center Website

The Giving Tree Wellness Center Facebook

If you are a member of NCIA and would like to contribute to the NCIA blog, please contact development officer Bethany Moore by emailing bethany@thecannabisindustry.org.