CBD OIL

Common Citizen, a vertically integrated business in Michigan’s medical and adult-use cannabis markets, brought on Allison Hornev as the company’s chief marketing officer. Hornev arrives from Bell’s Brewery Inc., another stalwart of the Michigan landscape. 

The move is a good example of that bridge between the breweries and cannabis cultivation facilities. Each market tends to connoisseurs and new customers alike, making the story behind a brand incredibly important. Before Bell’s, Hornev worked as Kellogg’s.

“Through Allison’s marketing expertise, she will help our continued efforts to identify and serve the unique needs of every patient and adult-use customer at all Common Citizen retail and wholesale locations as we continue expanding our footprint here in Michigan and beyond,” CEO Mike Elias said.

We spoke with Hornev about her plans for Common Citizen and the cannabis business in general.

Eric Sandy: What brought about your interest in the cannabis space and in Common Citizen?

Courtesy of Common Citizen

Allison Hornev: It’s funny: I wasn’t interested in the cannabis industry. I was very happy working for Bell’s. It’s an amazing company with an amazing culture. But then I met one of the founders [of Common Citizen], and we just started having conversations and started talking about the opportunity. And at that point, I got to know the brand more and know the founders and understand what they’re wanting to do with cannabis and in this very busy market that we’re in. That’s really what turned me on to it: that great opportunity that Common Citizen has to not just sell cannabis but make a difference. You see that coming through our commitment to safety and safe products and the idea of cannabis for humanity: How do we debunk the stigma so people feel comfortable using it to help them, or using it however they choose. That, to me, is really what made the difference. It just stood for more in my eyes.

ES: Common Citizen has some interesting terminology that customers can use, whether it’s “chapters,” “citizen advisers” and, of course, all the in-store categories for different cannabis products. Could you talk a bit about why that is important?  

AH: From a business standpoint, it allows you to stand apart in a very crowded market. But, honestly, it’s going to get more crowded before it consolidates, right? So, it allows you to stand apart, but it also allows you to talk to the people, to the consumers and to our patients from a different voice. And to me, that voice is a more caring voice. That voice is a more passionate voice and a more approachable voice. And I think that is really powerful.

ES: We featured Common Citizen in a piece about the design of their Flint store. Could you talk a bit about how things like interior design can help shape the story of a company?

AH: I think oftentimes it’s overlooked, right? “We’re just going to put up a store and sell some cannabis.” Again, as a lot of things with Common Citizen, it’s more than that. It’s creating an environment that is welcoming, that is very concierge-based and it’s helping the patient or the consumer through that journey and spending time with them. You look at that Flint store and it’s got that area off to the side with the couches, where we can sit down and have a conversation about what it is you’re looking for or what it is you need or what your desires and hopes and dreams are. That’s where we can really get to know you and provide you something that will be beneficial and provide you an experience that you then enjoy—or one that helps you. Then you do feel more comfortable every time you come back. And I think the interior design just builds and allows for that to happen

ES: And certainly a lot of those same ideas are at play over at Bell’s. Is there a helpful sense of marketing crossover that might be a play between craft beer and cannabis?

AH: Yeah, it’s fascinating. On the surface right there, you’ve got the 21-and-plus audience. If you look at craft beer and beer in general and adult beverages—and it is incredibly saturated, there’s a lot of players—and you look at how Larry [Bell] has built this business to stand apart and stand for things for the 35 years he’s been in business. He has built what Bell’s stands for now and its quality and its consistency and its great branding, and it’s continuing to provide new and different things. And then when you come to the cannabis industry, again, it’s so oversaturated and there’s so much out there and it can be, to a consumer, to somebody that’s new into it, overwhelming just like beer. So, how do I take what I learned through my years at Bell’s—and even before that at Kellogg’s—and apply that here to help those consumers in that space and stand for those key things that are so important right now?

For us at Common Citizen, it’s safety. And that leads to quality and that leads to approachable brands that aren’t intimidating—brands for that common citizen, you know? That’s what we’re built off of. Just in talking to you in this conversation, it gives me goosebumps. It makes me smile. But this is something we’re out to do. We’re out to help people and help them feel comfortable with that decision.

ES: I did want to touch on Michigan in particular. What does it mean to have Michigan as a backdrop for Common Citizen?

AH: It provides just tons of opportunities. When you look at Michigan, you see, just in a short time, where we’ve come with cannabis. From medical and then phasing into rec, the future is so incredibly bright for Michigan in this space. Leaning into our roots and being true to where we’ve come from, that’s important. The founders are all boys that grew up in Detroit. There’s such heart there. And it’s such a great story for us as a brand.

I think Michigan is going to be a state to look at in this industry, and it’s going to be sought after. People are going to learn a lot, and other states are going to learn a lot from what we’re able to do here at Michigan.

And I think that’s why it’s so important that we are leading by example and that we are building a GMP facility, even though it’s not necessary to do so in the regulations. We feel that that’s the right thing to do to ensure that safety. If we can lead by example here in Michigan and get some friends to come along and do that with us, I think that will help other states learn from us. That will help other brands learn from us. You look at beer 100 years ago, and they were just coming back online from Prohibition and there was a lot of work to do. I don’t think we’re 100 years back, but there’s a lot ahead of us.

ES: With the new year upon us, what are some of your short-term goals at Common Citizen?

AH: Honestly, I’m still getting my feet wet. Short-term, I’ve got to just be a sponge. It is absolutely my goal to talk to everybody here, from the greenhouse to the executive team, to the investors—talk to our retail locations and our budtenders and talk to our wholesalers and spend time with them understanding the market in general and what the needs are. I believe that there are needs currently unmet, so how can we do that? How can we stand apart? It is absolutely my goal to be the leader in Michigan, and to do that in a couple of different ways. Not just through volume and sales, but through advocacy and through safety and through being that shining star in this very crazy industry right now. That is both long-term and short-term, and I think the team here has already set us up for great success there. Now, it is my job and responsibility to continue to carry us there.

 

Common Citizen, a vertically integrated business in Michigan’s medical and adult-use cannabis markets, brought on Allison Hornev as the company’s chief marketing officer. Hornev arrives from Bell’s Brewery Inc., another stalwart of the Michigan landscape. 

The move is a good example of that bridge between the breweries and cannabis cultivation facilities. Each market tends to connoisseurs and new customers alike, making the story behind a brand incredibly important. Before Bell’s, Hornev worked as Kellogg’s.

“Through Allison’s marketing expertise, she will help our continued efforts to identify and serve the unique needs of every patient and adult-use customer at all Common Citizen retail and wholesale locations as we continue expanding our footprint here in Michigan and beyond,” CEO Mike Elias said.

We spoke with Hornev about her plans for Common Citizen and the cannabis business in general.

Eric Sandy: What brought about your interest in the cannabis space and in Common Citizen?

Courtesy of Common Citizen

Allison Hornev: It’s funny: I wasn’t interested in the cannabis industry. I was very happy working for Bell’s. It’s an amazing company with an amazing culture. But then I met one of the founders [of Common Citizen], and we just started having conversations and started talking about the opportunity. And at that point, I got to know the brand more and know the founders and understand what they’re wanting to do with cannabis and in this very busy market that we’re in. That’s really what turned me on to it: that great opportunity that Common Citizen has to not just sell cannabis but make a difference. You see that coming through our commitment to safety and safe products and the idea of cannabis for humanity: How do we debunk the stigma so people feel comfortable using it to help them, or using it however they choose. That, to me, is really what made the difference. It just stood for more in my eyes.

ES: Common Citizen has some interesting terminology that customers can use, whether it’s “chapters,” “citizen advisers” and, of course, all the in-store categories for different cannabis products. Could you talk a bit about why that is important?  

AH: From a business standpoint, it allows you to stand apart in a very crowded market. But, honestly, it’s going to get more crowded before it consolidates, right? So, it allows you to stand apart, but it also allows you to talk to the people, to the consumers and to our patients from a different voice. And to me, that voice is a more caring voice. That voice is a more passionate voice and a more approachable voice. And I think that is really powerful.

ES: We featured Common Citizen in a piece about the design of their Flint store. Could you talk a bit about how things like interior design can help shape the story of a company?

AH: I think oftentimes it’s overlooked, right? “We’re just going to put up a store and sell some cannabis.” Again, as a lot of things with Common Citizen, it’s more than that. It’s creating an environment that is welcoming, that is very concierge-based and it’s helping the patient or the consumer through that journey and spending time with them. You look at that Flint store and it’s got that area off to the side with the couches, where we can sit down and have a conversation about what it is you’re looking for or what it is you need or what your desires and hopes and dreams are. That’s where we can really get to know you and provide you something that will be beneficial and provide you an experience that you then enjoy—or one that helps you. Then you do feel more comfortable every time you come back. And I think the interior design just builds and allows for that to happen

ES: And certainly a lot of those same ideas are at play over at Bell’s. Is there a helpful sense of marketing crossover that might be a play between craft beer and cannabis?

AH: Yeah, it’s fascinating. On the surface right there, you’ve got the 21-and-plus audience. If you look at craft beer and beer in general and adult beverages—and it is incredibly saturated, there’s a lot of players—and you look at how Larry [Bell] has built this business to stand apart and stand for things for the 35 years he’s been in business. He has built what Bell’s stands for now and its quality and its consistency and its great branding, and it’s continuing to provide new and different things. And then when you come to the cannabis industry, again, it’s so oversaturated and there’s so much out there and it can be, to a consumer, to somebody that’s new into it, overwhelming just like beer. So, how do I take what I learned through my years at Bell’s—and even before that at Kellogg’s—and apply that here to help those consumers in that space and stand for those key things that are so important right now?

For us at Common Citizen, it’s safety. And that leads to quality and that leads to approachable brands that aren’t intimidating—brands for that common citizen, you know? That’s what we’re built off of. Just in talking to you in this conversation, it gives me goosebumps. It makes me smile. But this is something we’re out to do. We’re out to help people and help them feel comfortable with that decision.

ES: I did want to touch on Michigan in particular. What does it mean to have Michigan as a backdrop for Common Citizen?

AH: It provides just tons of opportunities. When you look at Michigan, you see, just in a short time, where we’ve come with cannabis. From medical and then phasing into rec, the future is so incredibly bright for Michigan in this space. Leaning into our roots and being true to where we’ve come from, that’s important. The founders are all boys that grew up in Detroit. There’s such heart there. And it’s such a great story for us as a brand.

I think Michigan is going to be a state to look at in this industry, and it’s going to be sought after. People are going to learn a lot, and other states are going to learn a lot from what we’re able to do here at Michigan.

And I think that’s why it’s so important that we are leading by example and that we are building a GMP facility, even though it’s not necessary to do so in the regulations. We feel that that’s the right thing to do to ensure that safety. If we can lead by example here in Michigan and get some friends to come along and do that with us, I think that will help other states learn from us. That will help other brands learn from us. You look at beer 100 years ago, and they were just coming back online from Prohibition and there was a lot of work to do. I don’t think we’re 100 years back, but there’s a lot ahead of us.

ES: With the new year upon us, what are some of your short-term goals at Common Citizen?

AH: Honestly, I’m still getting my feet wet. Short-term, I’ve got to just be a sponge. It is absolutely my goal to talk to everybody here, from the greenhouse to the executive team, to the investors—talk to our retail locations and our budtenders and talk to our wholesalers and spend time with them understanding the market in general and what the needs are. I believe that there are needs currently unmet, so how can we do that? How can we stand apart? It is absolutely my goal to be the leader in Michigan, and to do that in a couple of different ways. Not just through volume and sales, but through advocacy and through safety and through being that shining star in this very crazy industry right now. That is both long-term and short-term, and I think the team here has already set us up for great success there. Now, it is my job and responsibility to continue to carry us there.

 

For having just expanded his dispensary business to sell cannabis product for adult use in December 2020, Casey Kornoelje brings a lot of plant-touching experience to the industry. He’s wielding that knowledge as he and his team work to vertically integrate Pharmhouse Wellness, the first adult-use dispensary in Grand Rapids, Mich., that is owned by a resident of the city.

Kornoelje opened Pharmhouse Wellness as a medical provisioning center in March 2020. But prior to that, he had spent 10 years running a 30-acre cut flower farm north of Grand Rapids, where he also grew cannabis in pole barns.

“In 2008, the state of Michigan rolled out the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program,” Kornoelje told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “I immediately enrolled as a caregiver and patient, so I was a patient myself, plus a caregiver of five. That allowed me to grow 72 plants total—72 all in—and I rocked that out from 2008 to this day.” (While the state has ended caregiver sourcing to dispensaries, Kornoelje notes that he is still legally growing for himself.)

Going further back in time, Kornoelje was charged with felony cannabis manufacturing in 2001 and a misdemeanor cannabis possession in 2004.

“As soon as I could discover how to grow the shit, I started growing it,” Kornoelje reflects. “I just wasn’t quite as good at concealing it as I was at growing it. That led to a big disruption in my life. The felony charge has always been on my record and stuck with me. It’s stifled many different opportunities for me throughout the years, both career-, professional-wise and trying to go into the military services.”

But things came around, as Kornoelje moved to the “cottage industry” of caregiver cultivation, then medical dispensing. His prior convictions, caregiver experience and residency in Grand Rapids scored Pharmhouse Wellness points through the state and city’s social equity programs and allowed him to receive zoning priority and fee reductions for its adult-use operations.

“We’re going to reinvest that money back into the local neighborhood,” Kornoelje said. “That could include projects like home ownership training, expungement clinics, business and home façade block grants, public safety and transit enhancements in front of the dispensary. Those are all just things that are on the peripheral, but that’s definitely not the end of it. [Those are] just some things that are hot on our agenda.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

COVID-Era Consumption

Pharmhouse Wellness opened as a medical-only dispensary in March 2020—in a standalone 750-square-foot structure that was originally constructed in 1890 as a home, later zoned for light industrial, and which architects and engineers helped Kornoelje facelift.

Within several days, Michigan government officials recognized the COVID-19 threat and prioritized social distancing over confined in-store customer experiences. Pharmhouse Wellness has only offered curbside and delivery for nearly the past 10 months.

A lack of historical data on Michigan cannabis sales made COVID’s impact difficult to examine, Kornoelje said, adding, “My take of it is that people are home more. … You can’t go into the mall as much, you can’t go to the movie theaters, to the gyms. People are home more, and I do believe that that has driven some increased consumption on cannabis.

“But we have noticed a definite slowdown in the fall, as the federal stimulus that was passed back in the summertime—the effects of that eventually ran out. So, we have seen demand be stable, but stable to declining in the fall time.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

Setting Sights on Vertical Integration

Pharmhouse Wellness is in the process of expanding, both through increasing its customer base and vertically integrating.

In 2020, Grand Rapids began accepting and approving medical storefronts to expand into adult use. “The city, after [expressing] concern seeing very little local participation in the marijuana market, rolled out their social equity program in summer 2020 to increase participation by local and disproportionately affected individuals,” Kornoelje said.

Recreational sales began in Grand Rapids in October. Pharmhouse held a celebration for its first adult-use sales on Dec. 19, where it hosted a coffee truck, “did swag bag giveaways” and offered specials, Kornoelje said. In addition, Redemption Cannabis owner and former cannabis prisoner Ryan Basore and Grand Rapids city commissioners attended.

The company received a processor license and a Class 3 cultivation license (for 2,000 plants or fewer) in the summer and fall of 2020. It will cultivate and process cannabis in a 4,000-square-foot warehouse on a property located two parcels east of the dispensary. “We are trying to figure out how best to make all those licenses mesh in the relatively confined space,” Kornoelje said. “But the goal is to get the grow going first, and then once we have marijuana to process, then we’ll roll out the processor license last.”

At Pharmhouse, 23 employees are responsible for getting a variety of products into customers’ hands, from flower to concentrates to edibles, topicals and vape cartridges.

Mentioning his caregiver background and experience growing cannabis, Kornoelje said, “We love flower. We try to pride ourselves on having high-quality flower in the store. And knowing that people love flower, too, we’ve tried to link up with the best possible cultivators and people that we align ourselves with—not only from a quality standpoint but from a business-philosophy standpoint and a corporate culture standpoint.”

As it plans to reinvest into the local community, Pharmhouse has engaged in other philanthropic efforts. In October 2020, the dispensary donated a portion of proceeds from Fresh Coast Extracts product to Migrant Legal Aid. And in December 2020, Pharmhouse donated proceeds from Fresh Coast to the West Michigan Cannabis Guild.

Regarding demand for the team’s beloved flower, Kornoelje said, “People seem to want the highest-testing stuff, man, unfortunately, and that seems to be the recurring theme. Unfortunately, the terpenes and the flavonoids seem to fall to the back seat with most of our consumers. I would say some are heady enough to understand that THC is not the whole picture.” Some customer favorites include classics such as Wedding Cake, GMO, GG, Super Lemon Haze and various kush varieties.

In speaking with CBT and CD, Kornoelje offered one dose of civic pride and one of thankfulness to those with whom he’s worked. “Like they say, ‘it takes a village,’ and it truly does,” he said. “There was a huge team of people, from [Pharmhouse’s communications contact] to my planner, who helped me with working on the land-use process, to the architect and the engineers—all the people that I had to work with to make the applications a reality—and then of course the city of Grand Rapids—the city commissioners, the planning commissioners, the mayor—all of them have been super supportive of what is the only locally owned cannabis shop in town.”

For having just expanded his dispensary business to sell cannabis product for adult use in December 2020, Casey Kornoelje brings a lot of plant-touching experience to the industry. He’s wielding that knowledge as he and his team work to vertically integrate Pharmhouse Wellness, the first adult-use dispensary in Grand Rapids, Mich., that is owned by a resident of the city.

Kornoelje opened Pharmhouse Wellness as a medical provisioning center in March 2020. But prior to that, he had spent 10 years running a 30-acre cut flower farm north of Grand Rapids, where he also grew cannabis in pole barns.

“In 2008, the state of Michigan rolled out the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program,” Kornoelje told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “I immediately enrolled as a caregiver and patient, so I was a patient myself, plus a caregiver of five. That allowed me to grow 72 plants total—72 all in—and I rocked that out from 2008 to this day.” (While the state has ended caregiver sourcing to dispensaries, Kornoelje notes that he is still legally growing for himself.)

Going further back in time, Kornoelje was charged with felony cannabis manufacturing in 2001 and a misdemeanor cannabis possession in 2004.

“As soon as I could discover how to grow the shit, I started growing it,” Kornoelje reflects. “I just wasn’t quite as good at concealing it as I was at growing it. That led to a big disruption in my life. The felony charge has always been on my record and stuck with me. It’s stifled many different opportunities for me throughout the years, both career-, professional-wise and trying to go into the military services.”

But things came around, as Kornoelje moved to the “cottage industry” of caregiver cultivation, then medical dispensing. His prior convictions, caregiver experience and residency in Grand Rapids scored Pharmhouse Wellness points through the state and city’s social equity programs and allowed him to receive zoning priority and fee reductions for its adult-use operations.

“We’re going to reinvest that money back into the local neighborhood,” Kornoelje said. “That could include projects like home ownership training, expungement clinics, business and home façade block grants, public safety and transit enhancements in front of the dispensary. Those are all just things that are on the peripheral, but that’s definitely not the end of it. [Those are] just some things that are hot on our agenda.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

COVID-Era Consumption

Pharmhouse Wellness opened as a medical-only dispensary in March 2020—in a standalone 750-square-foot structure that was originally constructed in 1890 as a home, later zoned for light industrial, and which architects and engineers helped Kornoelje facelift.

Within several days, Michigan government officials recognized the COVID-19 threat and prioritized social distancing over confined in-store customer experiences. Pharmhouse Wellness has only offered curbside and delivery for nearly the past 10 months.

A lack of historical data on Michigan cannabis sales made COVID’s impact difficult to examine, Kornoelje said, adding, “My take of it is that people are home more. … You can’t go into the mall as much, you can’t go to the movie theaters, to the gyms. People are home more, and I do believe that that has driven some increased consumption on cannabis.

“But we have noticed a definite slowdown in the fall, as the federal stimulus that was passed back in the summertime—the effects of that eventually ran out. So, we have seen demand be stable, but stable to declining in the fall time.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

Setting Sights on Vertical Integration

Pharmhouse Wellness is in the process of expanding, both through increasing its customer base and vertically integrating.

In 2020, Grand Rapids began accepting and approving medical storefronts to expand into adult use. “The city, after [expressing] concern seeing very little local participation in the marijuana market, rolled out their social equity program in summer 2020 to increase participation by local and disproportionately affected individuals,” Kornoelje said.

Recreational sales began in Grand Rapids in October. Pharmhouse held a celebration for its first adult-use sales on Dec. 19, where it hosted a coffee truck, “did swag bag giveaways” and offered specials, Kornoelje said. In addition, Redemption Cannabis owner and former cannabis prisoner Ryan Basore and Grand Rapids city commissioners attended.

The company received a processor license and a Class 3 cultivation license (for 2,000 plants or fewer) in the summer and fall of 2020. It will cultivate and process cannabis in a 4,000-square-foot warehouse on a property located two parcels east of the dispensary. “We are trying to figure out how best to make all those licenses mesh in the relatively confined space,” Kornoelje said. “But the goal is to get the grow going first, and then once we have marijuana to process, then we’ll roll out the processor license last.”

At Pharmhouse, 23 employees are responsible for getting a variety of products into customers’ hands, from flower to concentrates to edibles, topicals and vape cartridges.

Mentioning his caregiver background and experience growing cannabis, Kornoelje said, “We love flower. We try to pride ourselves on having high-quality flower in the store. And knowing that people love flower, too, we’ve tried to link up with the best possible cultivators and people that we align ourselves with—not only from a quality standpoint but from a business-philosophy standpoint and a corporate culture standpoint.”

As it plans to reinvest into the local community, Pharmhouse has engaged in other philanthropic efforts. In October 2020, the dispensary donated a portion of proceeds from Fresh Coast Extracts product to Migrant Legal Aid. And in December 2020, Pharmhouse donated proceeds from Fresh Coast to the West Michigan Cannabis Guild.

Regarding demand for the team’s beloved flower, Kornoelje said, “People seem to want the highest-testing stuff, man, unfortunately, and that seems to be the recurring theme. Unfortunately, the terpenes and the flavonoids seem to fall to the back seat with most of our consumers. I would say some are heady enough to understand that THC is not the whole picture.” Some customer favorites include classics such as Wedding Cake, GMO, GG, Super Lemon Haze and various kush varieties.

In speaking with CBT and CD, Kornoelje offered one dose of civic pride and one of thankfulness to those with whom he’s worked. “Like they say, ‘it takes a village,’ and it truly does,” he said. “There was a huge team of people, from [Pharmhouse’s communications contact] to my planner, who helped me with working on the land-use process, to the architect and the engineers—all the people that I had to work with to make the applications a reality—and then of course the city of Grand Rapids—the city commissioners, the planning commissioners, the mayor—all of them have been super supportive of what is the only locally owned cannabis shop in town.”

For having just expanded his dispensary business to sell cannabis product for adult use in December 2020, Casey Kornoelje brings a lot of plant-touching experience to the industry. He’s wielding that knowledge as he and his team work to vertically integrate Pharmhouse Wellness, the first adult-use dispensary in Grand Rapids, Mich., that is owned by a resident of the city.

Kornoelje opened Pharmhouse Wellness as a medical provisioning center in March 2020. But prior to that, he had spent 10 years running a 30-acre cut flower farm north of Grand Rapids, where he also grew cannabis in pole barns.

“In 2008, the state of Michigan rolled out the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program,” Kornoelje told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “I immediately enrolled as a caregiver and patient, so I was a patient myself, plus a caregiver of five. That allowed me to grow 72 plants total—72 all in—and I rocked that out from 2008 to this day.” (While the state has ended caregiver sourcing to dispensaries, Kornoelje notes that he is still legally growing for himself.)

Going further back in time, Kornoelje was charged with felony cannabis manufacturing in 2001 and a misdemeanor cannabis possession in 2004.

“As soon as I could discover how to grow the shit, I started growing it,” Kornoelje reflects. “I just wasn’t quite as good at concealing it as I was at growing it. That led to a big disruption in my life. The felony charge has always been on my record and stuck with me. It’s stifled many different opportunities for me throughout the years, both career-, professional-wise and trying to go into the military services.”

But things came around, as Kornoelje moved to the “cottage industry” of caregiver cultivation, then medical dispensing. His prior convictions, caregiver experience and residency in Grand Rapids scored Pharmhouse Wellness points through the state and city’s social equity programs and allowed him to receive zoning priority and fee reductions for its adult-use operations.

“We’re going to reinvest that money back into the local neighborhood,” Kornoelje said. “That could include projects like home ownership training, expungement clinics, business and home façade block grants, public safety and transit enhancements in front of the dispensary. Those are all just things that are on the peripheral, but that’s definitely not the end of it. [Those are] just some things that are hot on our agenda.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

COVID-Era Consumption

Pharmhouse Wellness opened as a medical-only dispensary in March 2020—in a standalone 750-square-foot structure that was originally constructed in 1890 as a home, later zoned for light industrial, and which architects and engineers helped Kornoelje facelift.

Within several days, Michigan government officials recognized the COVID-19 threat and prioritized social distancing over confined in-store customer experiences. Pharmhouse Wellness has only offered curbside and delivery for nearly the past 10 months.

A lack of historical data on Michigan cannabis sales made COVID’s impact difficult to examine, Kornoelje said, adding, “My take of it is that people are home more. … You can’t go into the mall as much, you can’t go to the movie theaters, to the gyms. People are home more, and I do believe that that has driven some increased consumption on cannabis.

“But we have noticed a definite slowdown in the fall, as the federal stimulus that was passed back in the summertime—the effects of that eventually ran out. So, we have seen demand be stable, but stable to declining in the fall time.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

Setting Sights on Vertical Integration

Pharmhouse Wellness is in the process of expanding, both through increasing its customer base and vertically integrating.

In 2020, Grand Rapids began accepting and approving medical storefronts to expand into adult use. “The city, after [expressing] concern seeing very little local participation in the marijuana market, rolled out their social equity program in summer 2020 to increase participation by local and disproportionately affected individuals,” Kornoelje said.

Recreational sales began in Grand Rapids in October. Pharmhouse held a celebration for its first adult-use sales on Dec. 19, where it hosted a coffee truck, “did swag bag giveaways” and offered specials, Kornoelje said. In addition, Redemption Cannabis owner and former cannabis prisoner Ryan Basore and Grand Rapids city commissioners attended.

The company received a processor license and a Class 3 cultivation license (for 2,000 plants or fewer) in the summer and fall of 2020. It will cultivate and process cannabis in a 4,000-square-foot warehouse on a property located two parcels east of the dispensary. “We are trying to figure out how best to make all those licenses mesh in the relatively confined space,” Kornoelje said. “But the goal is to get the grow going first, and then once we have marijuana to process, then we’ll roll out the processor license last.”

At Pharmhouse, 23 employees are responsible for getting a variety of products into customers’ hands, from flower to concentrates to edibles, topicals and vape cartridges.

Mentioning his caregiver background and experience growing cannabis, Kornoelje said, “We love flower. We try to pride ourselves on having high-quality flower in the store. And knowing that people love flower, too, we’ve tried to link up with the best possible cultivators and people that we align ourselves with—not only from a quality standpoint but from a business-philosophy standpoint and a corporate culture standpoint.”

As it plans to reinvest into the local community, Pharmhouse has engaged in other philanthropic efforts. In October 2020, the dispensary donated a portion of proceeds from Fresh Coast Extracts product to Migrant Legal Aid. And in December 2020, Pharmhouse donated proceeds from Fresh Coast to the West Michigan Cannabis Guild.

Regarding demand for the team’s beloved flower, Kornoelje said, “People seem to want the highest-testing stuff, man, unfortunately, and that seems to be the recurring theme. Unfortunately, the terpenes and the flavonoids seem to fall to the back seat with most of our consumers. I would say some are heady enough to understand that THC is not the whole picture.” Some customer favorites include classics such as Wedding Cake, GMO, GG, Super Lemon Haze and various kush varieties.

In speaking with CBT and CD, Kornoelje offered one dose of civic pride and one of thankfulness to those with whom he’s worked. “Like they say, ‘it takes a village,’ and it truly does,” he said. “There was a huge team of people, from [Pharmhouse’s communications contact] to my planner, who helped me with working on the land-use process, to the architect and the engineers—all the people that I had to work with to make the applications a reality—and then of course the city of Grand Rapids—the city commissioners, the planning commissioners, the mayor—all of them have been super supportive of what is the only locally owned cannabis shop in town.”

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PRESS RELEASE — Acreage Holdings, Inc. has announced that Katie Bayne has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors.

Bayne brings more than 30 years of consumer marketing and operations experience to her new position on the Board of Directors, including over two decades at The Coca-Cola Company, where she served as President of North America Brands and Chief Marketing Officer for North America. The founder and president of strategic consulting and advisory firm Bayne Advisors, Bayne also serves as a Senior Advisor at Guggenheim Securities, and sits on the Board of Directors of Jessica Alba’s purpose-driven lifestyle brand, The Honest Company. She brings over a decade of public Board experience in varied industries, including retail.

“Achieving long-term success will require Acreage to continue building and nurturing a house of brands that has mass appeal,” said Acreage CEO Peter Caldini. “Katie’s exceptional background includes her stewardship of iconic U.S. brands and I look forward to the valuable insights she will provide to help take Acreage to the next level on our journey to achieving a true leadership position in this emerging market.”

“Katie is an outstanding addition to Acreage’s Board of Directors,” said Kevin Murphy, Acreage’s chairman and founder. “On the heels of announcing our new CEO, Acreage’s future growth will be driven by senior leaders with extensive experience in operations, brand-building, and a proven ability to drive sustainable, long-term growth.”

“I have watched the upward trajectory of the U.S. cannabis industry with great interest the past few years,” said Bayne. “I have come to understand the undeniable health and wellness benefits of the plant. As more states legalize cannabis and the addressable market continues to grow exponentially, I am excited for the opportunity to help shape Acreage’s strategy and direction at this crucial juncture.”

Bayne earned her MBA and undergraduate degrees at Duke University, where she continues to serve as a member of the Board of Visitors for the Fuqua Business School. She also serves on the Executive Board at the Cox School of Business at SMU. She is the sixth member of the Acreage Board of Directors, and will be a member of the Audit Committee.

For having just expanded his dispensary business to sell cannabis product for adult use in December 2020, Casey Kornoelje brings a lot of plant-touching experience to the industry. He’s wielding that knowledge as he and his team work to vertically integrate Pharmhouse Wellness, the first adult-use dispensary in Grand Rapids, Mich., that is owned by a resident of the city.

Kornoelje opened Pharmhouse Wellness as a medical provisioning center in March 2020. But prior to that, he had spent 10 years running a 30-acre cut flower farm north of Grand Rapids, where he also grew cannabis in pole barns.

“In 2008, the state of Michigan rolled out the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program,” Kornoelje told Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary. “I immediately enrolled as a caregiver and patient, so I was a patient myself, plus a caregiver of five. That allowed me to grow 72 plants total—72 all in—and I rocked that out from 2008 to this day.” (While the state has ended caregiver sourcing to dispensaries, Kornoelje notes that he is still legally growing for himself.)

Going further back in time, Kornoelje was charged with felony cannabis manufacturing in 2001 and a misdemeanor cannabis possession in 2004.

“As soon as I could discover how to grow the shit, I started growing it,” Kornoelje reflects. “I just wasn’t quite as good at concealing it as I was at growing it. That led to a big disruption in my life. The felony charge has always been on my record and stuck with me. It’s stifled many different opportunities for me throughout the years, both career-, professional-wise and trying to go into the military services.”

But things came around, as Kornoelje moved to the “cottage industry” of caregiver cultivation, then medical dispensing. His prior convictions, caregiver experience and residency in Grand Rapids scored Pharmhouse Wellness points through the state and city’s social equity programs and allowed him to receive zoning priority and fee reductions for its adult-use operations.

“We’re going to reinvest that money back into the local neighborhood,” Kornoelje said. “That could include projects like home ownership training, expungement clinics, business and home façade block grants, public safety and transit enhancements in front of the dispensary. Those are all just things that are on the peripheral, but that’s definitely not the end of it. [Those are] just some things that are hot on our agenda.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

COVID-Era Consumption

Pharmhouse Wellness opened as a medical-only dispensary in March 2020—in a standalone 750-square-foot structure that was originally constructed in 1890 as a home, later zoned for light industrial, and which architects and engineers helped Kornoelje facelift.

Within several days, Michigan government officials recognized the COVID-19 threat and prioritized social distancing over confined in-store customer experiences. Pharmhouse Wellness has only offered curbside and delivery for nearly the past 10 months.

A lack of historical data on Michigan cannabis sales made COVID’s impact difficult to examine, Kornoelje said, adding, “My take of it is that people are home more. … You can’t go into the mall as much, you can’t go to the movie theaters, to the gyms. People are home more, and I do believe that that has driven some increased consumption on cannabis.

“But we have noticed a definite slowdown in the fall, as the federal stimulus that was passed back in the summertime—the effects of that eventually ran out. So, we have seen demand be stable, but stable to declining in the fall time.”

Photo courtesy of Pharmhouse Wellness

Setting Sights on Vertical Integration

Pharmhouse Wellness is in the process of expanding, both through increasing its customer base and vertically integrating.

In 2020, Grand Rapids began accepting and approving medical storefronts to expand into adult use. “The city, after [expressing] concern seeing very little local participation in the marijuana market, rolled out their social equity program in summer 2020 to increase participation by local and disproportionately affected individuals,” Kornoelje said.

Recreational sales began in Grand Rapids in October. Pharmhouse held a celebration for its first adult-use sales on Dec. 19, where it hosted a coffee truck, “did swag bag giveaways” and offered specials, Kornoelje said. In addition, Redemption Cannabis owner and former cannabis prisoner Ryan Basore and Grand Rapids city commissioners attended.

The company received a processor license and a Class 3 cultivation license (for 2,000 plants or fewer) in the summer and fall of 2020. It will cultivate and process cannabis in a 4,000-square-foot warehouse on a property located two parcels east of the dispensary. “We are trying to figure out how best to make all those licenses mesh in the relatively confined space,” Kornoelje said. “But the goal is to get the grow going first, and then once we have marijuana to process, then we’ll roll out the processor license last.”

At Pharmhouse, 23 employees are responsible for getting a variety of products into customers’ hands, from flower to concentrates to edibles, topicals and vape cartridges.

Mentioning his caregiver background and experience growing cannabis, Kornoelje said, “We love flower. We try to pride ourselves on having high-quality flower in the store. And knowing that people love flower, too, we’ve tried to link up with the best possible cultivators and people that we align ourselves with—not only from a quality standpoint but from a business-philosophy standpoint and a corporate culture standpoint.”

As it plans to reinvest into the local community, Pharmhouse has engaged in other philanthropic efforts. In October 2020, the dispensary donated a portion of proceeds from Fresh Coast Extracts product to Migrant Legal Aid. And in December 2020, Pharmhouse donated proceeds from Fresh Coast to the West Michigan Cannabis Guild.

Regarding demand for the team’s beloved flower, Kornoelje said, “People seem to want the highest-testing stuff, man, unfortunately, and that seems to be the recurring theme. Unfortunately, the terpenes and the flavonoids seem to fall to the back seat with most of our consumers. I would say some are heady enough to understand that THC is not the whole picture.” Some customer favorites include classics such as Wedding Cake, GMO, GG, Super Lemon Haze and various kush varieties.

In speaking with CBT and CD, Kornoelje offered one dose of civic pride and one of thankfulness to those with whom he’s worked. “Like they say, ‘it takes a village,’ and it truly does,” he said. “There was a huge team of people, from [Pharmhouse’s communications contact] to my planner, who helped me with working on the land-use process, to the architect and the engineers—all the people that I had to work with to make the applications a reality—and then of course the city of Grand Rapids—the city commissioners, the planning commissioners, the mayor—all of them have been super supportive of what is the only locally owned cannabis shop in town.”