Over the weekend, weGrow Phoenix held their One Year Anniversary event. The store held one of their always-successful farmer’s markets with a great turnout. At the market, medical marijuana cardholders could freely visit vendors to purchase plants, bongs, edibles, and more. Almost 400 patients joined in for the celebration which included over $1500 in raffle prizes from weGrow and even more from individual vendors. Plus, what’s a party without cake?

Last Sunday’s Farmers Market had lots of fresh faces. At weGrow Phoenix, a doctor on-site awarded Medical Marijuana cards to qualifying patients who brought in their medical records. Patients with their papers in-hand could then attend the market the same day.  The markets offer a safe and easily accessible way for patients to meet vendors and receive their medicine. Local news station 3 TV featured one of the vendors to discuss the market. Watch it here:

Patients Shopping the Farmers Market

Raffle Grand Prize Winner Peter

One of the Vendors, BuddFly

Great Mural at weGrow Phoenix!

After a slow start with only 15 applications turned in on the first day, the Arizona dispensary permit applications have poured in.  By last Friday’s deadline, 484 applications were completed and sent to the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS).

Each application consisted of a business plan, an inventory control plan, and a $5000 application fee. The 385-or-so applicants who will not receive permits will be refunded $1000 of their fee, resulting in huge revenue for the state. It was initially estimated that Arizona would make around $1 million from applications, but we estimate that around $2,035,000 will be brought in assuming that one dispensary opens in each of the 99 districts that applied.

This incredible turnout for the chance to supply Arizona’s medical marijuana patients – nearly 29,000 of them – with their medicine marks the state’s turn towards accepting medical marijuana use. This DHS map displays the areas represented by applicants with Estrella topping the list at 16 applications.

On Friday, a hearing was held to expand the list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be a treatment. The law that passed two years ago already permits medical marijuana use for cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, chronic pain, muscle spasms and hepatitis C. Other conditions being considered are PTSD, migraines, depression, and general anxiety disorder. Says DHS Director Will Humble, “I’m OK with including other conditions. I just want that decision to be based on science.”

In order to meet the May 25 deadline, some applications may have been incomplete. Next month, potential dispensaries will receive applications back to revise if they are missing any information to give every applicant a fair chance of getting chosen. For those areas where more than one eligible applicant has filed, a random drawing will determine who gets the permit.

If your application is returned to you for revision, weGrow can help. We offer a range of plans required by the AZDHS including:

Inventory Control Plan

Qualifying Patient Record Keeping Plan

Security Plan

Patient Education and Support Plan

Business Plan

These plans are available for a special price to allow you to be considered for your dispensary permit. Save $600 by bundling all 5 for $4000. For more information on completing your order, email info@wegrowstore.com. Or, if you would like to purchase plans individually, visit dispensarypermits.com.  Non-Arizona specific plans are also available.

Good luck to all who applied and watch our blog for news on the dispensary permit process.

Phoenix New Times

With his muscular physique and energetic, fast-talking personality, the 36-year-old Las Vegas resident seems the epitome of health — except for the banana-size scar on the left side of his head.

Rodgers was on a good career track as a trade-show organizer until 2006, when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Now he’s a passionate advocate of medical marijuana, lives on government disability, and earns a few extra bucks making candles that look like brains.

He was one of several patients who attended a conference in Tucson last month regarding the use of marijuana in medicine.

Rodgers was fishing in Canada when the first seizure struck. He was rushed from the backcountry to a hospital, but doctors didn’t find the cause until three months later, after another seizure. The diagnosis is seared in his memory.

“Your tumor is here,” his doctor told him while pointing at an x-ray of his head. “You’re going to die.”

Rodgers was given 18 months to live. Surgeons were able to remove about 80 percent of the tumor in 2007 and told him it probably would come back. They also put him on a chemotherapy regimen, which was when he “got involved in cannabis.” He’d tried it a few times in his late teens and early 20s, but this experience was different.

“I took two puffs, and it was incredible,” he says. “It made me feel well.” Read more.

Last week, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) began accepting applications for the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries.  15 applications were received on the first day, and dozens more are expected to come in by the end of the week.

The fact that Arizona is able to offer permits comes after a surprising turn of events last year after Gov. Jan Brewer banned this very application process. In 2010, voters approved the Medical Marijuana Act, but Brewer attempted to keep it from going into effect. According to MMJ Business Daily, “Brewer delayed the start of the licensing program for cannabis dispensaries last spring, citing her fear that state employees would be prosecuted by federal agents. She ordered the state to file a lawsuit against the U.S. government, asking for clarification on the issue.”

A judge later ruled that Brewer’s efforts were illegal and ordered the state to implement the act – without the many proposed restrictions. This week, dispensaries are finally able to apply to sell to the 35,000 MMJ patients.  The act allows up to 126 dispensaries to operate in Arizona.

The information on application requirements can be found on the ADHS website. There is a $5000 application fee, and $1000 will be returned to those who are not accepted. Among other requirements, dispensaries must employ a physician as a medical director to help oversee operations and fingerprints must be turned in.

Applications will be reviewed for content in June to allow potential dispensaries to provide additional information if needed. Certificates are set to be awarded in early August, allowing patients to receive medication as early as September. The cut-off for applications is at 5PM this Friday, May 25.

weGrow offers plans for dispensaries and cultivation including business, operations, and financial plans. More information on all the plans we offer can be found at dispensarypermits.com.

weGrow Phoenix will be holding a Dispensary Permits Seminar on May 16th from 12:00 – 3:00 PM. This complimentary seminar will cover more information on the financial aspects of owning a dispensary as well as the legalities and process of applying for a dispensary permit.  The seminar will feature Ryan Hurley of Rose Law Group and Dhar Mann the founder and CEO of weGrow Store.

weGrow Phoenix’s Farmers Market on Sunday was a huge success! We had over 350 attendees and 30 vendors join us.  AZ Family, CBS 5, and ABC 15 covered the event Sunday night. Check out this video from AZ Family:

The event was made possible by a wide selection of vendors and services. Here’s just a few who came out:

• 420Patients.com
• BNB – Better New Breed Smoke Shop
• Craig’s Alternative Remedies Services
• Healing Marizona
• The Healing Phoenix
• Miss Edibles
• Herbal Kush
• NORML
• Camp 420
• BuzznBeez Good Food Truck

Stay tuned to the weGrow Blog to find out when we’ll be holding our next weGrow Phoenix Farmer’s Market!

weGrow Phoenix is hosting two events this week: a seminar on dispensary permits and a MMJ farmers market!

Join us on Friday, May 4 for more information on the legalities and process of applying for a dispensary permit.  The seminar will feature Ryan Hurley of Rose Law Group. Ryan cover the following hot topics:

1. The upcoming DHS application window
2. Unresolved or questionable issues
3. Application review for completeness
4. A look forward to next years application window for those that are too late this year

The seminar runs from 12 – 3 PM. For more information and to register, view the event.

On Sunday, May 6 from noon – 4:20 PM, weGrow Phoenix will be hosting a Farmers Market! The event will feature prizes, giveaways, over 20 MMJ vendors and more.  Admission is $3 and the first 40 RSVPs will receive a prize upon entry. Please Note: You must have your doctors recommendation to attend the event.

Both of these great events will take place at the weGrow Phoenix Store at 2937 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85017.

National hydroponics franchise will mark 21,000 sq. ft store opening with public festival

PHOENIX – May 4, 2011 – New signage on an old Phoenix warehouse is one of the first visible indicators of the billion-dollar medical marijuana industry’s arrival in the Valley of the Sun. weGrow, the marijuana superstore franchise that sells products and services to help patients grow marijuana for medical purposes, is set to open its 21,000 square-foot store in Phoenix on June 1.

Known as the “walmart of weed,” weGrow’s new store will be the largest hydroponics store in Phoenix to date.

Located at 2937 W. Thomas Road (29^th Avenue & Thomas), weGrow does not sell any marijuana itself, just everything cultivators need to grow it. In addition to the largest selection of hydroponic supplies, weGrow features live indoor grow demonstrations with real plants, expert technicians to help customers build professional grow rooms, an on-site medical doctor for patient evaluations and classes on how to safely and responsibly cultivate medical marijuana.

June 1 also marks the date that the Arizona Department of Health Services will accept applications for initial dispensary registration certificates. The billion-dollar industry is expected to see around 100,000 potential patients in Arizona and is approved for 124 dispensaries.

“Many of the 124 dispensary permit winners will have never grown medical marijuana before- where are they supposed to go to learn about safe and responsible marijuana cultivation?” said Dhar Mann, weGrow founder. “The weGrow Phoenix store will be a full-service resource for patients and growers that offers much more than just hydroponics equipment.”

In anticipation of upcoming Arizona dispensaries, last week weGrow issued an RFP for cannabis testing companies interested in opening an on-site laboratory to examine medical marijuana before patient consumption.

The franchise is growing fast as more states legalize cannabis for medicinal use. weGrow currently operates stores in California and has immediate plans to open in Colorado, Oregon, New Jersey and Washington D.C. following the Phoenix opening.

weGrow will hold a press conference featuring industry experts followed by a public grand opening event called “weGrow Phoenix: The Green Rush” on June 1 at the new store. The event is expected to draw a massive crowd and will feature live entertainment, industry suppliers and support businesses, grow demonstrations and much more. Specific event details will be released over the next few weeks.

For more information about weGrow and the grand opening festival, please visit www.wegrowstore.com.

About weGrow

weGrow is the first honest hydroponics store, geared towards selling the materials necessary to grow marijuana for those with medical marijuana needs.  From the largest showroom of hydroponic equipment, to grow training services; weGrow is a one-stop-shop for cultivators. weGrow has several locations nationwide and has plans for continued growth. For more information, please visit www.wegrowstore.com.

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