With so many new dispensaries popping up every week in Southeastern Michigan, it can be hard to differentiate what makes one more special than another.
That’s not the case with Ann Arbor’s Huron View.
When you walk into this small dispensary on Packard Road, you’ll know you’ve found something truly unique.
Their storefront window decals refer to the dispensary as both The Huron View Center and Huron View Kind Solutions. And kindness is immediately apparent.
A Mother-Daughter Team
Christina Montague is the only woman of color in the state who owns a dispensary. She was a Washtenaw County commissioner, as well as a social worker at Mitchell Elementary in Ann Arbor. The former role gave her the savvy to get the dispensary off the ground. The latter, however, is indicative of her caring and compassionate nature.
Making a positive contribution to the community has been her focus since day one. And though Huron View may be one of the smaller dispensaries in town, they likely have the biggest heart.
“We are different than everybody else,” says Teesha Montague, Christina Montague’s adult daughter who has a hand in the business as well. “We just want an opportunity to show that.”
In addition to the work she does at the dispensary, Teesha organizes uplifting and educational events around the state that bring people together from many different walks of life. She hopes to keep highlighting the benefits of CBD and marijuana to help those struggling with various symptoms and conditions.
Helping Others Is the Primary Focus
“If someone’s having a hard day, we just want to help them out. We want them to leave with a smile,” says Teesha. And it starts the minute you walk in the door when you’re greeted with, “Welcome to the family!”
It’s not just a line though. At Huron View, they really do see every person who walks through the door as family. And they aim to help every individual as they would a treasured family member.
Through their seniors/veterans Meals and Meds program, they do more than simply deliver medical marijuana. Christina and Teesha actively connect with businesses to find those that are willing to donate free meals to senior citizens and veterans. The Montagues and their crew are also willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to wash dishes, vacuum, pick up groceries, or handle other chores for this population.
Just as they would for their own flesh and blood family.
They also take the time to learn each individual’s personalized cannabis experience and then design “Sparks of Joy” boxes specifically for that person. For example, if someone says they don’t like edibles and prefer flower, but they struggle with severe anxiety, they’ll create an affordable box geared toward those conditions and preferences.
The help doesn’t stop there though.
Fighting for Social Equity
On a broader level, Christina Montague would like to see more social equity in the cannabis industry in Washtenaw County.
The Marijuana Regulatory Agency’s (MRA) social equity program aims “to promote and encourage participation in the marijuana industry by people from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and to positively impact those communities.”
Unfortunately, Ypsilanti is the only qualifying municipality in Washtenaw County for this program.
So she’s pushing to get Washtenaw County to consider efforts similar to those she’s seen presented in other cities such as Detroit. This would allow the county to establish a cannabis business development fund to help residents get into the recreational marijuana industry.
It would do this by offsetting some of the licensing fees that are so prohibitively expensive for those who are most in need of social equity.
A Dispensary That Cares
Ann Arbor’s Huron View believes in running a business guided by compassion and caring. In other words, from the heart.
As Teesha says, “We just want to give back and do some good while we’re here.” And they’re doing just that.
So if you’re in Ann Arbor, be sure to stop in and support their efforts. You’re sure to become a member of the Huron View family while you’re there!
And for all the latest on the cannabis industry in Southeast Michigan (and beyond) keep checking back with our blog.