My journey living Opioid-free continued today and I am ecstatic about the experience!
Today my buddy and I visited two different medical cannabis dispensaries. All I can say is “what an amazing experience!” Special thanks to my buddy for being patient with me today and being as chill as he always is. Life is so much better of an experience when you join others on the path to happiness.
Today I visited HCI Alternatives (HCI) in Collinsville, IL and The Green Solution (TGS) in Sauget, IL. I was absolutely amazed at how professional and informative all the employees at both locations were. In order to shop at a Cannabis shop you must first register (request) to shop at a location through the Illinois State Medical Cannabis website. I was registered for HCI so I was only able to purchase medicinal cannabis there. After I shopped at HCI I visited TGS and registered with them.
HCI Alternatives was very welcoming from the moment I walked into the waiting room. There was coffee pods available and college basketball was playing on the television. Once my ID was verified and I was verified through the state website I was met by a really cute chick in scrubs as well as the security guard. As soon as I walked into the showroom it felt like I was smacked right in the face by the most positive and uplifting hand I have ever felt. Everyone was so chill and happy to be there. Even the security guard was one of the most relaxed people I have ever seen at work.
The young lady sat me down and spent about 15 minutes briefing me about the use of cannabis, it’s history in our culture throughout the world and how to safely consume cannabis. For real, there is even a section in the pamphlet on how to safely insert a suppository. For you kids out there that don’t know what a suppository is, I encourage you to introduce Google into your lifestyle. If that is your kind of thing…
The Green Solution in Sauget, IL is over by the GCS Ballpark. Its a relatively new building compared to the previous dispensary I visited. When you walk in The Green Solution you feel like you’re walking into a snowboard and surf shop with employees that come across more like your friends than staff members. I know that must be weird for some people to read. Same routine for entry into TGS. A young black man who was built like and even reminded me of one of my favorite actors when he talked; Michael B Jordan greeted me at the lobby and took me in the showroom. I felt like I was at a motorcycle shop picking out my next ride. The gentleman explained the shop contents and even told me about some sweet new products coming out to celebrate April 20th!
I could not make any purchases at TGS because it takes about 24 hours to transfer your registration to a different dispensary. I did make some purchases at HCI and I will probably make a video talking about the whole experience today as well as how incredibly welcoming and understanding the private medical cannabis industry has been toward veterans like myself, in stark contrast to the nightmare that is the government-controlled Opioid monster known as the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Today’s experience at an Illinois medical cannabis facility was incredible. I met some amazing people today who shared very inspiring stories with me. I even shared my own story with a few very understanding people. It is so crazy to see how non-judgemental people are when they are told the truth about the horrors of people destroying one another. When I am able to get over my anxiety of explaining to others why I am pursuing my PhD to assist people and organizations in “getting along,” I talk to others about how my life has been changed. I am trying to share what I learned from people who hated each-other. I am trying find purpose in the violence I have experienced in my life.
You’re Welcome. Internet.
