Photo by:
Citi-Med, a new medical marijuana dispensary, opened on East Evans Avenue on Jan. 29, in the space formerly occupied by a poster shop.
The dispensary, one of about 500 in Denver, is located at 1640 E. Evans Ave., about three blocks from campus.
The shop is owned by Chief Operating Officer Rob Fairchild, as well as two DU alumni who wish to remain anonymous.
Though their doors officially opened less than two weeks ago when construction and design were finished, the dispensary obtained a license in December and has been providing services to patients since.
In the process of opening the shop, the partners had to apply for state and city tax licenses as well.
The dispensary offers different kinds of medical marijuana to their patients, including different strands of the plant for specific problems, edibles and tincture.
“We cater to a wide variety of needs, and it is kind of like a science. We have to know what product will be best for the patient based on their needs,” said Fairchild.
The dispensary grows some of its own plants for the patients.
The edibles, which include cookies, are the most popular product so far, according to Fairchild.
“Some of our clients don’t like to smoke, so this is a way for them to have the medicine and feel better without having to smoke,” said Fairchild.
All the edibles are homemade by a local woman with an auto-immune disorder, who began baking when she started using medical marijuana. She distributes them to four different dispensaries in Denver.
“This is good because we know we are getting them from someone who needs them and are helping others too,” Fairchild said. “It is also good because it is something she can do to make her feel better.”
The dispensary also is part of a network of services to help people with pain or other problems.
The owners work with chiropractors, physical therapists, yoga studios, acupuncturists and other professionals that can help their clients.
“We work with others so that if we can’t help [a customer] completely we can send them to another place where they can get the help they need,” said Fairchild.
One of Citi-Med’s goals is to make their product affordable.
“A lot of our competition overcharges, and we want to make the medicine available and affordable for those that need it,” said Fairchild.
Medical marijuana is subject to the same sales taxes as any other medicine, and the owners took this into consideration when pricing their products.
“We want to keep our price competitive, so we price an eighth at about $46, so when taxes are included it equals out to around $50,” said Fairchild.
Another goal of the owners’ is to run a legitimate clinic and help their patients find the form of medical marijuana that works best for them.
“A misconception, especially with university students, is that this will be a place to hang out and smoke pot, and that is not the case at all. We provide for people with state-issued cards that are in need. A lot of our patients are in severe pain because of cancer, arthritis and other medical problems,” said Fairchild.
The store is monitored 24-hours a day by a security system.
According to the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry, there are currently 17,356 people with valid Registry ID cards in Denver. The average card holder is 40 years old.
