Cannabis dispensary Skymint opens first metro location in Hazel Park

HAZEL PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - As recreational marijuana nears the two-year mark since becoming legal in Michigan, shops continue to pop up. On Thursday Skymint opened their first metro Detroit location in Hazel Park, complete with curbside pick-up to make sure customers stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Advocates say legalizing marijuana creates jobs and comes with several other benefits. 

"Whether it is for pain, whether it's for sleep, anxiety - as a nation people are completely stressed out right now and this plant has the ability in so many different ways to help people feel good," says Laurie Gregory, the chief product officer with Skymint.

But substance abuse counselor Michael Moore has some concerns now that recreational weed is legal. 

"If you don't know if you're predisposed to a certain situation, by taking marijuana now that it's legal it could lead you to a more serious dependence," he says.

Moore works at Self Help Addiction Rehabilitation in Detroit and says in addition to some users possibly developing a psychological addiction, there are also safety concerns. He says legalizing marijuana could lead to more car crashes. 

"As we talk about public health and public safety, persons driving, if they are driving while impaired it can lead to more accidents, more car crashes and things of that sort because of the distorted view when they're driving," he says. Michigan State Police is noticing an uptick in people driving while high across the country and in Michigan. 

Meanwhile, Gregory says she understands the concerns and wants people who smoke to do it safely. She also hopes the stigma around smoking marijuana ends. 

"That's our mission at Skymint, is to break that stigma for women, men, young, old, that it's okay to smoke and it's okay to consume edibles and topicals because there are so many healing benefits," she says.

Skymint says they are also giving back to the community by working with an organization to get nonviolent cannabis offenders out of prison. 

For more information, visit www.skymint.com.