January 3, 2018 Presentation

"Cannabis and Seniors"

Harvest Dispensaries & Cultivation

David Grandon, Outreach Coordinator

David Grandon is the Co-creator and Executive Director of the Flagstaff based, Scenic Route - a non-profit created to provide age appropriate social and recreational activities for adults with physical and developmental disabilities.

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CEO and founder of Flagstaff’s Grassroots Wellness Center (GWC), a community minded, patient centered cooperative approach to cannabis therapy in northern Arizona. Grassroots Wellness Center was a cannabis caregiver organization with it’s heart in the community. So much so that the organization was awarded “Service Agency of the Year” by the Flagstaff mayor in 2011.

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David was brought on as a consultant and then transitioned into full time at Harvest Dispensaries and Cultivation in 2013 to create and implement a community outreach program. Community integration through support, education, and sponsorship is the mission. Our goal is to change Arizona’s way of thinking about medical cannabis and broaden ideas about healthcare. Community outreach bridges cultural barriers and overturns medical bias; dispelling the notion that cannabis is something to be feared. GWC does a lot of speaking with support groups. Epilepsy, cancer, and senior groups have been the most receptive. This grassroots communication usually gets their "foot in the door" to chat with larger organizations and often leads to event sponsorship. Before you know it, that leads to having meaningful conversations with community leaders and folks who help shape the way the community perceives them. In a nutshell, we make allies by being open, honest and persistent with our message.