Radio420™: How The Game Is Trying to Educate Others on Marijuana

This article was originally published on Benzinga.

A few weeks ago, Benzinga’s Javier Hasse shared an interview he did with The Game, who will be performing this coming Saturday at our SoCal Cannabis Cup.

In the first article, Game discussed his cannabis dispensary, his flowers and buds brand, clean weed and his experience in the industry.

However, the former member of G-Unit and Dr. Dre protégée didn’t embark on this trip alone. In fact, Game revealed that his favorite aspect of having made a foray into the cannabis industry is the people he works with.

“The people who run and support the companies I work with are some of the most amazing and motivated people I’ve ever worked with… hands down,” he voiced.

So, Javier reached out to the dispensary’s director and co-owner, Darice Smolenski, who shared further insight into the project, and her views on cannabis, health and treating children.

Photo Courtesy of The Reserve

No Reservations

The Reserve is a medical marijuana dispensary located in Santa Ana, California. It was built “upon the concept of taking the industry and cannabis on a completely different level than what we all knew from before,” Smolenski said.

They wanted to highlight the medical side of the experience, so they went for a spa-meets-Apple Store vibe: a professional and clean place where customers get greeted by name and walked through the whole purchase process by an educated consultant.

“I think that’s why we do see way more of that mature audience come through our clinic,” Smolenski said. “They want a safe-feeling facility where they are going to get real information about dosage and other issues.”

“We like to keep everything as clean and sterile as possible so, like CVS, Walgreens or Rite Aid, we fulfill orders in the back, which is something very unique in the cannabis space,” she said. “We pay attention to every detail; that definitely makes an impression… Whether it is the infused water with fresh, organic fruit or going to the restroom and having L’Occitane soap… It’s just those little tiny things that I feel like, why not in the cannabis industry? Why the stigma of it has to be smoke shops?”

“The Reserve sets the standard for quality medicine and patient care,” The Game added. “We’ve gone the extra mile to really make sure everything about the user experience is done the ‘right way.’ In a time where most are doing things the ‘easy way,’ our motto is to do what it takes to be the most professional and compliant operation out there.”

Cannabis & Children’s Health

Smolenski has always been into health and fitness. A quick Google Image search reveals her passion for bodybuilding. In fact, you’ll be able to tell from the picture below.

Photo Courtesy of The Reserve

“I hoped to create awareness among the community, the state and even nationwide if possible. [I wanted] to just create awareness about all the positive things that marijuana and cannabis can bring to not only adults, but even to children,” Smolenski stated.

“Every day, I see a personal friend of mine, whom I follow on Facebook, and I watch her elementary-school-aged daughter just stay home day after day because of the pain she has. And, since there’s a stigma against cannabis, they never even thought to dip into it. There’s this notion that you’re not a good parent if you think that way,” she said. “This is why I’m going to keep pushing on to let everyone know the positives of cannabis. Having an outlet like this, where I can provide the community with seminars and classes, and not only just cannabis, is like a dream come true. I’m a health nut and I want to spread the word as much as I can on how everybody can improve their lifestyle.”

Cannabis & Fitness

So how does cannabis fit into the fitness world?

“I was a fitness competitor that competed on a national level,” Smolenski said. “Through it all, I did use cannabis, and CBD as well, because it is a good recovery method. The THC portion of cannabis is a muscle relaxer as well; so, when you’re in that hectic life of banging it out day after day, it does relax your mind, your body.”

Photo Courtesy of The Reserve

Are there any particular strains that go better with the fitness side of it?

“Well, high CBD strains work,” Smolenski said. “But, when you get into particular strains, it’s like a lot of things in life: whether you are shopping at Whole Foods Market or Sprouts Farmers Market, what you take in your diet depends on what you’re looking for. And, every body is different, the body itself reacts slightly different, so you can’t really say and pinpoint ‘this one will work like this.’ But, the categories of indica, sativa, and hybrid definitely helps out. That’s why we have consultants that work one on one.”

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How The Game Is Trying to Educate Others on Marijuana

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