I have been a hesitant visitor of dispensaries near me from the beginning. The first time I walked into a Windy City Cannabis, the drab carpeting and walls reminded me of a clinic. I’m sad to say that this is what I expected out of the dispensaries near me. I expected it to look like a dream stealing establishment. The type of place filled with people basking in their equity stealing opportunities. Just the feeling of buying weed from companies that would never share their wealth with my communities made me uneasy. But I ventured forth. For my blog, for the ability to buy marihuana conveniently. I traded the gritty background of my drug dealer’s block for a gritty background and a smiling blonde. You can imagine the internal struggle, as their Posen location is the closest to my home. I had low expectations, and even lower enthusiasm.
That is, until I walked into one of Mission’s Dispensaries near me.
I was pleasantly surprised by their nice green wall and shiny hardwood floors. You see, I had read articles about Mission South Chicago before, but my first visit was to their Calumet City location. And none of those articles mentioned the sleek hardwood design, the bright lights, and the staff of educated, and dedicated employees. Everyone was very friendly, and they all seemed ready to help and educate I was grateful for the pleasant, welcoming faces. All of them, of color. It almost felt nostalgic, the act of purchasing weed from these cool individuals. It didn’t hurt that “Up” by Cardi B was blasting from their speakers, something that was vastly different from the gloomy, silent dispensary that I had visited before. (ahem Windy City Cannabis)
So this pleasant experience started changing my mind on all of the dispensaries near me.
And I set forth to visit Mission Dispensary South Chicago. The dispensary itself is on Commercial Ave, surrounded by Chicago’s industrial history. An area that is supremely industrial, it’s nothing like downtown’s glitz and glamour. So you can imagine how surprised I was when we stepped through the door and were greeted by such a lovely space. They have an entrance area, complete with handwritten chalkboard sign and a lovely, 420 related backdrop. It’s nothing like the dispensaries near me. I got to chat with one of the reps and they recommended some good options for disposables. It’s exciting to encounter people who are passionate about cannabis and get to talk about it in a safe space. The check out was easy, convenient, and the young lady behind the counter was pleasant and cheerful. It’s exactly the type of dispensary that the southside of Chicago needs.
Is Mission South Chicago minority owned? NO. There are NO minority owned dispensaries near me, in Chicago, or Illinois.
The controversy that has benefitted Mission Dispensaries, is that the original license was filed by a minority owned firm. Because of the local push back, that firm is no longer behind Mission Dispensaries. And while many people still believe Mission South Chicago is minority owned, the fact is that it isn’t. Because of this, I genuinely recommend that you do your homework. Despite their original promise to create local events and opportunities for the community, I don’t see that being very evident in their social media or websites. Although I do applaud them tremendously for hiring minorities, I very much wish they would do a little more to give back to the southside of Chicago. Considering that the Southside has shown up and showed out in terms of revenue.
If you’re on the southside and looking for dispensaries near you, I recommend Mission Dispensaries. Not only do they offer better options than Windy City Cannabis, but the entire experience is overall more pleasant. I commend them for hiring minorities to work in their dispensaries that service minority dominated areas. They also have amazing deals and very reasonable prices. We are still a ways away from being able to shop at minority owned dispensaries, but now is the time to support dispensaries that hire adequately. I will continue to shop at Mission as I have found it to be a better and more pleasant option than Windy City Cannabis. I’m glad that Mission is one of the dispensaries near me, and I’m glad that I’m able to visit as needed. If you make your way over to Mission Dispensaries, make sure you let them know that Mex and the City Chicago sent you!
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