Ferndale Welcomes Medical Marijuana Dispensary Gage Cannabis Company
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 16, 2019)
Ferndale, MI – Gage Cannabis Company opened their doors to medical marijuana patients this weekend at their 1551 Academy Street location in Ferndale’s east side industrial area. But before they made their first sale, they opened up to the community with a Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting and tours of the facility.
“This is really an exciting day for us in Ferndale,” said Mayor Dan Martin. “We’ve been working a long time with Gage to get here. They’ve been super diligent and done an amazing job with this property.”
The Mayor added that Ferndale is “excited to get a footprint in this industry, and to have you here.”
Gage is one of three medical marijuana facilities planned in the city, with Liv and Green Buddha opening on Hilton. Neighboring Hazel Park also has businesses in the process, and Madison Heights is also welcoming the cannabis industry.
Dr. Martin Morin operates Gage, which has 16 locations in the works across the state. Ferndale is the first to open.
“Ferndale’s an up and coming community, modern, so we decided this would be an ideal place. We also know there’s a lot of medical patients in this area that really don’t have access, so we thought this would be a good place to start,” Dr. Morin said. “Ferndale’s been really great to work with.”
Captain Dennis Emmi of the Ferndale Police Department took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Gage has been working closely with several City departments including the police to have a facility that is safe, secure, and appropriate for the area. The front area of the building is where patients are checked in and may wait. Beyond a thick, buzzer-operated door is the retail area. Beyond that are areas for processing, as well as a vault that keeps the inventory even more secure.
“Gage has been very transparent, very open,” said Captain Emmi. “I’ve toured the facility. It’s secure. It’s state of the art.”
Dr. Morin is proud of the unique features Gage offers. In many dispensaries, the pot is measured at the counter by “bud tenders” while the patient is waiting. At Gage the portions are prepackaged, reducing the risk of inaccuracy and providing better inventory control.
There are also smelling stations where patients can view sample buds through display jars that open in a way that allows for smelling without the potential for spillage. The hearty sample buds appear suspended and patients can hold the jars at different angles for better views.
In addition to a plethora of marijuana choices, Gage offers waxes, supplements, edibles, and accessories. They even have their own line of rolling papers – with bleached and unbleached available.
“It’s absolutely stunningly beautiful,” said Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce Director Dale Vigliarolo to the crowd that had gathered under orange canopies because of the rain. “and a wonderful addition to our community and our business community.”
Learn more about Gage at https://gageusa.com/. For more about the growth of medical marijuana businesses in SE Oakland County, check out this previous story.