Photo courtesy of the Flowery Growing Up from p7 long maintained that medical cannabis could have helped their son. “The VA [U.S. Department of Veterans Af- fairs] loaded him up with pharmaceuticals,” Steve Garrison tells New Times. “Had he been able to use medical marijuana, we believe we would still have him here today.” Finally, in 2019, the family was awarded a Florida Medical Marijuana Treatment Center license through a settlement agreement. Os- man recalls receiving news of the approved li- cense on April 19, 2019 — mere hours shy of the 4/20 celebrations. “They [state officials] were messing with us,” she jokes. The Flowery has since grown from the small-scale operation where Osman herself hand-delivered medical marijuana to clients to an outfit led by some of the highest-profile marijuana executives in the business. None of that has changed the company’s spirit, says Garrison, who at age 77 still visits the facility nearly every day; his three surviving children and two grandchildren are active in the Flow- ery’s day-to-day operations. “Everyone sold out to the Canadians,” Garrison tells New Times, referring to the number of Canada-based firms that have ob- tained medical marijuana licenses in Florida. “We got offers, but it’d be awfully hypocritical if we took the money and ran. We said we were doing this because it is the right thing to do and to help people. We’ve taken investors because we have no choice — the burdens the DOH [Florida Department of Health] puts on you are serious. We have bled cash for the past six or seven years. Eventually, this will be a moneymaking operation, but we are proud that we are able to ease pain and suffering.” Asked about the prospect of becoming the next Trulieve or Curaleaf, the Flowery’s chief executive officer, Elad Kohen, exclaims “Hell no! We are doing everything we can to be the exact opposite.” The Flowery is on track to open its first 8 brick-and-mortar dispensary in June, in a converted bank in the middle of what Smuts refers to as Miami’s “Green Mile” on Biscayne Boulevard — a stretch between NE 105th and NE 125th streets in North Miami that boasts a number of medical marijuana dispensaries. An “Opening Soon” banner is draped across the front doors of the store, located across the street from the popular Steve’s Pizza joint. Smuts says the company intends to convert the former bank’s drive-through ATM lanes into a drive-thru ordering and pick-up service. Medical patients with a medical marijuana card in Florida can expect a “high-end” expe- rience at the dispensary, which will be deco- rated with colorful, neon lights. The store will have a garden, a large claw machine, self-or- dering kiosks, and even a speakeasy-type ex- perience wherein customers can enter a secret door in a phone booth to find “hidden products.” Weed offerings, such as flower and kief, will be on display on wooden tables and touted on plasma TV screens. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a Surt- erra or anything like that,” Marshak says, re- ferring to the sanitized and fluorescent vibe of rival chain dispensaries. “But think exactly the opposite.” Over the next two years, the Flowery ex- pects to open at least four additional dispen- saries across Florida, in Inverness, Clearwater, Ocala, and Venice. The company is also working on a partnership with West Coast cannabis brands such as 710 LABS, Backpack Boyz, and Packwoods. Despite the accelerated growth, the Flow- ery’s principals insist on remaining true to their roots. Smuts goes so far as to compare the company Flowery to David in the biblical tale of David and Goliath, noting that they’ve already come a long way from being the un- derdogs in the industry. The mindset, he maintains, has always been quality over quantity, and they’re con- tinuing to work to create better flower, new flavors, and to add to their menu with prod- ucts like edibles and solventless hash. When asked what will separate the Flow- ery from its competitors, he doesn’t hesitate. “Our product will speak for itself,” he says. “The pot will be different.” [email protected] 5 miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | MIAMI NEW TIMES MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 APRIL 14-20, 2022 NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com
