By Alyssa Sperrazza
Staff Writer
Yukon’s first medical marijuana dispensary, The Green Lily, opened January 11 and joins the growing number of industry stores in the area.
Courtney Young, Green Lily’s owner, said the first few weeks have been good as they work to reach their targeted age range.
“We’ve been very pleased and excited to see the age range in our patients come in,” Young said. “We’re really reaching our target market which is 40 plus and that’s been who we’ve mostly seen come through our doors.”
Young said their target age, reaching the baby boomers, has been their goal, to help relieve any pain and provide another option to treat any conditions like fibromyalgia, insomnia and more.
“Everything we’ve got is from Oklahoma,” Young said. “And I’ve tried to even stay local in Yukon, kind of at least in the Canadian County area. We have a nice variety of stuff on the shelves and we have enough product so our inventory was stocked when we started and is doing well now.”
Young said the opening of the dispensary has been smooth but The Green Lily faced challenges last year when the city council passed the original ordinances, which restricted where the store could open in Yukon.
“In the beginning, when the first ordinances were adopted by city council, that’s when The Green Lily was active and we met with the city manager and the development services and all of the right people,” Young recalled. “When the second ordinances were passed, that put us in the clear then as far as being able to operate a dispensary where we’re located off Route 66. From that point forward it’s been really seamless. I wouldn’t say it’s been totally smooth all the time because it is a new experience for everyone but it’s been as good as it can be.”
Young said she’s been in contact with other dispensaries in the area as the product creates a community between owners who are figuring the business out as they go.
“We’ve kind of bounced ideas off of each other… and customers,” Young said. “There was a request I wasn’t able to fill so I’ve sent them down the street and they would do the same for us.”
Young is not a first-time business owner and said there have been similarities but there have also been differences as she and other owners figure out this new market.
“This is a retail sales business, which I was in the service industry before, so that’s a difference I’ve experienced but it’s been a fun learning process so far,” Young said.
And just as Young is learning the ropes of the medical marijuana market, she is also looking to educate customers and those interested in the benefits of medical marijuana and CBD.
“We are gonna do some education classes and we’re going to be putting together a patient drive for patients that have not gotten their medical marijuana license,” Young said. “They can come and do that at our dispensary… at least do the application process.”
Young said no date has been set for the patient drive but that it will occur in the near future.
“We’re honored to be a part of the Yukon community and excited for what the future holds,” Young said. “We hope we can provide a wonderful environment for people to find alternatives to other medication.”
