On Thursday, May 5th, a medical marijuana dispensary located in Dover, New Hampshire opened its doors to the public. On Crosby Road, forty customers greeted the new cultivation center upon its opening. The dispensary was introduced to the Greater Manchester area by a local treatment center called Temescal Wellness, whose main purpose is to supply the highest quality of cannabis products to certified New Hampshire patients. Temescal Wellness staff are working hard to provide effective treatment plans to not only those patients with serious health conditions such as multiple sclerosis or epilepsy, but also those who are struggling with opioid addiction.
This is a step in the right direction for New Hampshire as it battles with the growing opioid crisis. The Granite State saw 334 fatal opioid overdoses over the course of 2014, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That number skyrocketed to an all-time high in 2015, when the state set a record of 433 opioid cases in total. As this situation continues into 2016, New Hampshire is desperately searching for a solution. With one brand new facility and another being built, Temescal Wellness is determined to take part in the fight against opioid abuse and addiction.
The organically-grown cannabis is produced right in Temescal’s headquarters, which is located in Manchester, New Hampshire. From seed all the way to full-grown plant, cannabis is being planted in the Manchester facility, which provides the Dover branch with its products. Once dried, packaged, and ready for distribution, the medicinal marijuana is transported directly to the new treatment center. “With our elaborately-crafted sprinklers, sanitary conditions, and adjusted lighting, our plants can grow in a mere four months,” explained Temescal Wellness’s executive director, Anthony Parrinello. These conditions will help the business grow and the patients receive quality cannabis.
The facility houses thirty distinct strains of the plant in order to offer something for every patient, Parrinello said. To aid those grappling with opioid addiction, Temescal is also carrying several strains with a high level of Cannabidiol (CBD). “A high-CBD strain is very good at countering opioid use,” he added. Recent studies have shown that cannabis strains high in CBD have led to decreases in both stress and compulsive behaviors, according to the National Institutes of Health. With these strains, the Temescal Wellness staff hopes that many patients will be able to find relief from addictive tendencies.
Temescal Wellness allows patients to visit their Manchester facility and view the plants as go through the growth process. It provides the city with an interesting attraction, but in order for the cultivation center to maintain its high standard of cleanliness, all workers and patrons are required to have safety clothing and a hairnet. This is to prevent any plants from becoming contaminated with any infections or diseases. Contamination could potentially harm patients who come in contact with or buy from the infected plants. Such an interference might also provoke an entire crop to be ruined, Parrinello said. Although it would mean losing money, the main concern Parrinello has for a situation like this does not lie in the financial loss; his goal for the business is to keep a steady flow of products for the patients who rely on this alternative treatment. Anything less would “not be fair to them,” he said.
Due to the success Temescal Wellness is seeing with their own cannabis, they will also be distributing to a dispensary in Lebanon that has yet to open. The Dover center is New Hampshire’s third dispensary, and the new location is due to open within the next couple of weeks.
