Highest Care dispensary moves, sees record sales on 4/20
Published 3:39 pm Wednesday, April 24, 2024
- From left, Andrew Anders, operations manager, and Scott McCoy, bud-tender, at the new location of The Highest Care. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)
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NATCHEZ — The Highest Care, one of the first medical cannabis dispensaries to open in Natchez, has outgrown its Jeff Davis Boulevard location and moved to a new facility at 2 Seargent S. Prentiss Drive.
“We were outgrowing our location on Jeff Davis Boulevard,” said General Manager Christian Wroten. “We have been renting for a year and are getting busier and busier. Our new location is a perfect fit.”
The Highest Care opened its doors at its new location on Monday, April 15, and by Saturday, the store recorded its busiest day ever.
“Saturday was 4/20, which is essentially a national cannabis holiday. On that day we saw 99 patients, our busiest day,” Wroten said.
More and more doctors in Natchez are writing cannabis prescriptions and are inquiring about medical cannabis, which translates to more patients seeking relief for chronic pain and other medical issues, he said.
“The average age of our patients is 58 years old. Most of them come to us for chronic pain and relief from diabetic neuropathy. We have a number of hospice patients, as well,” Wroten said. “It’s not young people coming here to get pot, which is what some people think. Patients come here for relief from their medical conditions. A lot of doctors are beginning to come on board.”
He said cannabis is available in a variety of forms, but all require a medical marijuana card issued by the state.
“We sell everything from cannabis lotion to smokable cannabis flowers, edibles, cannabis chocolates, cannabis drops … we even have cannabis bath balms,” he said. “Some of our patients have been able to get off prescription pain medications and have narrowed down their prescription medications to just one or two now.”
Wroten’s mother is the owner of the business. She is also the owner broker at River Park Realty, which manages the offices at 131 and 151 Jeff Davis Blvd. for its owner, J.R. Real Property.
Because of the need for additional space for The Highest Care, she purchased the property at 2 Seargent S. Prentiss Drive when she learned it met all of the criteria necessary for a medical dispensary.