Pontiac, Mich. – Pontiac’s first cannabis shop held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon, officially opening and welcoming the business to downtown.
“To be the first of anything is a great feeling,” said David Parker, co-founder of Kulture 81.
Parker said he and his partners chose Pontiac because the opportunity was great, but also because they wanted to invest in a community that’s working to rebuild.
“A lot of people don’t want to invest in the city of Pontiac, so we just wanted to take that leap of faith,” Parker said. “We want to help revitalize the community, help bring jobs to the city of Pontiac, and help restore the community the best way we can.”
The shop opening comes nearly eight years after the state approved medical marijuana sales in the state and roughly two years after the residents of Pontiac approved a ballot proposal for recreational sales in the city.
So why did it take so long for the city to open its first cannabis shop?
“A lot of residents weren’t that excited about this at the time, a new, uncertain and unusual type of business,” Mayor Mike McGuinness said. “They weren’t quite ready to process what that would be like, what it would mean for neighborhoods. The second angle is that there was a lot of litigation. Different businesses that didn’t make the cut sued the city to overturn or stop the process, and that led to a lot of longer timelines than we would have preferred,” Parker said.
Some residents say they hope the shop will help jump-start Pontiac’s long-discussed downtown comeback.
“I hope this be a place that we can have our downtown be better for all,” said Pontiac resident Oj Manleyel.
Parker said Kulture 81’s owners are eager to partner with neighboring businesses and see themselves as part of a broader effort to grow and revitalize the area.
The shop plans to have a larger grand opening on April 20.