The+Source
• Address: 2550 S. Rainbow Blvd., Las Vegas
• Phone: 702-708-2000
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: thesourcenv.com
• Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
• Owned/operated by: Andrew Jolley, Steve Byrne, Pat Byrne and Liesl Sicz
• In business since: Dec. 10, 2015
Describe your business.
The+Source is a vertically integrated medical marijuana company. We have a dispensary plus cultivation and production facilities, with a second dispensary scheduled to open in April. Our director of medical education, Dr. William Troutt, offers monthly patient orientations that are free and open to patients, prospective patients, health care professionals and anyone else interested.
What is your business philosophy?
Our mission is to provide a safe, clean, comfortable, respectful and compassionate environment, where our patients can easily and affordably obtain wellness products and services.
Did you face any challenges opening your business?
I think everyone involved in this emerging industry underestimated the challenges involved, including licensing, construction, regulatory requirements, banking and general operations. This is a brand-new program operating in a new industry, and we are working out a lot of kinks.
Nevada has actually been a pioneer in medical marijuana. Voters overwhelmingly passed the legalization of medical use in 2000. However, patients were forced to grow in their own homes until now. All of the legislators, elected officials, regulators and the community in general have been supportive of the medical marijuana program, and have worked hard to ensure patients are protected and that the program runs smoothly.
As an industry, we are facing challenges transitioning from a “grow at home” system to the highly regulated dispensary system. Now that about a dozen dispensaries have opened in the state, the two biggest issues are the difficulty of obtaining a patient card and illegal delivery services. The process to obtain a patient card takes over two months and involves five trips to the mailbox, at least one trip to your doctor, and a trip to the DMV. That system is broken and must be fixed. The second problem is illegal delivery services, many of which are out in the open. These companies do not sell tested medicines, are not licensed and do not belong in our community.
What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas?
Seeing our patients hug our employees on the way out of the dispensary. Some of these patients have waited for years for the ability to safely treat their medical conditions with natural cannabis medicines. We recently had a patient replace four narcotic prescriptions with cannabis over the course of a few weeks. Sharing these experiences with our patients has been incredibly rewarding.
How can Nevada improve its business climate?
By not over-regulating. All regulatory costs ultimately filter down to the consumer. Patients deserve affordable medicines, and I’m worried that the demands are so high that pricing may end up forcing some patients to the black market.