Harvest of OH Social Equity Advisory Council to Help Address Social Equity for Medical Marijuana Patients, Educate and Engage Communities

Social equity survey to gather information regarding access and disparities in the cannabis industry via patient experience and inform community engagement

CLEVELAND, Aug. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey designed to gather information about patient experience, access to medical marijuana, and perceptions of disparities in the cannabis industry will launch at Harvest of Ohio locations on August 28, 2023. The Harvest of OH companies will use the data from the survey to help shape community outreach and shape initiatives that will increase social equity through the cannabis industry.

"The Harvest of OH companies, including three dispensaries, a cultivation facility and a processing facility, have been pushing boundaries and making history since our founding," said Ariane Kirkpatrick, CEO, founder, and majority owner. "We're the only Black and woman owned vertically integrated cannabis company in the state of Ohio. We are committed to addressing the social inequities in the cannabis industry, including patient access, education, and community engagement."

The survey will focus on four variables: the ease with which individuals can access medical marijuana, affordability of medical marijuana, the availability of different types of medical marijuana products and whether they meet individual needs, and the extent to which individuals experience discrimination or stigma related to their use of medical marijuana.

"The information we receive from the survey will help us better understand the challenges our clients may face when it comes to being able to access medical marijuana," said Kirkpatrick. "And it will help inform our outreach to the community. We are committed to building strong relationships with the communities we serve."

The Harvest of OH companies, which have done community toy drives for the holidays in the past, will host a food drive at all three of their dispensary locations for the month of September.  Additionally, in 2024, Harvest of OH will launch a series of monthly educational town hall style meetings on the following topics:

• How to become a patient/obtain a medical marijuana license;
• How to become a caregiver for a loved one;
• Hear from doctors on the benefits of medical cannabis;
• Testimonials from patients on how they have benefited from cannabis; and,
• In addition to hearing about Ohio's qualifying conditions.

SOURCE Harvest of OH