by Kayla Johnson
Oklahoma’s cannabis industry is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Patient numbers are still steadily climbing, and for the most part, businesses are still thriving, with a few shutting their doors along the way. Tulsa and Oklahoma city both have become canna-capitals in their own ways, but even in the smaller cities, like Stillwater, there’s no shortage of dispensaries open for business. One of the newest businesses serving Orange Country high quality green medicine is Stillwater Weed, co-owned by Herb Suehring and Gayla Hudson.
Hudson, a native of Oklahoma and proud member of the Potawatomi Nation, says that Stillwater Weed opened its doors on September 7th of this year, and the response has been a welcome one,“We’ve had a great response from the Stillwater community. I’m so very excited to be a part of the cannabis industry, and I’m proud to be bringing pure, native sungrown product to our community.” Hudson’s co-owner, Suehring, runs a greenhouse with his daughter and son-in law, and Hudson says that business inspired their current venture. “We decided we should open a dispensary to provide red dirt, sungrown medical cannabis to community members. We own the Leafy Sol Dispensary, in Shawnee as well.”
Despite never being raised to be inherently against cannabis, Hudson says she never really realized the potential,” I never realized the medical benefits of the plant until a few years ago, when Charlotte’s Web helped a child stop almost all of her seizures.” Hudsons says that’s when they became interested and began to research products that could potentially help themselves, or their friends and family. When Oklahoma voted medical cannabis into law last year, she says they began to make plans to get their licenses. “In the last year, we’ve been able to put our plans into reality, and many people we know and love have been given a better, more pain-free life because of medical cannabis.”
Stillwater Weed is like many dispensaries, in that the owners take great pride and great joy in what they do. Hudson commented that her favorite part has been, by far, helping people. “It is a blessing to see people having a better, happier life with the assistance of our products.” Those people have even taken her a bit by surprise,” These are truly wonderful people who are looking for a healthier life, and I was surprised that the majority of our patients are senior citizens, like me. “ Beyond the passion for patients there’s also a deep love for cannabis at Stillwater Weed, and providing the very best possible is the ultimate goa, according to Hudson, “I want to provide the highest quality products to make a difference for each person who comes in through our door, and providing beautiful, sunkissed flowers with rich aroma is a big part of that.”
In addition to providing quality products, Hudson says it’s just as important to help share information about cannabis itself, “I think there’s still a great deal of education that needs to be available about the benefits of medical cannabis, and it’s important to provide information for all those seeking relief.”