Michiana's first medical marijuana shop 'Zen Leaf' ready to open Saturday

BUCHANAN, Mich. --- Michiana’s first pot shop is opening up for business this weekend.

Zen Leaf is the name of the medical marijuana provisioning center. On Saturday, they’re opening up their doors to all. It will be the only chance for those without a medical marijuana card to tour inside the facility.

The closest provisioning centers to our area before this one are in Bangor or Portage Michigan.

“A provisioning center is also known as a dispensary,” Billy Breen, the owner and manager at Zen Leaf, explained. “In the state of Michigan it’s called a provisioning center.”

The provisioning center is breaking the ‘grass’ ceiling in Buchanan.

“What we do here is we provide high grade, top of the line, pure, laboratory tested medicine in the form of cannabis,” Breen said.

As the first of its kind in Michiana, the guys at Zen Leaf decided a tour would be the best way to both engage and educate the community on the products they’ll be providing.

“A lot of folks haven’t had the opportunity to see inside of a provisioning center,” Breen said. “So we thought tours would be a great way to introduce them to the cannabis industry. Being a new industry not just in the state but in the country a lot of people are just curious to how this works.”

Heather Lloyd is one of those curious people.

“I just want to see it!” Lloyd said. “I know they’re popping up all over but I haven’t physically went into one yet.”

She’s one of many planning on being at the grand opening Saturday and there she’s just hoping to learn more about cannabis.

“We have several bars in town and nobody bats an eye so I think it’s going to be just fine,” Lloyd said.

If you’re thinking of stopping by the grand opening Saturday, Zen Leaf will be open to all from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 259 E. Front Street in downtown Buchanan.

What to expect at the Saturday May 18 grand opening:

• Facility Tours – your only chance to see inside without being a registered patient

• Cannabis patient registration, benefits of cannabis and cannabis product education booths

• Free snacks

• Giveaways for all who attend

• Photo backdrop for selfies

• Musical entertainment