No need for imagination.
Recently, a pizzeria by the name of Mega iLL’s opened in Vancouver, Canada. Mark Klokeid, bone marrow cancer survivor and co-owner of the restaurant, believes that his ability to recover from a tough cancer was due in large part to medical marijuana.
Klokeid is now providing safe haven for cannabis users with a medical card to medicate at ease. His inspiration to serve marijuana in Mega iLL’s pizza oil came during a trip to Cambodia, where he was fascinated by pizzas decorated in cannabis.
Mega iLL’s has since sparked discussion throughout the nation regarding the United States’ current marijuana policy.
The Guilford College student body is no exception.
First-year Larry Nichols referred to Klokeid’s implementation of marijuana as an intelligent business strategy.
“It’s a great idea on the owner’s part,” said Nichols. “Having a cannabis pizzeria increases the growth of the marijuana community. If it’s going to grow as an industry, why not make money off of it?”
“Mega iLL’s is pandering to a new demographic,” said junior Chandler Zirkle. “There is high demand for such a product with limited legal supply. I think this is a great business strategy.”
As of now, 28 states have decriminalized non-medical marijuana, and two have legalized recreational use since 2012.
When asked whether marijuana should be legalized in the U.S., sophomore Jeremiah Long said, “I don’t think there are any serious problems with marijuana. There could be serious issues with using it each consecutive hour in the day like eating candy.”
However, according to Alvin Bronstein, director of Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, one problem associated with marijuana use involves children in middle and high school.
“The RMPDC reports a significant rise in the number of parents calling the poison control hotline to report that their kids have consumed marijuana,” said Bronstein to USA Today. “While the numbers are small — about 70 cases last year — they have been rising consistently since marijuana became more available in Colorado in about 2009.”
As a consequence of edibles like Mega iLL’s Pizza, children are becoming more prone to both accidental and deliberate ingestion of cannabis. Many argue that this will continue to be an issue with the rise of businesses similar to Mega iLL’s in the Northwest.
In this regard, Klokeid’s novel business strategy could project the image of cannabis in a light direction by associating it with pizza, the face of fast-casual eating. The fundamental concern, however, remains: How to keep edibles out of the reach of children under the legal age.
