The Natural Apothecary on Washington Avenue in Belleville officially opened on Saturday morning in time to celebrate 4/20.
The female- and minority-owned dispensary hopes to change the stigma around cannabis in the community.
“We want to make sure that people understand that cannabis isn’t just something that is recreational,” said general manager Natalia Garcia. “To us, every single person that walks in is a patient in a sense because people, as they get older, they don’t just use cannabis recreationally. They use it to treat ailments, whether it’s sleeping, hunger, migraines, anxiety or many different things.”
The dispensary offered special discounts and giveaways to those who came out.