The San Diego cannabis dispensary denies its marketing goals for minors

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SAN DIEGO – Cannabis pharmacy chain Cookies says their marketing efforts and company name have been misunderstood and skewed by local officials who criticized the company, saying it was targeting teenagers.

The chain, which has stores in La Mesa and Mission Valley, received approval in June to open a third location in the Sorrento Valley.

Prior to that approval, the San Diego Planning Commission and Torrey Pines Community Planning Group said that Cookies appeal to underage customers with its name and Sesame Street-style graphics reminiscent of the Cookie Monster’s character.

A company official said in an interview last week that the chain absolutely does not target minors and stated that the Cookies name doesn’t focus on actual cookies, but rather on matching customers with the right strain of cannabis for them.

Similar to biscuits, which come in many varieties, according to company officials, cannabis comes in many different varieties and users need to find the variety that affects their bodies exactly the way they want.

“The Cookies name has a long history,” said Crystal Millican, vice president of retail for the 13-year-old chain based in Northern California. “The entire experience was tailored to the customer. We try to pair them with a budtender as often as possible. “

Local critics argue that the name, font of the lettering, and the light blue coloring of cookies are all attempts to market to children.

“I hate the name,” said Planning Commissioner James Whalen, who voted to approve the new pharmacy. “I find it insincere to say that it is not attractive to young people.”

Millican said the company, which operates 40 pharmacies in multiple states, said it was virtually impossible to sell to minors if California requires full-time security guards to verify customer identities at all pharmacies.

The minimum age to purchase recreational marijuana in California is 21 years. The minimum age for medical marijuana requiring a medical prescription is 18 in this state.

Millican said the company uses a light blue hue in its graphics and signage because that color has the same calming effect on people as cannabis.

“We only market to our customers and patients,” she said. “We are hearing the concerns, of course, and will work to win every neighborhood association.”

Millican said Cookies is a model company in many ways, including its commitment to restorative justice and progressive drug policies.

The company is launching Cookies University in Humboldt County next year to prepare people for careers in the cannabis industry. The program will recruit people who face obstacles in entering the industry and those who have been harmed by enforcing previous laws against cannabis, she said.

That fits in with a recent proposal by San Diego officials to create a cannabis equity program in the city. This program would use a portion of the cannabis tax revenue to bring low-income and minority people into the thriving, legal industry.

Cookies was founded in 2008 by Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr. and Jai “Jigga” Chang. Milam, who is also a rapper from the Bay Area, goes by the name Berner.

When San Diego officials initially objected to the name Cookies, the company offered to use a large C logo with a plus sign instead. But the San Diego Cannabis Regulation bans logos on the outside of stores and only allows letters.

The Planning Commission voted 5-1 in June to approve the new Cookies pharmacy in the Sorrento Valley, despite concerns expressed by its members. Commissioners said their decisions should be based on zone compatibility – not subjective opinions about a company’s name.

The first pharmacy in the city for cookies is located on Mission Center Court, a dead end street with little traffic on Mission Center Road.

Commissioner Whalen said he was frustrated that the city gave this pharmacy final approval under a different name in 2017, noting that the name was later changed to cookies.

Another cookie is open in La Mesa. Millican said with a third opening soon, the company is unlikely to open any more pharmacies in San Diego anytime soon.

“We don’t want to over-sate San Diego County,” she said.

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