PETAL, Miss. (WHLT) – Petal’s first medical marijuana dispensary, Tortuga Cannabis Company, is seeing success despite opening just three weeks ago.
The business is located on U.S. 11 in Petal. Mick Baldwin, a co-owner, said Petal and nearby residents have been supportive of the medical marijuana dispensary.
“It’s been outstanding. The community has been very welcoming. And our customer turnout, our customer base is building. Everybody is just glad that we’re here,” he said.
Baldwin is no stranger to the medical cannabis industry. He owned a dispensary in Oklahoma before opening Tortuga in Petal.
“It’s a growing community with the proximity to Hattiesburg. We just think that this is going to be a very developing area in the future,” he stated.
Tortuga carries a wide range of products, including cannabis flowers, live resin and edibles. Baldwin said the products have life-saving benefits.
“I’m talking about people getting off of opioids, people getting off of the anxiety meds. I actually know of two personal accounts where a product called RSO reduced tumors in people to where they were not they didn’t need surgery anymore,” he stated.
Vickie Draughon experienced the benefits of medical cannabis firsthand. Injuries from a car crash left her dependent on several medications until she began using medical marijuana.
“With the medical cannabis, I’ve been able to drop four prescriptions since I’ve been on it. One for anxiety, one for my stomach, and two for my mood. I’ve been doing so much better,” she said.
Draughon now works at Tortuga and said she’s able to understand patients’ needs.
“I can tell them my story, and they can tell me what it is they’re looking for. Because chances are, I’ve had the same symptom,” she said.
The dispensary is now working on a legal cannabis growing operation. The owners said they hope to expand to at least five locations throughout Mississippi.