The WellFlower marijuana store's grand opening to feature former Pistons star John Salley

Employees at The WellFlower are busy this week stocking shelves with cannabis products and getting ready for a grand opening Saturday that will feature an appearance by retired Detroit Pistons "Bad Boy" John Salley.

The recreational marijuana store is the third and final approved by Northfield Township officials to open in the community near Whitmore Lake, off U.S. 23.

Cousins Trent McCurren and Dr. Rob McCurren expanded their business, The WellFlower, to southeast Michigan from Manistee. The McCurrens and their partners invested more than $2 million to convert a former roadhouse at 50 E. North Territorial Road, west of U.S. 23 near Whitmore Lake, into a recreational marijuana shop.

Trent McCurren told Livingston Daily their focus is promoting wellness and the beneficial effects of cannabis products to customers.

While it is a recreational marijuana store, he said their approach is "medically-grounded."

Rob McCurren is an emergency medicine physician, who worked for several Michigan hospitals.

In addition to dispensaries in Manistee and Ypsilanti, they also produce two brands of "craft cannabis" products themselves from one of their grow and processing facilities in Bangor. They also operate a grow in Harrison Township.

The WellFlower will carry smokable marijuana products from their Scout Cannabis Co. line and also sell outdoor gear such as tents and hiking backpacks featuring the logo. They will carry All Good Cannabis Co. gummies they produce.

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Trent McCurren said they will sell other brands, favoring independently-owned vendors.

"With our third party (vendors) we try to be intentional with who we work with, for quality, but also we try to go with family businesses and independent operations, which I think is better quality," he said. "Also it's a much more direct connection to the people behind them."

The cousins will carry a mix of flower, concentrates, gummies, and other types of edibles and products. Some contain THC, and others feature CBDs and other cannabinoids. The store will offer in-store shopping and curbside pickup. It may add delivery services in the future.

"Flower is about half the market," Trent McCurren said, adding that marijuana vape cartridges containing concentrates are also highly popular with his customers. He estimates cartridge sales amount to as much as 20% of his business.

The store takes up only part of the building, which also features a lower level that might either be rented out to another business or used as additional office space for The WellFlower.

Grand opening Saturday will feature former Detroit Piston

The WellFlower is set to open its Northfield Township location at 11 a.m. Saturday. Salley is to be on site to sign autographs and discuss cannabis with guests 4-7 p.m.

The Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce will start the celebration with a 4-6 p.m. ribbon cutting-ceremony on Friday, the eve of Salley's scheduled visit.

Beyond being a retired basketball star, TV show and actor, Salley founded Los Angeles-based cannabis brand Deuces 22 with his daughter Tyla Salley. He played for the Pistons from 1986-1992 alongside basketball legends that include Dennis Rodman, Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and Joe Dumars during the team's "Bad Boys" era, before going on to play for other NBA teams.

“John is dedicated to educating people about cannabis as part of a healthy lifestyle which aligns with values of The WellFlower brand,” McCurren said.

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The grand opening will also feature some of the store's cannabis vendors and "cannabis-centric" art vendors. They will set up from noon to 6 p.m. Snacks and music are planned.

Marijuana businesses spreading in the area

Area voters have been convincing their elected officials to allow marijuana businesses.

In 2019, voters in Northfield Township rejected a proposal that would have banned marijuana businesses.

Planted Provisioning was the first marijuana dispensary to open in Northfield Township. The recreational and medical dispensary is located in a longtime vacant property that owners renovated at 9545 Main St. in downtown Whitmore Lake.

Quest Cannabis, a recreational and medical dispensary, opened at 8475 Main St. in the former Bobber Down Bar & Grill, where they also opened a new liquor and convenience store, Quest Spirits.

Quest Cannabis owners are also developing 127 acres near the interchange of U.S. 23 and North Territorial Road into an industrial business park. A 30,000-square-foot marijuana grow and processing facility is under construction. They plan to expand by another 30,000 square feet in the future.

Pinckney was the first municipality in Livingston County to allow marijuana businesses after village voters approved creating a local ordinance. Its first retail, grow and processing facility, The Means Project, is under construction at the former Pinckney Elementary school on M-36 west of the village center. Profits from the cannabis company will fund Grant's Place, a future group home for adults with disabilities in Pinckney.

No other cities or townships in the county currently allow marijuana businesses, but the question will be on the Nov. 8 ballot for voters who live in the city of Brighton.

Monday night, Brighton City Council approved ballot language asking voters to decide whether to allow at least two marijuana stores in the city. City officials are heeding a Livingston County judge's demand to certify a proposal initiated by ballot question committee Say Yes to Brighton. The committee sued the city for rejecting signed ballot petitions earlier this month.

McCurren weighed in on what he thinks about special interest groups that push for ballot initiatives.

"I think the ballot initiatives can be good if citizens voted to legalize cannabis, but city officials aren't moving forward, and I think city officials need to follow the will of the voters," he said. "But the downside is (cities and townships) lose control. The municipality (Northfield Township) crafted our ordinance, which I think is best, because whoever is writing a ballot initiative is writing it in their favor."

He said The WellFlower already has secured two medical marijuana business permits in Pontiac. But the cousins do not have any plans to open medical marijuana stores in Pontiac, because they are waiting to see if recreational marijuana will be allowed there in the future.

"We don't want to just do medical. It's slowly shrinking, and I don't think we could survived on just medical," he said.

Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: The WellFlower marijuana store's grand opening to feature former Pistons star