Cannabis dispensary Mavuno of Ohio, formerly Harvest of Ohio, has split ways with business partner Trulieve Cannabis Corp. The settlement comes ahead of the state’s authorization of recreational marijuana sales later this summer.
Mavuno of Ohio began its business venture as partners with Harvest Health and Recreation, LLC. The Arizona-based, multi-state operator was later bought by Trulieve.
Licensed in 2017 and operational in 2021, Mavuno of Ohio is a family-owned and operated company and one of just a handful of medical marijuana dispensaries in Southeast Ohio. Mavuno, the Swahili word for harvest, yield and provide, is also the first Black and woman-owned cannabis company to achieve vertical integration in the state of Ohio.
Mavuno’s Chief Operating Officer Amonica Davis said the company was able to draw on its employees previous professional experience and knowledge from its past partnerships to support its transition.
“We had already been in the construction and commercial cleaning industries for almost 15 years when we became partners with Harvest Health and Recreation,” Davis said. “We already came with an existing skill set, but just learning from a large corporate organization that had some history and some success in the cannabis lane definitely helped us position for success.”
According to the Mavuno news release, the parties involved agreed upon an amicable separation that will allow each to continue growing. The release said Trulieve would acquire Harvest of Ohio locations in Columbus and Beavercreek which hold licenses as medical cannabis dispensaries.
The Harvest of OH medical dispensary located at 711 W. Union Street in Athens will be transferred to Ariane Kirkpatrick, the company’s chief executive officer, as 100% owner and will be rebranded under the name Mavuno.
In the release, Kirkpatrick said the Harvest of Ohio team will forever be a part of cannabis history having broken barriers and paved the way for a diverse and inclusive workforce and supply chain.
Although the state has not released a recreational sales date, Davis and Kirkpatrick, who are sisters, are focused on educating their clientele and community about proper cannabis use.
“We've started as a medical dispensary, and we're not going to stray away from educating our customers about the sensible, healthy use of cannabis and how it can contribute to your quality of life,” Davis said. “We're always learning, we stay curious, and we are very confident that we will be able to make this transition to a dual use dispensary.”
Beyond cannabis, Mavuno promotes general health and wellness. August, for example, is National Wellness Month. To celebrate, Mavuno is hosting a Summer of Wellness challenge allows participants to focus on a different element of health each week. This week focuses on clean eating.
The dispensary has also focused on educating people on the link between wellness and medical marijuana on issues such as fibromyalgia, brain injury and cancer.
“We're just hoping people keep an open mind and stay curious,” Davis said. “We're going to continue to network and talk to people in the community about the benefits of cannabis use.”
Davis hopes one day people will treat cannabis as they do alcohol and recognize the immense benefits the plant has for humanity. In the meantime, however, Davis says she and her family will continue to grow both the company and cannabis.
