SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — David and Melanie Turner are longtime South Lake Tahoe locals and are excited to open the doors of their medical cannabis dispensary, Tahoe Green.

Located next to Naked Fish off Pioneer Trail, Tahoe Green’s soft opening was Thursday.

David Turner spent years as a sales representative and became VP of sales for pharmaceutical companies before his journey with cannabis. He was inspired by different cannabis studies that have been conducted around the world such as those from out of Israel. By opening a cannabis store with his family, he can continue his interest in wellness while being able to spend more time at home.

Melanie received a law degree from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is excited to introduce education of cannabis to the community whether it be educating people on its beneficial medicinal properties or on rules such as keeping it out of the hands of kids. Also, several of the cannabis brands that they use hold different educational seminars. Melanie also sees seniors in the community who are very interested in learning about cannabis and wants to help them learn more about it.

With a combined passion for the medical wellness aspect of cannabis and education, the couple decided to get on board with medical cannabis as the South Shore allowed it.

The Turners have had the lease on the building for two years while they jumped through all the hurdles that come with opening a cannabis store such as scoring rubric, corporate cannabis and creating the perfect design for their new shop.

The crew at Tahoe Green are very close-knit and family-oriented. The Turners’ mothers will also be receptionists at the front desk.

Not only are the owners of Tahoe Green committed to their family, but they are also invested and committed to the community. While the Turners are used to volunteering, the Tahoe Green team is dedicated to completing at least 500 hours of community service while paying their employees to do so. Tahoe Green also plans to donate $25,000 to the Barton Fund and The Boys and Girls Club.

While opening a new business during the pandemic is not easy, they say they have been able to adjust their vision for the shop. The Turners designed the store to follow all safe social-distancing protocols. Each of their eight cannabis consultant counters are separated by 6-feet and their lobby is big enough to stay distanced even when there is a big snow storm outside. Tahoe Green is over 4,000 square feet that allows for plenty of space to be socially distant from others.

Each of the consultant counters have ipad’s that bring up a full digital menu for customers.

Tahoe Green invested in advanced technology to ease customer experience and to efficiently get people their products. They also take security and rule compliance seriously which they have both practiced in their careers prior to working in the cannabis industry. Tahoe Green uses a biometric finger-print security system for products and will also have three security guards on site.

The cannabis consultants at Tahoe Green are thoroughly trained on service and certified through SellSafe Cannabis Staff Training.

Tahoe Green offers a variety of brands and products, including cannabis wine and beer. They also have a merchandise section in the store. Some of the brands they carry are Kiva, Lowell, Farmer and the Fellon, Mary’s Medicinals, Dosist, House of Saka, Ganja Gold along with other boutique brands and larger brands. They plan to have delivery available down the road and online orders through their website.

“We care about the community, it’s what is important,” said the Turners. “We aren’t going anywhere.”