Magnolia Greens is a Mississippi-based medical marijuana dispensary, owned and operated by Dr. Dennis Sanders, and his wife Isluv, a registered nurse. The company started as a dream for the two medical professionals, that came to fruition on January 30th, 2023, after years of planning, hard work, faith, and perseverance.
The owners use their medical knowledge to help patients with an array of ailments. There’s a consistent goal of helping people understand all the ways cannabis can be used for medicinal purposes. It’s an eye-opening experience for patients; especially ones that have never tried medical cannabis before their visit.
“There are so many people suffering, and they don’t have to,” Dr. Sanders said. “We work to educate our patients about the ways they can benefit from the products we offer. We want them to understand the best ways they can use cannabis to treat their respective conditions.”
New patients are being added to the roster of cardholders each month, as word spreads about the medical breakthrough, only recently legalized in the Magnolia State.
This couple’s journey started several years ago, with the creation of Sanders Farm, a USDA-licensed hemp grow operation.
“We spent countless hours taking classes and attending conventions to better understand the plant and how it is properly grown, but there is no teacher, like experience,” Sanders said.
Their studies would later lead them on a path to share what they learned. All with the hopes of changing lives for the better. For Dr. Sanders, it’s a unique way to practice medicine, while still holding true to the foundational mission of healing those he encounters.
“The knowledge base accumulated at Sanders Farms became the foundation of everything that Magnolia Greens stands for now,” Sander said.
As a proud graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Dr. Sanders works closely with his wife, Isluv. No stranger to the medical field, Mrs. Sanders brings her own level of expertise to the table. Isluv is a Registered Nurse who graduated from Alcorn State University.
This medical duo believes the priority of Magnolia Greens is equipping patients with knowledge about this all-natural medical wonder, and how it can transform their lives.
“We couldn’t do that without learning those things for ourselves so we can point our patients in the right direction, regardless of their condition,” Dr. Sanders said. “We work together as a team with each patient to get a baseline understanding of their goals, understanding of product type (purpose, efficiency, time of day usage), and a detailed understanding of what their medical history consists of.”
When treating any given patient, the team covers any other topic that is connected to either cannabis or their health.
“Having a working knowledge of cannabis and medicine allows us to be the perfect bridge for patients unsure about how everything works together,” Sanders said.
Though proud of their success so far, the road to success has not been an easy one for this company. There have been numerous obstacles, setbacks, and trials to overcome along the way.
It’s no easy task to start a new business in general. When you add to that, launching a program in an unabashedly conservative state, coupled with decades of bias is even tougher.
Misinformation along with regulatory pitfalls made it an uphill battle for Magnolia Greens and similar companies in Mississippi to get off the ground.
In fact, the medical marijuana program in Mississippi was pushed back a year, due to technicality.
A lot can happen in that amount of time, and while waiting on the changes that would ultimately form the current medical cannabis program, the company was regularly tested on its tenacity and willingness to carry out its unique dream.
Dr. Sanders says through faith, perseverance and friends that he and his wife met along the way, they were able to turn those stumbling blocks into stepping stones and follow through on their passion project.
These challenges were not felt purely on the business side, patients also had their own set of challenges to contend with.
Many found it hard to find useful information. There’s widespread uncertainty about how to get into the program, how to find doctors who certify patients for cards, and even dispensary locations.
Though given the green light, the state program came with an intense set of stringent rules for business but moreover, some patients expressed fear of having certain rights violated or taken away for joining the program.
Patients are now given one-on-one updates on new laws and regulations so they can treat themselves without fear, and without stigma.
“We use our knowledge to help the people of Mississippi obtain medical cards,” Dr Sanders said. He added, “We will even assist potential patients with filling out their applications if they’re having trouble navigating through the process. We just want to walk them through any and every issue they may have. We are here as a guide to help them figure those things out and to give them the facts.”
One big issue that many of the patients faced was the effect the program would have on gun rights. The short answer is there were no effects due to protections put in the bill to ensure gun rights wouldn’t be violated. Misinformation is a constant fight in a new program like this.
The Veteran community was a large portion of the Mississippi population that shared the fear that the program would facilitate taking their guns away. “For that population, we used our platform to not only explain to Vets what their rights were, but we also expounded on the viewpoint from the VA’s perspective, and the wonders of cannabis. We also partnered with the Mississippi Veteran Cannabis Support Program to give them free access to certifying practitioners, thus allowing their entrance into the program for free.”
Within that program, Magnolia Greens provided discounts and free products for Vets under financial hardship. Unfortunately, this program did not get the support it needed to survive but in the spirit of that program, the company still offers discounts to all veterans as a thank-you for their service.
A challenge that affects businesses and patients alike is limited advertising. The restrictions that are in place not only hurt businesses but also negatively impact patients.
There is a staggering number of people who don’t know what resources they have to help navigate this new market. Patients only know about dispensaries and products due to word of mouth. It’s a frustrating reality, as no other medicine is scrutinized this way. What works for one person may not do a thing for the next. This is due to our endocannabinoid system (ECS), an interconnected pathway that is unique to each person.
Understanding how this pathway works is how we best help our patients here at Magnolia Greens. However, if patients don’t understand the resources that they have they cannot utilize them.
As the patient count increases in Mississippi, the program grows, and Magnolia Greens is excited about the future of this program. The company’s creators say they are looking forward to seeing how it will reshape the medical landscape in Mississippi for the better.
This new industry has led to new opportunities for the state and its population. Magnolia Greens partnered with the Mississippi Independent Cannabis Association (MICA) in hopes of focusing our efforts on the people of Mississippi as a whole and helping enact changes to the program.
Many qualifying conditions allow patients to participate in this program, and the Mississippi Department of Health has a full list on its website.
Currently, most patients are qualified by a chronic pain diagnosis, but many other conditions cause patients to turn to Medical Cannabis as an alternative medicine.
“We have helped patients ranging from 21 to 80 years old, but our biggest population groups are people in their mid-40’s and early 60’s.”
Some conditions affect younger and pediatric patients, but the company has not had the pleasure of serving them just yet. The most common condition in children that can be treated using cannabis is epilepsy, but autism management is increasing among the pediatric population.
There’s an endless world of possibilities when it comes to the treatment and use of medical marijuana. While it will likely take some time to change minds, and dismantle misconceptions, the team at Magnolia Greens is up for the challenge.
