Mike is originally from Nashville, but came to Knoxville to attend UT. A recent move in the Tennessee legislature to ban Delta 8, one of the strands available around the state, died when the finance committee looked at the cost of enforcement and the loss of tax revenue. He sees fewer constraints in the future, not more. He said there are seventeen set to open in the next twelve months, including the location on Gay Street. He started the company in 2019 and currently has nine locations, primarily in middle Tennessee (four are in Atlanta). They also restrict business to customers 21 and over, which isn’t required. He said that all managers will have their ABC certification, though that isn’t required. The business has “budtenders” to help customers select the right products for them. “Some have awesome health benefits, some have recreational benefits, some have both.” He said the impact of the chemicals is dependent on usage, likening it to sipping a drink or downing a bottle of alcohol. He said there are new cannabinoids being discovered routinely now that research is growing so rapidly.
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“Through all that trial-and-error, we learned how to make legal, safe, fun, recreational, hemp-derived THC products.” It is legal, hemp-derived THC.” He said the company has worked with universities on “millions of dollars of research.” He said they formulate products for many other companies, as well. Mike said, “We are a vertically integrated cannabis company in Tennessee - and obviously, when we say ‘cannabis,’ we mean hemp-derived products - but we don’t only mean CBD. I met with the group to understand the concept and what we might expect.
The Holistic Connection, a Nashville-based business with numerous franchises, offers “legal handcrafted cannabis and cannabis products.” Owned by Mike Solomon, this first local franchise will be operated and owned by Rekesh Ali, and father and son, Patrick and John Slota. In a surprising development, legal cannabis sales will soon take place on Gay Street.
The Holistic Connection, 716 South Gay Street, Knoxville, May 2022