Dispensary Profile: Seattle Greenlight Care Center

James Sloop cares about people. He cares about his patients. It shows. When a patient walks into his Seattle Greenlight Care Center in West Seattle they are entering a facility with a promise: that high-quality, clean medicines are the key to a healthy, happy life.

When James opened his White Center location in October of 2012, it was the culmination of a decade of planning inspired by years of caring about and helping people within the ever-evolving medical marijuana industry.

From the time a patient enters Seattle Greenlight until they leave the facility they are provided with the highest level of care and service. Their medicine grades more like private reserve than top shelf. James is as good as they get in the garden- and anyone in this industry, from the occasional consumer to the serious aficionado, knows that the best quality medicine prevails.

CNM sat down with James Sloop the day after the Nov. 6, 2012 election that saw Barack Obama emerge victorious in his bid for a second term as U.S. President and Washington State “legalize” recreational use of marijuana. James was as upbeat and energetic as always despite an exhausting work schedule.

“I’m just really enthused by the day and what the future offers for the people and the patients who benefit from our help here at Greenlight and others in the industry in this state and the country as a whole,” James proclaimed at the start of our discussion. “Everyone across the map seems to be getting more educated and understanding of the movement toward healthy solutions for life’s ailments and that the natural and truly amazing elements contained within the cannabis plant hold great promise for mankind.”

James then discussed Greenlight’s mission as being able to “provide clean and affordable medicine to all qualifying and authorized patients 7 days a week in a professional, clean and safe environment… I have spent the last four years as a private consultant helping nearly a dozen different care center owners here in Seattle get established. As I did this I made careful observations about what works and what doesn’t. I could see what was best for the patients and the community and that’s what I have put into this facility.”

“My staff is amazing and hand-chosen based upon knowledge, experience, excellent sales, and customer service skills. We have medicine that sets a standard. I engineer and cross-breed my own unique strains that no one else has. Strains like OJ Daddy and OJ Kush as well as my newest genetic flavor Gangster’s Paradise, which is Grapefruit Diesel x Grapestomper x Blue Hawaiian. It is an amazing flower with amazing power.”

When asked about inspiring patient stories, James tells CNM about “Alisa, a patient of ours who has what are termed ‘Suicide Headaches’. These things are like a death sentence. Alisa was told that up to 95% of people who have this condition commit suicide due to the inability to withstand the unbearable pain. She has gone through the entire traditional medical regimen of testing and hardcore painkillers to no avail. A year and a half ago she began to use a medical marijuana treatment protocol and according to her it has singlehandedly saved her life. Before her use of medical marijuana, Alisa was unable to eat for an extended time due to her nausea. Alisa dropped over 130 pounds and was reduced to skin and bones. At that time the medical marijuana regimen she followed began to alleviate her nausea to the point where she could eat again. Her condition has continued to improve. She is finding joy in her life again. What could be more profound than that?”

CNM says go ask Alisa. She will tell you that James Sloop cares about people. And she will give you a laugh and a big smile.

Written by Alberto Terego for issue 5 of Cannabis Now Magazine.