JUST STEPS FROM THE STRIP, Oasis Medical Cannabis in Las Vegas is a sleek wink to a downtown art gallery.
Also offering yoga, meditation, and wellness classes, the business has emerged as the imaginative gemstone of Las Vegas dispensaries.
In one of cannabis’s hottest retail markets, Las Vegas’s dispensaries are innovative, design-rich, and offer reciprocity (i,e, accept medical marijuana recommendations from out-of-state doctors). One has an Apple Store feel, another an old-school cigar lounge vibe, and a few display ultra-lounge aesthetics. Oasis incorporates an art gallery. Located just minutes from the Strip, with lush brushed wood flooring, pods of palm fronds here and there, soft “greige” hues, curved walls, and a smattering of bespoke glass containers that showcase flower, Oasis has emerged as one of Sin City’s foremost dispensaries.
“We also have a community center next door called Community Oasis,” said Ben Sillitoe, co-founder and chief executive officer for Oasis. “It hosts a local artists exhibit, educational seminars, yoga, meditation, and other health and wellness classes. The events are almost always free. We want to help improve the quality of life within the community, and we see this as a unique way of doing that.”
In 2016, Oasis will open a production facility to create extracts, edibles, and other infused products to be sold in its own establishment and other dispensaries in Nevada.
IDEA
“The initial dream we had was to create a beautiful place where patients would feel comfortable,” noted Sillitoe. “We also wanted to support cannabis research by donating a percentage of our profits to the cause. That sentiment evolved into one of our core values: spreading knowledge. We believe in educating patients and the general public about advancements in the science behind medical cannabis.”
ARCHITECT
Monica Gresser, BRAZENarchitecture.
DESIGN
“Although the design is very aesthetically pleasing with the curved walls, high ceilings and soft colors, functionality has always been the main priority,” said Sillitoe. “The entire place was designed with the goal to get patients in and out as quickly as possible or to allow them to spend as much time as they’d like.”
EMPLOYEES
Twenty-five.
BUDTENDER REQUIREMENTS
“People who aspire to be part of our team must be knowledgeable about cannabis and be able to relate to a wide variety of patients,” said Sillitoe.
BEST SELLERS
“Our best-selling flower currently comes from Deep Roots Harvest. Our most popular edibles come from Evergreen Organix,” said Sillitoe.
AN ARCHITECT AND AN ADVOCATE
The owner and principal architect at Brazen Architecture, which designed Oasis, Monica Gresser has become a mover-and-shaker in the desert: She has carved out a singular niche as an architect and an advocate for both medical marijuana and homelessness. While growing up in Texas, her dream was simple: to build spaceships. That didn’t work out, but building medical marijuana dispensaries has been just as rewarding. “My mom died of cancer,” said Gresser. “I really wish medical marijuana had been available to her. She wouldn’t even try it, because it was illegal where she lived.”
BRAZENarchitecture also works with nonprofits, municipalities, and commercial groups to create bold, sustainable ideas through design and architecture. The firm provides an array of architectural services ranging from concept and planning through construction administrative services.
For more information: BrazenArchitecture.com
