Marijuana Business Magazine - Issue 09, Oct 2017

specific medical treatment plans, Macias emerged from a pile of applicants as one of the license winners. Real Estate Rescue In a city full of embassies and consu- lates, Macias is also a skilled diplomat. She complements her scientific and business know-how with an ability to connect with patients and colleagues. It’s a skill that also rescued her from losing her license – before she had even opened her dispensary’s doors. Before winning her license, Macias had leased a spacious, no-nonsense office space in the basement of a three- floor commercial building in 2013 and informed the landlord that she was hoping to open a medical marijuana dispensary if she won a license.The landlord said fine, according to Macias. But when she won her license in Octo- ber 2014 and it became known to the neighboring business owners, they told the landlord to cancel the lease or they would move out. Macias started scouting out a new loca- tion.The hunt was interrupted when one of her former Howard professors offered her a temporary post with the National Institutes of Health in Ethiopia, where she trained students and investigated infectious diseases such as malaria. That work was interrupted, however, when District regulators told Macias 62 • Marijuana Business Magazine • October 2017 Founder and Owner: Chanda Macias Founded: 2014 Location: Washington DC Business Status: For-profit medical marijuana dispensary Patient Count: 1,600 as of August 2017 Annual Revenues: $4.5 million Employees: 10 Ancillary Consulting Business: National Holistic Name: National Holistic Healing Center