BizBeat: Shrangi-La Dispensary nears opening

Jefferson City’s second medical marijuana dispensary is about to open.

Shangri-La Dispensary at 2118 Missouri Blvd. has an exterior that looks ready to attract customers, but it is expected to be a few more days before the doors are officially opened. Nevil Patel, CEO of Shangri-La Dispensaries, which also has two locations in Colombia, said there was still a piece left to finalize that he hopes to be ready to open early next week.

Patel is not new to running a business and he is not new to Jefferson City. His parents once owned a gas station on Fairgrounds Road, which Patel helped out while attending Lincoln University. His wife, co-owner of Shangri-La Dispensaries, is from Jefferson City and graduated from Jefferson City High School. She’s also a doctor, Patel said, which is why they’re really trying to keep the business focus on medical care.

“We’re really medical,” said Patel, saying the company had a “cannabis nurse” whom he described as “extremely knowledgeable” and willing to help patients research the medical benefits of marijuana.

In addition to the reception staff, the company also has pharmacists for patients who, according to Patel, have undergone an intensive training process that is above government requirements. Patel said these first employees had already been hired and trained, but expected to have another round of hiring in about 15 to 30 days.

Given the stigma of marijuana for many patients, especially the elderly who have never tried it before, Patel believes the company really strives to ensure that every patient is completely happy with the product they go out on is, and that can mean spending a lot of money on time going through things first.

The first medical marijuana dispensary in Jefferson City was Missouri Health & Wellness, which opened at 1404A Missouri Blvd. End of January.

Patel said he hopes to open the doors for the first day of business on Friday, but that could change. As soon as the doors open, he said they will have pre-rolled, floral, vape, and edible items in stock, but noted that more variety would be introduced in about two to three months as the cultivators are able to branch and other articles such as concentrates and topics.

Once the doors are officially open, Shangri-La will be open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. To learn more about the pharmacy, visit shangriladispensaries.com.

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