Opening Day, October 9th, 2020!!!
The Press was kind enough to visit us, and share our unlikely story. It truly was an auspicious Day!
I would like to show you, our friends and customers, our story from the press and news media, through their articles. Please see them below.
Thank you for believing in us, when our chances were low, to penetrate the Recreational Adult Use Market. Now, we are here to stay, and to help find the right products for newcomers, as well as experiences stoners alike.
We want to thank those of you who have wished us success in a very difficult market to enter.
Please see the articles and links below!
HIGH TIMES quote from John Lorenz.
I really can't believe that I was quoted from a brief interview in High Times.
My life's work feels complete!
John Lorenz, the owner of Sweet Relief in Northport, said that he isn’t worried about initial product shortages. “It will take time, as well as next summer’s season and harvest, to get the program up to its full potential,” he said.
October 9th, 2020
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National Public Radio, on October 10th, 2020
NPR Correspondent Murry Carpenter came to the shop for opening day, and took some amazing photos, and made a great interview and story about us.
Please take the link to read about us on NPR, with some awesome photos to.
This article is just about Sweet Relief. Thanks so much!!!!
You can listen to the original radio broadcast of from NPR below.
October 10th, 2020
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ABC7 News from Bangor, with Rachel Mann, did a really nice interview with us, at the shop. Please see this excerpt, it is just awesome.
October 9th, 2020.
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The Free Press, had a Local Mid-Coast Maine Article. Unfortunately, this article will not open currently. It is my Favorite, and has a great picture of Ploy and myself outside the shop.
Thanks to Ethan Andrews for coming to the shop, and making such a fantastic article.
I will get this posted some how.
September 9th, 2020
| On September 9, one day after the state announced that Sweet Relief, a mom-and-pop medical marijuana business in Northport, had been granted one of two licenses freepressonline.com |
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Politico
When the phone rang at about 10am, on September 9th, 2020, I hung up on a caller who said he was from Politico, when he asked to interview me for a story. I thought it was a friend pulling my chain. But when the second call came through about five minutes later, I apologized, and answered a few questions from Paul Demko, Politico's Marijuana News Correspondent. The article is below, and I ended up with a short quote!
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| BY MONA ZHANG, PAUL DEMKO AND NATALIE FERTIG | | | — Maine marijuana regulators issued the state's first adult-use licenses, setting the stage for the October launch of its recreational marijuana market nearly four years after voters approved legalization. |
| | | | MAINE GRANTS FIRST ROUND OF ADULT-USE LICENSES — Maine has issued the first five licenses for its recreational marijuana market, which is slated to begin sales on Oct. 9. Three cultivation facilities, two dispensaries and one testing lab received the first round of licenses. There are nearly 400 other applications in the pipeline. Maine voters passed an adult-use referendum four years ago, but implementation has been delayed by the opposition of former Republican Gov. Paul LePage and more recently the coronavirus pandemic. Product is expected to be sparse initially in the adult-use market as cultivation facilities ramp up their operations. The entrenched medical market is also likely to continue attracting many shoppers. Northport’s Sweet Relief, which has been serving medical customers for four years, received one of the two initial dispensary licenses for the recreational market. “This is a two-man show. My wife and I do everything,” said Johnny Lorenz, the shop’s owner “There’s no board. There’s no trustees. There’s no corporate lawyer.” Lorenz said he’s already reached out to one of the newly licensed cultivators for the recreational market to talk about supplying product. “I’m going to need everything that can possibly come from them and it won’t be enough,” Lorenz said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Owen Kingsley, from News Channel WABI 5, came to Sweet Relief Shop just after we were granted one of the First Two Recreational Permits in the State. This was my favorite interview, and you can see the video news report right from the link. Please check it out. Thanks so much Owen!!!!!!!
SEPTEMBER 11th 2020
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Melissa Bodnar, with Maine News Channel WGME13 came to Sweet Relief for a short interview. We showed her around, and had a great time doing the interview, please take a look. I left the original link below. Have a look, the video is awesome!!!
September 9th, 2020
| PORTLAND (WGME) -- The State of Maine issued the first active licenses for adult-use marijuana on Tuesday, nearly four years after voters legalized it. Maine issues first recreational marijuana ... wgme.com |
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The SUN Journal, with Penelope Overton, of Portland, wrote a fantastic article on September 9th, 2020. The link is below. This one is really informative!
September 9th, 2020
| Maine approves adult-use cannabis stores in South Portland, Northport. The approvals were among 6 recreational cannabis licenses the state awarded Tuesday for retailers, growers and testing labs ... www.sunjournal.com |
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Mainebiz added Sweet Relief to a neat article about the first Recreational Shops in the State. This was published on September 9th, 2020. Sweet Relief was one of the original two stores statewide, along with Theory Wellness in South Portland.
September 9th 2020
| A total of six establishments have received the licenses from the state Office of Marijuana Policy. Retail sales to the public are permitted to begin Oct. 9. www.mainebiz.biz |
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Maine's I-95 95.7 Radio had a nice Shout out for Sweet Relief Shop.
Thanks so much Guy's and Gals. Please come by the store sometime. The full link is below.
"These are just the first two of more active licenses that will be granted in the future for adult use marijuana establishments to begin sales in October."
September 8th, 2020
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Cannabis Business Times added Sweet Relief to a short article about Maine recreational licensing, and the early licensing. Please see the original link below. Thanks guys!
We appreciate the Shout Out!
September 8th 2020
| EDMONTON, AB, Sept. 8, 2020 /CNW/ - PRESS RELEASE - Aurora Cannabis today announced that Miguel Martin has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Martin, a 25-year consumer packaged goods industry veteran who joined Aurora in July 2020 as chief commercial officer, was previously CEO of Reliva. www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com |
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The Bangor Daily news gave a small shout out to us!
Thanks so much for the addition to your nice article.
Unfortunately, you must be a member of Bangor Daily to read the article.
But the link is provided below.
September 11th, 2020
| “While the current health pandemic delayed our efforts and will likely contribute to a less robust introduction to the market than expected, today’s action is a start to the realization of the ... bangordailynews.com |
Fox New WFVX 22, ABC 7 from Bangor came to Sweet Relief for an interview.
Please see the original link below. The article can be listened to from the link!
September 9th, 2020
| NORTHPORT – The state just awarded the very first six retail marijuana licenses for adult use establishments, including one right here in town. It’s been nearly four years since M aine voters legalized recreational marijuana.. Before one can receive a license, they must go through a background check and discuss their operating plans with the Office of Marijuana Policy. foxbangor.com |
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This link no longer works, but Cannabis Dispensary Magazine
gave Sweet Relief a great shout out for all our hard work. Thanks so much.
September 12th, 2020
| Maine’s Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP) today issued the state’s first six adult-use cannabis business licenses, paving the way for retail sales to begin in October. The businesses include three cultivation facilities, two retail storefronts and one testing facility. As the Portland Press ... www.cannabisdispensarymag.com |
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Top Shelf News added Sweet Relief to an article on September 12th, as one of the first two retail stores in the state of Maine. The article is no longer visible, but the link I have is below.
September 12th, 2020
| Maine has announced its first round of fully licensed recreational marijuana businesses, including two retail stores that can start selling adult-use cannabis to the public next month in South Portland topshelf.news |
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There is some cool information of REDDIT about Sweet Relief.
Please have a look. Very cool.
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Bangor Daily News
The Bangor Daily articles are not available any longer unless you are subscriber.
Sorry about that. They covered Sweet Relief Shops initial approval from the Northport Planning Board, which paved the way for us to open Recreationally as early as we Did!
September 9th, 2020.
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WGME 13, Maine News Television, January 14th, 2021
They added a great quote, from my experiences in the Adult Use Program. Thanks so much!
Please open the link to read their insightful article.
This quote is from January 2021, during the Pandemic.
“There's Downeast travel again. If 3 million people head to Acadia again every year for lodging and restaurants and food, they will pass my location,” said Lorenz.
Lorenz says, "One of the reasons business is going so well is because a lot of people don't like using medical marijuana cards. He says this points to more people looking for recreational marijuana."
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On September 9th, 2020 MJ Biz Daily
MJBizDaily added some awesome quotes from an interview about the first day
of opening Recreational sales in Maine. Please see the original link below.
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The Portland Press Herald, on October 9th, 2020, had a few great quotes from Johnny,
and added them along witch some nice pictures to their article about opening day.
Please take the link below. Thanks so much.
October 9th, 2020
