A Michigan couple beat out over 15,000 other couples to win a $40,000 marijuana-themed wedding from a nearby dispensary. The Greenhouse of Walled Lake, Oakland County’s first fully registered medicinal and recreational dispensary, announced the wedding giveaway in March as part of its attempts to mainstream marijuana.
Danielle Geralds and Nile Hunt were selected by the judges to receive a wedding reception and ceremony with all expenses paid up to $40,000. “They had a great story,” Greenhouse owner Jerry Millen, one of six judges, told IndyStar. “They weren’t just looking to get a free wedding. They were like, ‘We want to normalize this.’”
Couples were urged to enter the contest by completing an online form with a brief statement explaining why they wanted to win. Geralds and Hunt will marry on October 5 in The Greenhouse of Walled Lake with the assistance of a professional wedding planner in front of 50 friends and relatives. The wedding will feature cannabis-infused cuisine and dessert, with attendees tossing marijuana leaves instead of rice at the newlyweds, according to the dispensary.
Geralds and Hunt met while Hunt was serving in the United States Navy. He served in combat in Afghanistan and was injured in a bomb blast there in 2010 that resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder. Cannabis helped him rehabilitate physically and mentally, so he chose a green wedding suit to reflect the plant that helped him heal, he told IndyStar.
His bride and his family have also used cannabis to treat cancer, appetite problems, and other illnesses. “This is a wonderful and incredibly deserving couple, and I could not be happier for them,” Millen said. “It was a difficult decision and I wish we could have awarded an all-expenses paid wedding to all entrants.”
Several states in the United States have allowed marijuana growth and use for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. Despite the industry’s liberalization, it is largely dominated by Whites, with Blacks playing a minor role in the marijuana economy.
Meanwhile, the cannabis business in the United States is expected to contribute up to $130 billion to the US economy annually by 2024, according to Marijuana Business Factbook.