HelloMD has concluded our investigation into the sad events that transpired this past weekend involving our partner Treatwell Health, and its founder and CEO Alison Ettel.
This story touched a nerve for many people, and in some ways was bigger than the people involved in the altercation that took place. Our country and our fledgling cannabis industry is changing fast. Racial injustices of the past drug war disproportionately hold people of color in prison while overwhelmingly white entrepreneurs participate in the new legal cannabis economy. Alison Ettel and this little girl became the face of that clash on Saturday morning in a very short space of time.
At HelloMD, we value inclusiveness, tolerance and nondiscrimination, yet we also understand that creating a successful cannabis brand in this quasi-legal environment is exceedingly difficult. Treatwell has worked tirelessly for years to create a product line that helps thousands of patients with their medical issues. The company’s products are valued for both their quality ingredients and their affordability. It’s sad to see a company destroyed in just a short few hours.
HelloMD carries Treatwell Health products on our menu, and we don’t feel that adding our name to the list of retailers boycotting the brand does anything to move the conversation forward in a positive way. Nor does it help the many thousands of patients that depend on Treatwell for their daily medication. For this reason, we intend to sell the remaining stock of Treatwell products we have in inventory, and donate any profits derived from these sales to a nonprofit focusing on social justice.
We hope that our cannabis community of patients, retailers and brands can find peace and compassion for one another in the future.
