ReLeaf’s reliable revolving door
ReLeaf Resources Dispensary curates a menu of high-quality cannabis catered to Kansas City cannabis users
When it comes to providing high-quality cannabis to Missourians, ReLeaf Resources Dispensary never shoos customers away. As the only dispensary in the Kansas City metro operating 24/7, 365 days a year, cannabis users in the KC area always have the opportunity to purchase what they desire—whether that be products for medicinal benefits or just a quick fix in the wee hours of the night.
Obviously, maintaining a successful business that never closes its doors is no easy task. But with a well-oiled machine that is the company’s staff, the process is efficient and easy for consumers, day and night.
Under the helm of Director Mitch Alexander, who has been with the company since 2021, and Director of Procurement Josh Ordo, who has been with the company since it opened during the early medical years, ReLeaf Resources Dispensary remains as one of the most prominent dispensaries not only in Kansas City but Missouri as a whole, as far as foot traffic goes.
Every day is contrasting for any business, and that is no different with ReLeaf. Alexander says that no days look quite the same, and keeping staff members inside the dispensary is a clear must given the company’s hours.
“Every day is a different adventure, a different mountain to climb every single day,” Alexander says. “Every day, we each try to come in and make sure that we’re available for whoever needs to buy some weed from us – We’re there. It starts by making sure I have enough people on staff to support that kind of business model.”
Ordo mentions that just this past July, ReLeaf Resources Dispensary sold over 130,000 products, heavily due to the company’s service hours.
“No matter what, there’s a transaction going on at almost every minute of the day here, except for, I mean, 4 a.m. might be a little slow,” Ordo says.
To supply quality cannabis to Kansas Citians at any given moment on any given day means that ReLeaf must carry a wide selection. And not only does that ring true, but they may have one of the largest selections of products that any dispensary in the state has to offer.
“We’re really at the mercy of the market when it comes to product availability,” Alexander says. “Being an independent store means that I can purchase from anybody and everybody, and that’s kind of what our focus has been for a long time now—making sure that our menu has as much diversity as possible.”
Most of Ordo’s work for the company keeps him in the back of the house, where he manages all of the cannabis products coming into the store. Here, he gets to toy around with what products make most sense for consumers given the season, what has been hot on the market, and new launches, so that the menu stays fresh and catered to ReLeaf regulars.
“No one really knows about us back here, except the team we work with, because they don’t ever see us,” Ordo says. “We’re not the budtenders, we’re not the front-facing people.”
But that doesn’t mean the efforts from the procurement team should go unnoticed. And given the work that they fulfill, consumers really should give this small part of the staff a pat on the back. Considering ReLeaf is a single-licensed dispensary with no vertical integration, Ordo and the team can push products that they genuinely value in comparison with other dispensaries that may urge consumers to buy the house brand. This opens the door for true consumer and budtender collaboration to find a product that best fits the patient’s needs without a subconscious bias to sell the company’s brand first.
“We have the freedom to say, ‘Hey, this brand looks pretty cool,’ we might look at some market data, we might look at some other menus. ‘Let’s give it a shot, see if it works out here,’” Ordo says. “I’ve always wanted to have the biggest menu in the city. I always wanted everyone to be able to try every brand that’s out there, and be able to make the decision for themselves on what brand they want.”
A large part of the eclectic menu can be attributed to the fact that Ordo and Alexander are true “masters of marijuana”. The two are both Certified Ganjiers, AKA cannabis sommeliers. After going through online classes, in-person intensives in Humboldt County, CA, and completing final exams, only then is the title granted to individuals.
“We do recognize and understand what quality is, and we’re able to translate that to our menu, and we’re able to translate that through our staff to point everybody in the right direction. But, really at the end of the day, it’s not necessarily about what I like, or what what we think is quality as much as it is about being able to just provide a little bit of everything for everybody,” Alexander says.
While Ordo may offer advice to budtenders or individuals when he has a quick second, he says that his expertise comes to fruition with what consumers see on the company’s menu.
“I make my rounds and try to listen to conversations and give insight where I can, but my Ganjier experience really shines in the purchasing,” Ordo says. “I get to have certain standards that we want to hit with the menu.”
On top of ordering proper products for the consumers, the procurement team is also considered the first line of defense when it comes to quality checks.
“We don’t want stuff cooking in a hot van all day and losing terpenes,” Ordo says. “We had some bubble hash that we got sent to us last week. About the time it made it to us, it had melted. If that’s enough to do that to that bubble hash, you’re just cooking the hell out of this flower in there, and it’s just losing terps.”
Acknowledging that the ReLeaf staff serves as the face of the cannabis industry, Alexander notes that the interactions at the counter translate to how consumers view the Missouri cannabis industry as a whole.
“More or less, we have to be the customer representation of everybody,” Alexander says. “Even though I’m not the one who’s growing the product or manufacturing it, I’m the one who has to take care of the customers at the end of the day for any kind of issues, not necessarily the cultivators themselves. So being that we’re the more customer direct side of things, it’s super important to make sure that everybody’s happy with what they’re getting and happy with their experience.”
And the canna-duo that is Ordo and Alexander are quick to say that all of their hard work is dedicated to one group of individuals: the patients.
“There’s never a moment when you can’t come to our store and buy cannabis,” Alexander says. “For me, that’s what I take the most pride in, being able to say that I don’t turn people away. 3:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning, it doesn’t matter—you come see us, we’re going to be open and we’re ready to serve you.”
“I’m just glad that I get to get a job where I can work with Mitch and pick and choose great products from the menu to give Missouri the best,” Ordo says. “If things aren’t good, they don’t last long on the menu. We don’t really mess around.”
And getting rooted in the community alongside the consumer is something that ReLeaf continues to drive. Throughout the year, the dispensary hosts a few different events catered to what have been deemed as cannabis holidays—4/20 and 7/10. Vendors around the area, food trucks, and first responders can be found in the large parking lot home to the strip that houses the mom-and-pop.
Alexander sees the functions as a way to continue breaking down negative stigma that has loomed over the cannabis industry and those who use the plant.
“It’s just a way for us to not only give back to the community, give them a little bit of a platform to use with our customer base, but beyond that, just getting the community involved with our events does nothing but bridge the gap with everything that we’re trying to do here,” he says.
ReLeaf isn’t scared to shake things up a bit either. As one of the busiest dispensaries around town, the team realizes that, in order to prolong the success with the door constantly swinging, renovations are necessary.
“We’re making the sales floor bigger, we’re adding on more 24-hour express pick-up windows. We’re just kind of, more or less, making our store a little bit more viable for our business model,” Alexander says.
On top of the changes coming to the Grandview location, ReLeaf will soon call Harrisonville home as well, hopeful that they will be able to open shop by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
“There are a lot of variables that go into opening a new license that a lot of people don’t consider or understand,” Alexander says.
Although the certified Ganjiers remind that there are different strokes for different folks when it comes to picking the proper cannabis, they are quick to inform what products are currently scratching their itch.
“I’m a big dabber, so I’ve been smoking a lot of rosin from Headchange,” Alexander says. “I’ve been smoking some rosin from Local as well. On the flower side, we’ve got the Cookies line in our store now. They’ve got some really good strains coming out. Local Cannabis—They’re another one of our top-shelf brands. They got some really nice strains out as well.”
“I’m really big on rosin vapes and rosin edibles,” Ordo says. “I think that’s what the consumer should be consuming: rosin edibles. It’s more of a full-spectrum effect; you’re getting more cannabinoids with that. It might cost a little bit more, but you’re getting better efficacy out of the product.”
Keeping the wheels turning year-round seems to be a top priority for the company, ensuring that cannabis users within the Kansas City metro have access to products at a moment’s notice. ReLeaf Resources Dispensary isn’t your average stop for a quick fixation; the team is adamant on curating a menu that has something for everyone and a vibe that is inviting to all who decide to open thefront door.