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SEO Head: Rabbi Opens DCs First Family-Owned MedicalMarijuana Dispensary

After years of working as a Jewish professional, Rabbi Je Kahn movedto Takoma Park to open up a medical mari uana dispensary with hiswife, !tephanie"

From Rabbi to medical marijuana dispensary owner

Rabbi Je re Kahn opens #$%s &rst family'owned medical mari uanadispensary

The former New Jersey rabbi went from giving sermons at templeto giving out marijuana prescriptions in downtown Washington DC.

As if his start in an Australian Jewish temple wasn t! enough of auni"ue path to follow# $abbi Je%re &ahn moved bac' to the () afterover three decades of wor'ing as a Jewish professional open up amedical marijuana dispensary in Ta'oma *ar'# +aryland. Together withhis wife# )tephanie# the couple hoped to continue &ahn!s love forhelping others# but this time they decided to do so medicinally.

,orn and raised in +iami# -lorida# Je%re &ahn discovered his love for Jewishstudies during his college years at the(niversity of -lorida in ainesville# -lorida.

/At that time 0 was learning there

was a whole lot more than 0 thought therewas just from going to religious school as achild#1 said &ahn. /0 wanted to ma'e adi%erence in people!s lives.1

The (niversity of -lorida not only becamethe place where &ahn discovered hispassion in life# but also where he met thelove of his life# )tephanie# who traveledwith him as he began his rabbinic studiesat Jerusalem campus of 2ebrew (nion

College. After a year in 0srael# the twomoved bac' to the (.). in order for &ahnto 3nish his four years of rabbinical studiesat the Cincinnati# 4hio# campus of 2ebrew(nion College# while )tephanie wor'ed inhospital administration nearby.

o !ustralia and "ac#

$abbi Je%re &ahn met his wife)tephanie during hisundergraduate years at the(niversity of -lorida.

Photo courtesy ofn ewishnews"com

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4nce &ahn completed his rabbinical program# both he and)tephanie moved to Australia where he received his 3rstcongregational position# and where the two started their life together.

There# )tephanie gave birth to their beautiful 3rst son# Joshua. A coupleyears later# once they returned to the states# they had their second

son# James.After his return to the (.).# &ahn jumped from congregation to

congregation throughout the following decade. 2e left his lastcongregation# Temple 2ar )halom in Warren# New Jersey# in 5667 anddecided that he wanted to do something di%erent.

As newly empty nesters at the time# $abbi &ahn decided to ful3lla long8time dream of his and moved to 0srael with )tephanie# howevershortly after their move his son# Joshua# gave birth to their 3rstgrandchild# which encouraged them to move bac' to the (.). onceagain.

$nitiati%e &'

0n 5669# when the couple resumed their American lifestyles inorder to be close to their sons# Congress approved 0nitiative :9# whichpermits people with serious illnesses to obtain marijuana for medicaltreatment.

0nitiative :9 was passed by voters on Washington D.C. in ;99

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Neither $abbi &ahn nor )tephanie had e=perience in owning abusiness# but after four years of education# research and overcominglegal and 3nancial hurdles D.C.!s 3rst family8owned medical marijuanadispensary opened in August 56;?.

(e )ellness Center

@ocated in Ta'oma *ar'# The Ta'oma Wellness centernow caters to more than ;#666patients. &ahn# )tephanie andtheir daughter8in8law# *aulauerido &ahn# run the center.

The &ahns wor'ed hard

to obtain a professional andreputable name within the Ta'oma *ar' community and the Department of 2ealth.

&ahn e=plained# / *eople were s'eptical. They had no notion ofwhat a dispensary would be and pictured a lot of addicts hanging out inthe neighborhood Band smo'ing weed. We went to manyneighborhood meetings# including educational programs we sponsored#to answer "uestions and e=plain our goals.1

*atients wor' closely with $abbi &ahn# )tephanie# and *aula todetermine what form of marijuana could bene3t them best. +any timesthe process comes down to trial and error# &ahn e=plained.

Now# ?# &ahn utiliEes his leadership s'ills and religious valueswith his patients at Ta'oma Wellness.

2e enjoys wor'ing alongside the people he loves most# hisfamily# but# above all# $abbi &ahn reaches his /high1 solely by helpinghis patients achieve theirs! as well.

FFF

*$ts been complicatedand t(eres beenbumps in t(e road+ butall in all its been areally ,reat andul.llin, e/perience01

-Rabbi Jefre Kahn