by Brittney Graham
Back in March I had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Lucky’s Grow Supply owner and Cannabis community gatherer, John Degerness. We discussed what lead him to open Lucky’s and where the store and brand were headed within the Oklahoma cannabis community in the future. Art, music, nightlife, culture, grow equipment, and helping build the cannabis community in Oklahoma were all involved in that plan.
A year hasn’t even passed, nine months to be exact, and John has made leaps and bounds towards his goals for Lucky’s and community that he has become so heavily involved in surrounding it. As I spoke with John about what has happened between our last conversation and now, I could feel how proud he was. Even though it is at its basis a grow store, Lucky’s has blossomed into so much more for the local cannabis community. Educational classes, knowledgeable staff, fun specials, great customer service, fun events and “Happy Fridays” are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Lucky’s has to offer.
“More than anything I always loved to highlite all of the events, charitable donations, and involvement with the arts community.”
When it comes to the retail side, Lucky’s offers fun and random challenges to make buying grow supplies a little more of a fun experience rather than a chore. For example, sometimes there is a mini basketball hoop set up and customers can make an “impossible shot” in exchange for a $100 gift card towards their next purchase. There are also donation bins that are available throughout the month of February where customers can donate items to charity to receive 30% off in the store.
Past extravaganzas at Lucky’s such as balanced veterans, 710, and 420 were fun and uplifting for the cannabis community. During such events, art is sold off the art wall from local artists and the money received is then donated to charity. As a matter of fact, almost $5,000 has been donated to Feed it Forward OKC thanks the money generated from these gatherings. Every other week guest speakers and vendors are brought in to help educate anyone wanting to attend as well. Speaking of which, you might be surprised at just who comes to these filled up classrooms.
“People you assume should know what you are covering in the curriculum are still showing up to see if they can learn more. It is pretty neat”
I was excited to learn that a new endeavor has started for Lucky’s since the last time I spoke with John, and that is grow consulting! Customers had been coming in and asking if plant management was something the store could provide due to lack of experience or knowledge on their part. John likened it to being the “pool boys” of the grow, ensuring the issues are resolved in the best way possible. The Lucky’s team has been able to turn a number of gardens around the local cannabis community that were destined for closing and to me, that speaks volumes of the love this store and John has for the community as a whole.
Running clone programs for dispensaries is another aspect of consulting the Lucky’s provides. This ensures that patients are connected with good genetics and pest free clones. In turn, the patient can come into Lucky’s after they purchase their clone or when thinking of purchasing one and get everything they need to help grow that green baby! Not to mention, the staff at the dispensary are being educated in the knowledge of the clone strains they are carrying therefore patients are gaining more knowledge on their purchase from the beginning to the end.
It is still the Christmas shopping season and I had to ask what fun specials Lucky’s would be offering this year. There will be four weeks of savings that will lead up to Christmas. Each week there will be a spotlighted special: week one will be grow media, week two is lighting, week three is nutrients, and week four is a SURPRISE! I mean, it is Christmas after all and what would it be without surprises? There will be special daily deals as well so be sure to keep an eye on the stores Instagram and Facebook pages.
John has assured me that events are being mapped out for 2020 that I am sure will only build upon the joy and sense of togetherness from those of this year. Which means there will be no shortage of gatherings, fun, charity, and knowledge sharing in this coming decade. There might also be a second location being opened in near future to add to all this excitement, fingers crossed!
“Where we are going as a company is doubling down on retail and looking at expansion, as well as a couple other ventures we have coming down the lane.”
