Tony Toskov, a long-time Maryland entrepreneur, who founded the medical and adult-use cannabis dispensary Green Point Wellness, is one rooted deeply in the communities it serves. From day one, Green Point has proudly operated as “Your Neighborhood Dispensary,” and now has four locations found in Linthicum, Laurel, Millersville, and Edgewater, the latter of which is a collaboration between Green Point Wellness and Maryland social equity license holders, Lane Bruns and Natalie Thibeault.

Humble beginnings

Despite the success of Green Point, Toskov has never lost sight of where he started. He shares that he dropped out of high school at age 15 and then worked as a garbage collector before his entrepreneurship journey began. Toskov gained his experience in hospitality by owning several bars and restaurants throughout Maryland over the years. When he and his wife Laura were waiting to see if they had been awarded one of the first medical cannabis dispensaries in 2017, they were not confident they would be successful.

“There were 835 applicants for just 102 licenses. I had already spent $75,000 just to apply, and I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake. On the day of the announcement, my wife and I stopped at a restaurant to see if we had won. I could not believe when I saw Green Point listed and started tearing up.”

To educate himself on the cannabis industry, Toskov took trips to Colorado every three weeks. “I’d go to dispensaries, and I would study the way the rooms were laid out and talk to people who worked there to better understand the business,” he recalls.

He also had to figure out how to purchase a building, as regulations prevented you from obtaining a mortgage through banks. I drained my savings, got a loan from a friend, and mortgaged my house. I was very nervous to say the least. Unlike many competitors, Green Point has never had any out-of-state investors and is proud and committed to always being Maryland owned and operated.

Diverse customer base

Toskov and his team enjoy working with a diverse customer base who are looking for alternatives to conventional medicine. One large and unexpected demographic Green Point services is seniors who are looking for relief from conditions such as arthritis and anxiety or as an alternative product to help them sleep.

“It’s been really fun to see the reactions from the people that you are helping, and it’s unbelievable how much they want to learn about cannabis,” says Toskov. My mother was initially totally against cannabis, but now she uses a topical to make her arthritis pain more tolerable, and she swears by it. She’s the best customer because she’s out there telling everybody in the world,” says Toskov.

Thibeault notes that if a customer tries a product and it does not deliver the desired results, Green Point is happy to assist them until they find something that works. Thibeault, who has worked with Toskov for the past 15 years is Green Point’s CFO, shares a story of a product that was not selling well, and they considered discontinuing it until a team member mentioned that there is one customer who comes in every other week to buy that product.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about having that product available for that one customer who relies on it. Customer service is at the heart of everything we do.”

Toskov says he sees education as a key component of Green Point’s business, and his “budtenders” are experienced and knowledgeable about the array of cannabis products available, and unlike many dispensaries, these products are on display for the customer to see. “Every day, we get to see customers that find an alternative to prescriptions, and they’re now living their best life because of cannabis,” says Thibeault.

For seniors especially, technology can sometimes be intimidating, so Toskov and his team have helped many customers navigate the process of applying for a medical cannabis card. “We will help them find a doctor and then let them know when their cannabis card comes in.”

Thibeault says she’s seen the medical community start to embrace cannabis over the years. With this newly found acceptance, Green Point has had the honor to sponsor organizations such as Hospice of the Chesapeake and University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center.

Medical card holders and beyond

Green Point prioritizes medical cannabis customers with a medical only check out line. Medical patients also receive 20% off products and 30% off raw concentrates every day. They also have a generous Loyalty Point program that is offered to both medical and adult-use customers where they earn substantial money back on purchases. All new customers will get significant savings on their first 4 purchases with Green Point’s “new customer card” as well as the deep 25% off discount given to our Veterans daily, and 20% off to our Seniors on Wednesdays.

With top-notch customer service, knowledgeable staff, and deep discounts Green Point earned the title of the “Best Dispensary in Annapolis” through the votes of consumers from What’s Up Magazine and is proud to be “Your neighborhood Dispensary” for many years to come.