Peace in Medicine of Sebastopol, Safe & Secure Dispensary

As you approach Peace In Medicine, Sebastopol’s nonprofit, healing center and medical cannabis dispensary, you can expect to be greeted with a friendly “Hello, can I help you?” by one its Security Hosts. The welcoming, nonconfrontational mantra of the facility starts right there. This atypical style of security is representative of the community it serves, and it has earned the respect and confidence of the members of City Council and members of the business community. The Chief of Police has called more than once to commend the Security Hosts on their cooperative, low profile professionalism at events like the annual Harvest Dance. In the 18 months that Peace In Medicine has been open, there have been no occurrences involving local law enforcement, and no complaints from neighbors, both of which are unusual for a cannabis dispensary.

Safety and Security at Peace In Medicine
By Linda Stokely

Peace in Medicine was conceptualized in 2007 by Robert Jacob, a Sebastopol resident and activist. Mr. Jacob envisioned a grassroots, community-based healing center that would provide support and resources for health-challenged residents to take control of their healing process. The response from the community in the form of volunteers, investors, and board members was inspiring, and on October 2nd, 2007 the facility opened its doors and began offering free classes to its patients. The popularity of the classes resulted in Peace in Medicine adding a 900 sq. ft. space just 18 months later.

The Education and Healing Center provides a wide variety of classes and services aimed at helping people manage their own health, a few of these are free Chinese herbal medicine consultations, nutritional consultations, yoga and Tai Chi classes, acupuncture, and massage therapy. In addition, it hosts support groups for patients living with cancer or chronic pain, and the facility provides free meeting space for local nonprofit and environmental groups. On occasion there are talks by authors, hypnotherapists, and other alternative medicine experts. It truly is a model facility for what medical cannabis dispensaries can be.

One of the key factors contributing to its successful integration into the community has been its safety and security staff, known as “Safety Hosts.” These individuals, while trained in accordance with the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, also receive training in active listening, diplomacy, compassionate security, legal integrity, and how to de-escalate situations. Heading up Peace In Medicine’s team of Safety Hosts is Morgan Manlopig, a Monte Rio resident who grew up in the Bay Area, but spent summers in Sonoma County with his family. Morgan has spent many years in security working nightclubs and bars before working for dispensaries. As an activist and security professional, the opportunity to work in close cooperation with the Chief of Police and local officials, is a dream come true. In addition, Morgan recently completed CERT training and was welcomed onto Sebastopol’s Community Emergency Response Team. Morgan’s team of Safety Hosts includes an EMT, former Civil Air Patrol helicopter dispatcher, and an 8 year veteran Black Rock City Ranger. Safety Hosts deal with everything from senior citizens arriving there directly from a chemotherapy treatment, battling for their lives to young people looking for alternative modalities for their medical needs.

Jen Thille, former Sebastopol Planning Commissioner and Council Member knows Peace in Medicine well because of her interactions with the nonprofit. She had this to say about them, “Robert Jacob has proven his dedication to the safety and security of our community from the very beginning. Peace in Medicine is a first rate medical dispensary that provides invaluable services to local residents and I have nothing but admiration for what Robert has accomplished.”
Peace in Medicine firmly believes in the importance of supporting the community and providing patient access to alternative medicine, information and education in a safe environment. Peace in Medicine is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and has sponsored, and/or participated in, over a dozen community events, as well as anonymously funding many local schools, city parks and events for children and young adults. The experience of visiting Peace in Medicine is totally unlike that of the majority of dispensaries; here customers are treated like the patients they are.

Peace in Medicine is located in Gravenstein Station at 6771 Sebastopol Ave. in
Sebastopol, California. Its hours of operation are Monday through Thursday 10:30am-
7:00pm, Friday and Saturday 10:30am-9pm, and on Sundays from noon till 7:00pm. A calendar of monthly events can be viewed at www.peaceinmedicine.org. Peace In Medicine’s entire services are available to the general public, with the exception of dispensary access, which requires a letter of recommendation. Senior citizens, cyclists, and U. S. Veterans always receive a discount.

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THE STORY OF PEACE IN MEDICINE


Peace in Medicine is a nonprofit, educational healing center that provides a wide variety of classes and services aimed at helping people manage their own health. It offers free Chinese herbal medicine consultations, nutritional consultations, yoga classes, acupuncture, and massage therapy. The facility hosts support groups for patients living with cancer or chronic pain, and provides free meeting space for local nonprofit and environmental groups. It sponsors talks by authors, hypnotherapists, and other alternative medicine experts, and it is a role-model facility for the dispensing of medical cannabis.

Peace in Medicine was conceptualized in 2007 by Robert Jacob, a Sebastopol resident and activist. Mr. Jacob envisioned a grassroots, community-based healing center that would provide a much needed nexus of support and resources for health-challenged residents to take control of their healing process. The response from the community in the form of volunteers, investors, and board members was inspiring. On October 2, 2007 Peace in Medicine opened its doors in Sebastopol, and already serves over 5000 members.

The nonprofit has a unique business model firmly based in 2 overarching tenets: the importance of local support and supporting locally; the belief in patient access to alternative medicine, information and education in a safe environment; and an unwavering adherence to environmental integrity.

1) Peace in Medicine is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and has sponsored, and/or participated in, over a dozen community events, as well as anonymously sponsoring many local schools, city parks and events for children and young adults.

2) The calming, professional, medical office décor coupled with its well-trained, customer service oriented staff makes Peace In Medicine a model for facilities designed to implement the legal dispensation of medical cannabis in compliance with Prop. 215. The experience of visiting Peace in Medicine is totally unlike that of the majority of dispensaries. Customers are treated like the patients they are.

Peace in Medicine is located in Gravenstein Station at 6771 Sebastopol Ave. in Sebastopol, California, (707) 823-4206. Its hours of operation are Monday through Thursday 10:30am-7:00pm, Friday and Saturday 10:30am – 9pm, and on Sundays from noon till 7:00pm. A calendar of monthly events can be viewed at www.peaceinmedicine.org. Peace In Medicine’s entire services are available to the general public, with the exception of dispensary access. Senior citizens, cyclists, and U. S. Veterans always receive a discount.

For further information members of the press can contact Linda at Peace in Medicine at (707) 981-4407.