RELIEF PITCHER

Veronica Hunt’s Compassion Tour—otherwise known as a successful career in the legalized cannabis industry—resumed last November with the opening of Green Rose, a recreational cannabis dispensary in Chicago.

The Lake Forest resident had co-owned elevele, a medical cannabis dispensary in Highland Park, from 2016 to 2020 with her husband, Andy Hunt. Older friends were struggling with serious illnesses when the couple researched legalized medical cannabis and learned it could provide great relief.

Green Rose, located in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, became the first social equity dispensary in Illinois to pass inspection. The Hunts and Ross Morreale co-own it, with Veronica serving as the general manager of the boutique-style venture. Their aim through offering an elevated cannabis experience is to remove the negative stereotype often associated with herb.

The Hunts’ transition from the field of medical cannabis to the realm of recreational cannabis has been a smooth one, in part because what served as the impetus to launch their first dispensary seven years ago continues to fuel them.

“Our compassion, which sparked us to open elevele, has carried over to our mission at a recreational cannabis dispensary,” says Veronica, who strongly believes that cannabis, if regulated properly and sold in a safe environment by knowledgeable budtenders and other employees, could play a vital role in stemming the opioid and fentanyl crises. “People are ailing and seeking products that are safe alternatives to addictive painkillers,” she adds. “Cannabis alleviates pain and anxiety and nausea, and it helps people who have trouble sleeping, among other conditions.”

Illinois—one of 31 states that has legalized cannabis—is home to 113 cannabis dispensaries, 21 cultivation centers, and two craft groves. The management team at Green Rose is 75 percent Black and Latino, and the rest of the staff is equally diverse. A Mexican American, the 58-year-old Veronica joined a diverse group of people—including a former Chicago police commander, business people, and residents from neighborhoods adversely impacted by the “war on drugs”—that applied for a social equity license last year.

“At Green Rose,” she says, “we’re independent, meaning we’re able to offer consumers a better variety of products compared to bigger dispensaries, as well as run good deals and specials. We’re more customer-based than we are bottom line-based, and we want customers to feel as comfortable entering Green Rose as they do when they enter a Walgreens.”

Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica are the two main types of cannabis used for medical and recreational purposes. “Sativa has primarily an energizing effect, while indica has a relaxing effect and can help you sleep,” according to healthline.com.

“People who walk into Green Rose smile right away as they look around, because we created an attractive space with a friendly and nurturing atmosphere,” Veronica explains. “We want to educate people on cannabis and help them find relief.”

The budtenders at Green Rose are the most experienced in the industry. The dispensary at 612 North Wells Street welcomes cannabis-related pop-up stores and holds educational seminars at its flagship location. Green Rose intends to open a site in Lincolnwood this summer and launch another recreational dispensary in Harwood Heights, before expanding nationally at some point.

“There’s a lot to this industry,” says Veronica, who was dubbed a “pot pioneer” shortly after the opening of elevele. “It’s not easy, making tons of money in this, but people think it is. I’m in this mostly to help others find affordable solutions to what’s ailing them. One of the keys is controlling inventory. The other three keys are compliance, compliance, compliance. The existence of dispensaries is to take the criminal element out of cannabis so that its safety can be ensured.

“When I go to bed each night, I feel good about what we’re doing at Green Rose.”

Veronica grew up in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood as one of Alfredo and Martha’s three children (Veronica’s brothers are Marco and her twin, Alfredo). It took her about an hour to commute, via public transportation, to Saint Ignatius College Prep, where she was a student from her sophomore year until the end of her senior year in 1982.

She was 7 when she started hanging out near the cash register at her father’s Chicago restaurant and greeting each diner with a hearty “hi” and an ear-to-ear smile.

Her customer-service chops would come in handy years later. From the ages of 22 to 35, Veronica teamed with Marco (now living in Monterrey, Mexico) to run Burrito Buggy, a popular food truck business in Chicago.

“I’d wake up at 4 a.m., and head to my father’s restaurant to make the burritos, mostly breakfast burritos, with my brother,” recalls Veronica, a Loyola University-Chicago graduate. “We’d start selling them at 10 a.m., and work until about 2 p.m.”

Veronica married Chicagoan Andy Hunt, a Sullivan High School graduate, in 1997. They lived in Lake Bluff from 1999 until 2007, before moving to Lake Forest. They have four children—Olivia, 24, Ethan, 22, JuJu, 19, and Genevieve, 16.

“The best part of motherhood to me is unconditionally loving my children and supporting them, no matter what,” she says. “I’ve been their biggest cheerleader. And Lake Forest is a great place to raise a family.”

Andy was a retired trader for Citigroup at the Chicago Board of Trade when the couple formed elevele in 2016. Elevele was sold right before recreational cannabis became legal in Illinois.

Veronica likes to golf, cook five-course Mexican meals, and volunteer for the food pantry at Christ Church in Lake Forest. If Lake County were to ever conduct a poll to determine its Most Personable Citizen, she would be perennial contender.

One of Juju’s high school friends wrote an essay all about Veronica for a school assignment, expressing her gratitude for always being able to sit down and talk with Mrs. Hunt like a pair of longtime good friends do.

She wants to be there for Green Rose customers, too.

“If my legacy ends up being someone who helped others find solutions to their health issues, while providing safe products to alleviate their discomfort along the way, I’d be okay with that,” says Veronica.

Green Rose is located at 612 North Wells Street in Chicago. For more information, call 312-268-007 or visit greenroseil.com.