By Steve Elliott of Toke of the Town

Former talk show host Montel Williams lent his star power to the grand opening of a high-end medical marijuana dispensary in Sacramento, California, that aims to “set a new standard” for patients who choose to use cannabis.

Williams, a daytime TV host for 17 years, said he uses medical marijuana to relieve the pain of multiple sclerosis but has seen the need for more professional distribution of the herb, reports CBS Sacramento.

“You see people standing around, sticking their nose into things,” Williams unfortunately said. “I don’t go to CVS to pick up an individual Vicodin.”

It’s sad that Montel felt the need to say such a silly thing about medical marijuana consumers, since there isn’t just one “medical marijuana” but many strains with various medicinal uses — and, of course, as any experienced cannabis shopper knows, “sticking your nose” up to individual buds is one way of assessing exactly what you’re dealing with.

Of course, if knowledgeable cannabis consumers are prevented from inspecting the marijuana they’re about to buy at Montel’s place, they’ll just go down the street to the next dispensary.

But Montel’s a smart guy — my guess is he’ll figure it out before he runs his customers off. And I’m guessing he’ll also figure out that “high end” means having the most potent strains, not the highest prices. We’ll see!

In any event, Montel’s new dispensary, Abatin (I think “Montel’s” would have been a much better name, but not nearly as French), is in a sleek location that, according to CBS Sacramento, “looks more like an office for a high end plastic surgeon,” and Williams hopes that professional appearance will “help change perceptions” about medical marijuana patients.

“Why are we treating patients who seek out this medication like they’re some lesser member of society?” Williams asked. “We could set a new standard, not just for Sacramento, not just for California, not just for the other 16 states that allow it now and the District of Columbia, but also for the world.”

Williams said he chose Sacramento for the venture because of its history at the front of medical marijuana advocacy.

“Why not come to where the home of the movement began?” he said, undoubtedly raising a lot of questions up in San Francisco.

Williams is serving as a “consultant” for Abatin and said he hopes to open several similar dispensaries across the country.

Let’s hope he at least lays off insulting medical marijuana shoppers if he plans to stay in the business.

Article From Toke of the Town and republished with special permission.