This Michigan marijuana dispensary is giving free weed to anyone who got the COVID-19 vaccine

To help encourage Michiganders to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a local marijuana dispensary is offering a "Pot for Shots" promotion.

Anyone who brings in written proof that they received a COVID-19 vaccine to the Greenhouse of Walled Lake will get a free pre-rolled joint, the dispensary says in a press release.

"Our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccination as we as a community battle this horrible pandemic," owner Jerry Millen says in a statement. "'Pot for Shots' is our way of showing our commitment in assisting helping the community get back to normalcy. We support the safe and responsible use of cannabis and hope this is the beginning of the end of this insidious pandemic."

No purchase is necessary. The Greenhouse of Walled Lake is located at 103 E. Walled Lake Dr., Walled Lake; 833-644-7336; greenhousemi.com.

Health officials are worried that if an insufficient number of people get vaccinated, the pandemic will last for a long time, allowing the virus to mutate into other strands. Over the weekend, officials reported a Washtenaw County woman who recently traveled to the U.K. tested positive for a more contagious variant of the virus.

Fueled by distrust of the government and historic instances of racism, less than half of Americans said they will definitely get the vaccine, and about a quarter said they will not, according to a recent survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Vaccines are being prioritized for frontline workers and elders, while the rest of us are expected to have access in the coming months. You can learn more about vaccination prioritization here.

You can read about efforts to vaccinate Michiganders in this week's Metro Times cover story.

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