Kush
noun
- a variety or strain of the indica subspecies of cannabis plant. … “kush plants love warm outdoor climates”
- cannabis made from kush plants, typically containing a high level of THC (the main active ingredient of cannabis).
- “the rest of us ended up smoking kush”
Yes, cannabis, or weed, pot, dope, green, ganja, herb, reefer, or marijuana.
Take a pick.
But Bellaire Kush, in particular, is a strain named after Bellaire resident Bill Schmitt, Jr., the man who guided the charge to decriminalize marijuana in the village in 2016. That is, after all, why he’s known as the “420 Kidd.”
It was Schmitt’s efforts in Newark, Ohio, however, that ultimately led to the birth of Bellaire Kush, and it is a story that the owner of The Holistic Cloud enjoys telling.
“Bellaire Kush was actually a strain that a friend of mine ended up making for me after I helped decriminalize marijuana in Newark,” Schmitt explained. “While we were out getting petition signatures, I ended up getting a signature from a guy who then wanted to get really involved. He ended up getting some copies of our petition and getting signatures himself.
“We made the ballot in Newark, and it passed. The people of that city voted in our favor, and it actually happened,” he said. “But then this guy ended up getting pulled over by the police after the law went into effect. He had 160 grams of cannabis in different bags, and he had scales and his gun, too. He was looking at multiple felony charges, but when he went to court, it all got dropped thanks to our efforts.”
A Proper ‘Thank You’
It just so happened that the man was a grower. He understands the science, and he owns the necessary equipment.
So, as the story goes …
“This guy can grow amazing cannabis,” Schmitt said. “He looked at me one day and thanked me for getting the law passed, and he told me that he wanted to make me my own strain. I guess he felt that what I did in Newark was something that I did for him because it kept him out of prison.
“So, I guess, he wanted to do something for me,” he said. “At that time, I had no idea what it would be like or what it would grow into, but I was just honored that someone with that ability thought of the idea to make it. It was a great feeling, and it’s not because I have my own strain now, but that someone thought enough of that for me.”
There is no financial gain for Schmitt, at least not yet, but Bellaire Kush is on the medicinal market in Oklahoma now and will be available as a part of Ohio’s medical marijuana market soon. That, the Bellaire resident insisted, is what is most important and why he initially launched his decriminalization campaign in his hometown.
“He gave me a bunch of the seeds, but I am not a grower. I tried it once, but it didn’t really turn out that well, so I quit trying,” Schmitt explained. “But after a couple of years when I was in Columbus speaking at an event and a man by the name of Jason Wilson, a Purple Heart veteran, approached me and told me that he had been following me and my efforts to help others.
“He told me that he was applying for one of the 12 large grow licenses in Ohio for the medicinal program, and he ended up getting one of those licenses in Ohio. I asked him if would be interested in growing Bellaire Kush for the Ohio Medical Market, and he said yes. The guy now gives away 50 percent of his profits to non-profit organizations, and he’s a man who can’t smoke cannabis because of the injuries he suffered while on duty.”
Grow Baby Grow!
For more than two years now, Ohio’s medicinal marijuana program has been active, but the cost thus far is one concern communicated by the state’s residents since the first dispensary opened in 2018.
Schmitt and Wilson, though, have a plan for the price tag for Bellaire Kush once it becomes available in the Buckeye State.
“In about 50 days, Jason finally will be able to start growing in Ohio because the state has moved so slowly with this program since it passed,” Schmitt said. “Jason also has received a grow license in Oklahoma, and he’s been growing Bellaire Kush down there for the state medical marijuana patients.
“Jason told me that Bellaire Kush is really popular in Oklahoma because the strain is that good,” he said. “It’s super tasty and super fruity, and it’s also very effective. But for me, I’m going to happy when it is on the shelf for Ohio medical patients. That’s when I will be able to say that I have done something with Bellaire Kush.”
The Holistic Cloud, located at 3048 Belmont St., offers its patrons a full line of CBD products from tinctures to edibles to vapes. Schmitt has managed to cut out the “middle man” when stocking his store, and that is why he is able to keep his prices lower than most.
“I haven’t made a dollar from any of the efforts I have made to decriminalize cannabis, and when I gave Jason the seeds, I didn’t expect anything in return. I just want it to be out there for the patients in Ohio,” Schmitt said. “He may bless me with something down the road, but if he doesn’t, that’s going to be fine with me. All I want is for there to be a good Ohio strain to be available for the state’s medical marijuana patients at a good price.
“Jason and I are going to make a deal with the state’s dispensaries not to sell it over a certain price to make sure it is affordable, and he’s going to do that knowing that it’s going to cost him money,” he said. “That’s our plan and our goal when it comes to Ohio, and I’m looking forward to when that times arrives.”
