Dispensary Unveils New Ukrainian Mural and Festival Plans

It's been nearly eighteen months since Russia's latest invasion of Ukraine, and Rita Tsalyuk doesn't want Coloradans to forget.

The marijuana businesswoman, a native of Ukraine, left the country over thirty years ago. After visiting once in the early 2010s, Tsalyuk is unsure if she'll ever return to her hometown of Kyiv. To honor her home and keep awareness of the
Russo-Ukrainian War strong, Tsalyuk is having Ukrainian murals painted on two of the dispensaries she co-owns in the Denver area. And in September, she's throwing a Ukrainian festival at one of her newest stores, as well.

"This latest war in Ukraine has taken almost two years, and it's very hard to maintain energy levels as time goes on. So we need to remind people about what people in Ukraine are going through," she explains. "This is not just a fundraiser, but a way to promote awareness."

The Cannabis for Ukraine Festival will take place on Saturday, September 9, at Stadium Gardens, located at 5441 Quebec Street in Commerce City. According to Tsalyuk, the parking lot party will have Ukrainian food, cannabis vendor specials and a mural reveal. The dispensary's mural will be similar to that of Park Hill Gardens on East Colfax Avenue, one of three stores under Tsalyuk's dispensary chain, Yuma Way, to open within the last year.

"Everything is related to Ukraine. We hope to see more marijuana companies donate to Ukrainian causes in the future, too," she adds.

Park HIll Gardens now has a Ukrainian flag and sunflowers painted on the entrance. Sunflowers have a deep connection to Ukraine, where sunflower oil is heavily produced and sunflower seeds have been a popular snack for centuries, according to Time. The sunflower is also a symbol of peace in Ukraine and is the country's official national flower.

A worldwide provider of grain, Ukraine knows how to farm, Tsalyuk notes. She was particularly excited to see medical marijuana reform gain initial approval in the Verkhovna Rada, or the Ukrainian parliament, and hopes to see her native country become a leading producer of European marijuana as Germany nears national legalization.

"Exporting is allowed, and it's a very agricultural country, so legalization would be a huge thing. Ukraine could export to Germany and other European countries. Pharmacies will probably sell there in the future, but that is still unclear," Tsalyuk says. "It's at least one good thing to happen to Ukraine. They have so many people traumatized. They need psychedelics out there like we have here, too, because their minds need to be reset. People [at war] need to realize what they did and how they're used to kill others."

Tsalyuk says she would like to provide free consulting and business advice to Ukrainians in the marijuana industry at some point, but right now she's focused on raising awareness and donations for the war-torn country. She and Yuma Way partnered with Keef Brands last year to create special blue-and-yellow labels for the infused beverage brand's blue raspberry soda, with $1 of each dispensary sale going to Ukrainian-focused charities. Yuma Way stores are also currently collecting donations for organizations such as Ukrainians of Colorado, the Bethel Community and the Ukraine Jewish Relief Fund.