Photo: The Green Cross.What's the number one rule of business? Know your customer. Girl Scout and future titan of industry Danielle Lei, 13, officially has that one in the bag. On Presidents Day, the teen (and her mother) decided to set up shop just outside The Green Cross medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco. Shockingly, the cookies went like gangbusters. Customers gobbled up 117 boxes in just two hours, including her entire stock of Dulce de Leches and Tagalongs.
Unfortunately, Danielle's business acumen has not gone down well with some (killjoy) adult humans. Some Girl Scouts of America officials, including the spokesperson for Girl Scouts of Colorado (where weed was recently legalized), have already expressed their disapproval.
Danielle's mother Carol, for her part, said she and her daughters had set up shop in front of pot clinics in the past. She also indicated that she was using this particular opportunity to have a frank conversation with Danielle about drugs. As she told Mashable, "You put it in terms that they may understand," Carol said. "I'm not condoning it, I'm not saying go out in the streets and take marijuana[...] It also adds a little bit of cool factor. I can be a cool parent for a little bit."
From our perspective, at least, the situation reflects the ambivalent, often contradictory attitude many Americans share toward marijuana. While data shows that almost 60% of Americans support the legalization of pot, and medicinal use of the drug has also gained widespread support among doctors and civilians alike, there's still a very real stigma attached to lighting up. As more and more states inevitably follow Colorado's lead, what will it take for a situation like this to be seen as a simple instance of teenage ingenuity? As The Green Cross' Holli Bert pointed out to us, "The biggest accomplishment she's made is raising money for the Girl Scouts, as well as Alzheimer's related charitable causes. She should be commended for her intelligence and business-savvy mindset." We couldn't agree more. (Mashable)