Several years after selling their Castaway Trash Hauling company, the Duque family is launching Greenleaf Wellness, a medical marijuana dispensary in a former Wendy's restaurant in Sparks, Nevada. The grand opening on May 12 at 4 p.m. marks their full entry into the cannabis industry, highlighting how entrepreneurial families adapt to lucrative green markets amid shifting regulations.
From Garbage Trucks to Grow Facilities
The Duques, led by 71-year-old Spike Duque and his children Tammy Kolvet and Steven Duque, operated Castaway Trash Hauling in Sparks for a decade before selling to Waste Management in 2013. Their diverse portfolio once included dirt sales and trucking, but last year they pivoted to a 33,800-square-foot marijuana cultivation facility under Greenleaf Wellness. Licensed for production, the site now produces the unmistakable skunky aroma of cannabis—a "slightly better smelling" upgrade from trash, as family members quip.
- Family admits zero prior cannabis experience, relying on trust and quick learning.
- New 3,000-square-foot dispensary at 1730 Glendale Avenue becomes Sparks' third, the 11th in Northern Nevada.
- Sparks uniquely shields licensee identities, a policy under Nevada Supreme Court review after a media challenge.
Navigating Cash-Heavy Realities and Family Dynamics
Transitioning to cannabis brings unique hurdles. Federally classified as a Schedule I drug, marijuana forces operators like Greenleaf to handle massive cash volumes, as most banks refuse deposits. Steven Duque calls it a top safety concern, underscoring risks in an industry projected to generate $7.7 billion in Nevada sales by 2021, per state estimates.
Family collaboration adds layers: "He tells us what we're doing and we follow," Kolvet says of her father. Yet their bond shines through, as in rare group photos amid chocolate displays, evoking holiday cheer over harvest yields.
Implications for Nevada's Cannabis Boom
This shift mirrors broader trends in states like Nevada, where medical marijuana launched in 2010 and recreational sales followed in 2017, spurring economic diversification. Family businesses, comprising 90% of U.S. farms and firms, thrive in cannabis by leveraging grit over credentials—much like Duques repurposing logistics savvy for compliance-heavy grows.
Implications extend to public health and culture: Dispensaries expand access for 200,000+ registered patients, potentially easing opioid reliance amid Nevada's high addiction rates. Yet odor complaints and cash vulnerabilities signal growing pains, urging better banking reforms and odor-mitigation tech for community harmony.
