https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/mrxezxxm<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cA show like this is really needed to make the stigma of using cannabis go away,\u201d Millen said. \u201cAnd the biggest hurdle is educating people about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that the public has been brainwashed by the federal government for decades, told that cannabis is the \u201cdevil\u2019s lettuce\u201d and has no medicinal value.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alcohol industry, the tobacco industry, church groups have campaigns perpetuating negativity but it\u2019s time the truth comes out,\u201d Millen said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the boogie man living in the dispensary, it\u2019s not all a bunch of stoners behind the counter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Industry in turmoil<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been more than a dozen years since voters began legalizing recreational use of marijuana for people age 21 and older in the U.S., a trend that now includes 24 states and the District of Columbia. Michigan voters legalized adult recreational cannabis use in 2018.<\/p>\n
For some, the emerging industry signaled an entrepreneurial opportunity to grab a piece of the so-called \u201cmodern gold rush\u201d or \u201cgreen rush.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it hasn\u2019t panned out for the majority of those who ventured into the market as marijuana retailers. Industry statistics show 75% of cannabis dispensaries aren\u2019t making a profit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cannabis business is in turmoil, lots are going out of business,\u201d Millen said. But his Walled Lake store has done very well since it opened nearly seven years ago for medical marijuana patients, he said, with recreational marijuana sales following in 2020.<\/p>\n
The financial success has been a blessing for his family, Millen said, and motivates him to \u201cgive back \u2014 exposing the truth about cannabis and helping other businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
CannaBiz Rescue is \u201cseveral shows rolled into one,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s an educational show about cannabis, a remodeling show, a family drama, a business show.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TOP-L-cannabizrescueshow0125-04.jpg\")
Jerry Millen checking out product at a cannabis grow facility featured in the CannaBiz Rescue pilot (screenshot from CannaBiz Rescue promo reel, shared by Jerry Millen)
\nPopular genre<\/p>\n
The CannaBiz Rescue concept was developed in 2024 by Millen, a former television sports journalist in Detroit who also worked for TV shows in LA and New York City. Millen said he\u2019s on a mission to educate people about cannabis and the cannabis industry \u2014 returning to his television roots to do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, what if we had a (TV series) that shows cannabis is not all Snoop Dogg and Cheech and Chong \u2026 that senior citizens and cancer patients and people with (post traumatic stress disorder) and others are being helped by it \u2014 really what goes on in a business, and help struggling businesses turn it around,\u201d he said. \u201cBut do it in a way that\u2019s entertaining, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Millen put up $1 million of his own money to fund the pilot. He uses a \u201ctough love\u201d approach with the dispensary owners and describes the show as \u201csimilar to \u2018Bar Rescue\u2019 with a little more compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TOP-L-cannabizrescueshow0125.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Aileen Wingblad\/MediaNews Group<\/p>\n
Jerry Millen, pictured here at The Greenhouse in Walled Lake, is passionate about educating people on cannabis and its benefits (Aileen Wingblad\/MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n
\u201cBar Rescue\u201d is hosted by entrepreneur Jon Taffer, who claims to have started, flipped or owned more than 600 bars and clubs in his career. The series premiered in 2011 and now airs on the Paramount Network.<\/p>\n
Each episode showcases a struggling bar, often highlighting deep-rooted issues like poor management or business practices, health code violations such as mold or dead pests in ice machines, and bad drinks \u2014 under the pressure of a limited timeframe to fix it.<\/p>\n
Taffer tries to transform failing bars by introducing new concepts, revamping menus, improving staff training and overseeing renovations using his aggressive management style and industry expertise to make them profitable before they close down.<\/p>\n
\u201cRestaurant: Impossible\u201d was hosted by Robert Irvine and premiered in 2011 but was ultimately canceled in 2023. It followed Taffer\u2019s script but focused on restaurants.<\/p>\n
The makeover genre of reality TV is popular and lucrative, attracting millions of viewers and millions more in advertising dollars and sponsor support.<\/p>\n
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, with his fiery personality and exacting standards, has a number of rescue shows to his credit including \u201cKitchen Nightmares\u201d and \u201c24 Hours to Hell & Back\u201d for struggling restaurants, and \u201cHotel Hell\u201d for struggling hotels and bed and breakfasts.<\/p>\n
Partnering with Millen for CannaBiz Rescue are veteran TV producers Kevin Kay and Todd Nelson. Kay\u2019s credentials include president of Paramount Network, TV Land, CMT and Spike TV, and leadership at Nickelodeon Development and Production. Nelson has the success of several reality television shows including \u201cMasterChef,\u201d \u201cThe Biggest Loser\u201d and \u201cBar Rescue\u201d to his credit.<\/p>\n
In the CannaBiz Rescue pilot\u2019s promo video, Millen states: \u201cEach episode, we take on a real dispensary on the brink \u2026 bleeding cash, losing customers and barely holding on \u2026 from product to profit, culture to compliance, we overhaul everything. When all hope seems lost, we give them one last shot at survival.\u201d<\/p>\n
And every makeover, he adds, \u201cis a thrilling, unpredictable ride.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"group](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TOP-L-cannabizrescueshow0125-05.jpg\")
Jerry Millen uses a “tough love” approach with his advice on saving struggling cannabis dispensaries (screenshot from CannaBiz Rescue promo reel, shared by Jerry Millen)<\/p>\n
Casting directors from 3 Ball Entertainment, the company producing CannaBiz Rescue, interviewed 10 dispensary owners before selecting the Denver business for the 44-minute pilot. Wendi and Malcom, the owners of what was known as Cross Genetics, were headed for divorce and had already lost two of their three dispensaries before CannaBiz Rescue swooped in, Millen said.<\/p>\n
In the pilot, Millen and the cameras visit facilities that manufacture and distribute marijuana products and Millen observes and assesses the dispensary\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n
As financial collapse looms for Wendi and Malcolm\u2019s third store, Millen tells them point-blank: \u201cYou\u2019re losing $30,000 a month, you are screwed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then shares insights and strategies to move the business on the path to profitability. The business also receives a $200,000 makeover \u2014 a cost built into the initial investment for the pilot.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not only the cannabis industry that needs this show,\u201d Millen said. \u201cAmerica needs us. People need to know it\u2019s OK to use cannabis, and shows like this can change the entire outlook in America.\u201d<\/p>\n
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![\"group](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TOP-L-cannabizrescueshow0125-01_829555.jpg\")
Jerry Millen talking about the marijuana industry during the CannaBiz Rescue pilot (screenshot from CannaBiz Rescue promo reel, shared by Jerry Millen)<\/p>\n