PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) —
Oregon marijuana shops began selling marijuana Thursday for the first time to
recreational users, marking a big day for the budding pot industry.
Some of the more than
250 dispensaries that already offer medical marijuana in Oregon opened their
doors soon after midnight — just moments after it became legal to sell to
anyone who is at least 21.
At Portland's Shango
Premium Cannabis, co-founder Shane McKee said the first sale to an excited
customer came about a minute after midnight, with many others waiting.
"It looks like
there is about 60-70 in line out front," he said in a telephone interview
shortly after midnight. "They all seem extremely eager."
That first buyer, Davia
Fleming of Portland, said the sales launch was important.
"I was really
excited about that," said Fleming, who uses the drug for medicinal
purposes. "It's the end of a prohibition."
She described the
atmosphere inside the store as "beautiful. ... very friendly; everyone is
upbeat."
Store owners say
they're hopeful they can avoid the shortages and price spikes that followed the
start of legal sales last year in Washington and Colorado, the only other
states where the drug can now be sold for recreational use. Alaska could begin
retail sales next year.
Many stores in Oregon
were trying to lure customers with extended hours, food giveaways and
discounted marijuana.
McKee said his store
offered its first 25 customer a 35-40 percent discount. The store was also
handing out soda, coffee, juice and other refreshments.
But he also pointed to
what he considered the significance of the moment.
Customers line up
outside of Shango Premium Cannabis, in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Sept. 30,
2015. …
"I think it's not
only historical for folks in Oregon but nationwide — anytime people start
selling that as an alternative to alcohol or tobacco."
Shoppers have one more
incentive to buy early and often: Under Oregon law, pot purchases will be
tax-free until January — a savings of up to 20 percent.
One store was offering
a goody bag with T-shirts, but no free marijuana. Another will have a live band
and 10 percent discounts. The marijuana review site Leafly will set up with
food trucks at a handful of stores, giving away free meals to anyone who
promotes the service on social media.
Several stores have
erected billboards in Portland. A shop in Merlin is advertising on the radio.
"I'm just trying
to basically stock up for maybe four or five times what the normal volume would
be," said Chris Byers, owner of River City Dispensary in the southern
Oregon town of Merlin. Juliano Hamana, 24, samples the aroma of one of
the …
Juliano Hamana, 24,
samples the aroma of one of the offerings at Shango Premium Cannabis, in
Portlan …
Customers can buy as
much as seven grams at a time of dried marijuana flower and leaf — the part
that's generally smoked — plus plants and seeds. For the next year or so,
marijuana infused candy, cookies, oils and lotions will be available only to
people with medical marijuana cards as the state works on retail regulations
involving those products.
Oregon has a robust
supply system for marijuana that has supported medical marijuana users and the
black market. Companies have invested in massive warehouses in Portland to grow
the drug indoors, and southern Oregon has some of the nation's best conditions
for outdoor cultivation of marijuana.
Growers don't face
strict regulations yet, so the supply can more easily flow into retail stores
than it did in Washington and Colorado.
Still, there's concern.
Summer has historically been a time of marijuana shortages in Oregon, and most
of the outdoor crop isn't ready to harvest. Indoor growers have had minimal
time to ramp up production, since lawmakers only approved the Oct. 1 start date
three months ago.
"We have kind of a
seasonal growing market here in Oregon," said Jeremy Pratt, owner of
Nectar Cannabis, which has four stores in Portland. "We have lots of
product in the fall, and then it kind of gets tight this time of year
anyway."
Green Oasis, which has
two locations in Portland and more on the way, has prepared by trying to
cultivate strong relationships with growers. On Thursday evening, it will
entice customers with a band playing outdoors. People who spend at least $40 on
Thursday will get a 10 percent discount, co-owner Matthew Schwimmer said.
"We don't know of
anyone else doing a band, and we thought it was a good idea to give back to the
community," Schwimmer said.
Seavey reported from
Phoenix
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