Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Rainier - Before opening a new medical marijuana dispensary just outside of Rainier, Raegan Royale said she had never tried pot. When she finally gave it a try, it was in the form of a marijuana-infused gummy bear.
"It was disgusting," Royale recalled, laughing.
So when selecting edible marijuana products for the Big Bhang, which opened May 9, Royale said she selected products without an overwhelming aftertaste of weed. Take, for instance, the dispensary's almond and peanut butter brittle, which Royale said hits your tongue with a taste of butter and nothing else. Or the chocolate truffles designed to taste more like a Dove candy bar.
Edibles have offered a healthy boost to Big Bhang's bottom line after they became legal for recreational pot users in Oregon earlier this month. Economists say edibles will be a big player in the state's growing marijuana business, even though some sellers say they may not catch on because they are comparatively less potent than other forms of pot.
Last October, medical dispensaries were allowed to start selling recreational pot in limited quantities to people over the age of 21. However, edibles weren't legal for recreational users until June 2 this year.
"Edibles have always been popular for the most part," Royale said, but "it's definitely picked up" when the law changed. She estimates that total sales expanded by 30 percent.
State economists estimate that the addition of edibles will increase total sales dollars of marijuana products across the state by 10 percent.
"At first there will be some users who will try it and see how they adapt to it. Some do not like the idea of smoking," said Mazen Malik, senior economist at the Oregon Legislative Revenue Office.
But Malik said it's difficult to predict exactly how the market will change as edibles begin to be manufactured on a wide scale.
"In the legal market there is no precedence of them being widely consumed. These are products that are coming online because of the legalization," Malik said. In the past "you did not have chocolate-infused marijuana bars being sold by a shady character on the corner from their jacket pocket."
Originally state economists expected to raise $8.4 million in tax revenue (after costs) for the 2015-2017 biennium. But strong sales volume and lower-than-expected costs has prompted them to boost the estimate to $43 million, more than a fourfold increase. (Revenues for the next biennium are expected to decline because the tax rate on marijuana drops next year.)
Despite the emergence of edible pot, smokable leafy "flower" marijuana is the most popular product, at least in the Rainier market, dispensary owners here say. Royale said flower marijuana makes up half of Big Bhang's sales. The other half is divided among edibles, tinctures and concentrates.
While Royale is bullish on edibles, the other Rainier retailer is less enthuiasitc. Josh Prahl, manager at Oregon Medical Grade, believes customers won't flock to edibles until THC concentration levels pick up. (THC is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects.)
"There's people buying (edibles), but it's just not flying off the shelf. The flower is still more popular than the edibles right now, and it's basically because (edibles have) such a low dosage," Prahl said.
State law sets lower limits for the THC content in recreational edible products than medical, a move intended to protect children. The state now allows up to 50 milligrams of THC per container. That's still half the limit that medical grades can have.
And dispensaries are bracing for more changes to come. Starting Dec. 31, medical dispensaries will no longer be able to sell recreational marijuana, paving the way for retail stores.
Recreational shops will be able to sell some medical grade products, but the Oregon Health Authority hasn't yet determined quantity or dosage levels, said Mark Pettinger, spokesperson for Oregon Liquor Control Commission.
About 80 percent of Big Bhang's customers are recreational users, so the business will switch from being a medical dispensary to being a retail shop, Royale said.
The day-to-day changing regulations keep the business exciting for Royale.
Even though she was never a heavy user herself, Royale approaches it as a business venture and a chance to tap into Oregon's nascent recreational market.
"My interest was more, 'Well can I do this? Can I succeed?' " she said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New Rainier Pot Dispensary Feeds Appetite For Edibles
Author: Marissa Luck
Contact: 360-577-2500
Photo Credit: Roger Werth
Website: The Daily News
"It was disgusting," Royale recalled, laughing.
So when selecting edible marijuana products for the Big Bhang, which opened May 9, Royale said she selected products without an overwhelming aftertaste of weed. Take, for instance, the dispensary's almond and peanut butter brittle, which Royale said hits your tongue with a taste of butter and nothing else. Or the chocolate truffles designed to taste more like a Dove candy bar.
Edibles have offered a healthy boost to Big Bhang's bottom line after they became legal for recreational pot users in Oregon earlier this month. Economists say edibles will be a big player in the state's growing marijuana business, even though some sellers say they may not catch on because they are comparatively less potent than other forms of pot.
Last October, medical dispensaries were allowed to start selling recreational pot in limited quantities to people over the age of 21. However, edibles weren't legal for recreational users until June 2 this year.
"Edibles have always been popular for the most part," Royale said, but "it's definitely picked up" when the law changed. She estimates that total sales expanded by 30 percent.
State economists estimate that the addition of edibles will increase total sales dollars of marijuana products across the state by 10 percent.
"At first there will be some users who will try it and see how they adapt to it. Some do not like the idea of smoking," said Mazen Malik, senior economist at the Oregon Legislative Revenue Office.
But Malik said it's difficult to predict exactly how the market will change as edibles begin to be manufactured on a wide scale.
"In the legal market there is no precedence of them being widely consumed. These are products that are coming online because of the legalization," Malik said. In the past "you did not have chocolate-infused marijuana bars being sold by a shady character on the corner from their jacket pocket."
Originally state economists expected to raise $8.4 million in tax revenue (after costs) for the 2015-2017 biennium. But strong sales volume and lower-than-expected costs has prompted them to boost the estimate to $43 million, more than a fourfold increase. (Revenues for the next biennium are expected to decline because the tax rate on marijuana drops next year.)
Despite the emergence of edible pot, smokable leafy "flower" marijuana is the most popular product, at least in the Rainier market, dispensary owners here say. Royale said flower marijuana makes up half of Big Bhang's sales. The other half is divided among edibles, tinctures and concentrates.
While Royale is bullish on edibles, the other Rainier retailer is less enthuiasitc. Josh Prahl, manager at Oregon Medical Grade, believes customers won't flock to edibles until THC concentration levels pick up. (THC is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects.)
"There's people buying (edibles), but it's just not flying off the shelf. The flower is still more popular than the edibles right now, and it's basically because (edibles have) such a low dosage," Prahl said.
State law sets lower limits for the THC content in recreational edible products than medical, a move intended to protect children. The state now allows up to 50 milligrams of THC per container. That's still half the limit that medical grades can have.
And dispensaries are bracing for more changes to come. Starting Dec. 31, medical dispensaries will no longer be able to sell recreational marijuana, paving the way for retail stores.
Recreational shops will be able to sell some medical grade products, but the Oregon Health Authority hasn't yet determined quantity or dosage levels, said Mark Pettinger, spokesperson for Oregon Liquor Control Commission.
About 80 percent of Big Bhang's customers are recreational users, so the business will switch from being a medical dispensary to being a retail shop, Royale said.
The day-to-day changing regulations keep the business exciting for Royale.
Even though she was never a heavy user herself, Royale approaches it as a business venture and a chance to tap into Oregon's nascent recreational market.
"My interest was more, 'Well can I do this? Can I succeed?' " she said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New Rainier Pot Dispensary Feeds Appetite For Edibles
Author: Marissa Luck
Contact: 360-577-2500
Photo Credit: Roger Werth
Website: The Daily News
