“Jimmy Limo” Striegel, a vocal proponent the last few years for selling cannabis in the City of Weed, let it be known this week that he made the first purchase of legal weed in Weed, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018.
That was the day La Florista Cannabis opened and became the first medical cannabis dispensary/alternative medical clinic doing business in Weed.
Based on the city’s current ordinance, the dispensary is selling medical cannabis only at 242 Main Street – in the downtown building that previously housed Edgewood Custom Interiors furniture store.
La Florista is open to people age 18 and older who have valid doctor’s recommendations and identification.
La Florista Cannabis also has an aesthetician, Kathleen Ison, who takes appointments for seaweed wraps, facials, massage, far-infrared therapy, ionic therapy and aroma therapy.
Proprietor Elizabeth Tabor said children under 18 are not allowed inside the front door.
Two medical cannabis dispensary/alternative medical clinics have received permits to operate in Weed, the only two permits the City has available at this time.
To qualify for the permits that allow them to sell medical cannabis in Weed, the businesses were required to also offer alternative wellness therapies.
Weed Mayor Pro Tem Bob Hall said the City Council has not approved sales of recreational cannabis, although it is legal in California as of Jan. 1. Hall said the city is taking the process slowly.
The other permit was issued to Patrick Riley and Accensus Group. Their shop, which is across the street from La Florista, at 241 Main Street, has not yet opened.
La Florista’s “soft opening,” was not advertised, yet several people saw the “Open” sign and came in. Striegel was first inside the door.
Recreational customers found the store, too. About 12 people had to be turned away and were referred to Tabor’s cannabis shop in Mount Shasta, where the current ordinance does allow cannabis sales to recreational users.
However, in her Mount Shasta store, Tabor said she heard the lament daily, “Man, we just stopped in Weed, and we can’t get any weed in Weed?”
Which is a point that Striegel and others have been making to the Weed City Council. “I’ve been prodding the Weed Council for 5 years to embrace the town’s fortunate name and get ready for legalization,” Striegel wrote in an email. “Well…. here we go! When I started the Council was 5-0 against me, now they’re 5-0 behind capitalizing on California’s new canna-economy. Should bring lots of badly needed jobs and tax revenue to the town.”
