Oregon Dispensaries Eager For Recreational Cannabis Sales

[Jacob Redmond]

The beginning of recreational marijuana sales in October, three months earlier than originally approved by Oregon voters, brings excitement but uncertainty to producers and vendors.

More than 200 of Oregon's 345 medical marijuana dispensaries have notified the Oregon Health Authority of their intent to sell recreational marijuana.

"They're looking forward to the payday," said Marv Olson of Healing Green, a marijuana dispensary in Independence. "I'm expecting our business to at least double."

Starting Thursday, Oct. 1, Oregon customers 21 and older will be able to buy ready-to-smoke marijuana, seeds and live plants. The move is another major implementation of new rules following Oregon's adoption of a ballot measure that legalized the recreational marijuana market in-state and changes the Legislature made to govern the new market. Next, the state will put systems in place to license and tax the industry. Sales won't be untaxed until January.

The state and marijuana businesses have been preparing for months to open the floodgates to new recreational-marijuana customers. As part of the preparation, dispensaries are stocking up on marijuana.

On Thursday afternoon, Adrienne Nelson and Coral Cronin of Wild West Growers, a cannabis farming collective based in Eugene, delivered product to one of their dispensary customers, CannaMedicine. For Nelson and Cronin, the start of recreational sales is a welcomed new chapter for their business.

"It's exciting, but nobody knows what to expect," Nelson said.

Olson is also filling his shop's supplies and said he's thrilled recreational sales are beginning. He hopes they'll help mitigate the stigma still surrounding marijuana use.

"I've been here since the '70s, and this has always been the state to go to for marijuana," Olson said.

Nelson and Cronin had been busy recently: Wild West Growers harvested more than 30 pounds of marijuana to get ready for the early sales start.

"I had product earlier this week, and I'll be out tomorrow," Nelson said.

CannaMedicine, the dispensary she and Cronin delivered to in an unmarked white van, is the largest in Salem and the second-largest in state, said its manager, Crystal Young.

Like dispensaries around the state, CannaMedicine is getting ready for a drove of new customers when recreational sales begin.

In the display room where marijuana products are available for sale, Young was setting up a new point-of-sale station for recreational customers. She usually has at least 24 strains of marijuana available for sale in glass jars. A dozen or so clones, immature marijuana plants, sat under a grow-light in the corner, a fan blowing fresh air over their distinctive leaves. They sell for $15 each.

Nelson mentioned she sells about 1,000 clones a week through Wild West Growers.

And although a lot of marijuana has been produced for the beginning of October, a customer can only buy 7 grams a day.

"Now, 7 grams is actually quite a bit. If you're smoking that much flower in a day, then you need to cut back," Olson said.

For Young, recreational sales will be a new aspect of her business, but she said prices at the dispensary should remain comparative to medicinal cannabis around $12 per gram.

"Some dispensaries are going to up the price anyways," Cronin said, adding that prices will reflect full-tax amounts so they can be adjusted without shocking customers when taxes do take effect.

Taxes won't be put in place until Jan. 4, when a 25 percent tax on retail sales at dispensaries will be enforced.

In the meantime, Young is concerned with stocking shelves and getting ready for customers. If they come late Wednesday night, waiting for the clock to strike midnight, she'll be ready for them.

"I'll make hot dogs for them if they want to line up," she said.

News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Oregon Dispensaries Eager For Recreational Cannabis Sales
Author: Gordon Friedman
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Photo Credit: Darryl Dyck
Website: The Statesman Journal

 

[hempaz]

Now, THIS is a green rush! Expect all 200 dispensaries opting to sell #RecMj to be SOLD OUT of buds, flowers, clones, and seeds within the first three days of cracking open the #RecMj market in OR. Surprisingly, there are a number of both cities and towns that have opted out totally when it comes to #RecMj establishments in OR. In fact, there are over 100 legal entities in Oregon, both cities and counties that have chosen to stick their heads in the sand. The highways flowing traffic into the State of Oregon will be bumper-to-bumper from Idaho and Utah and parts northwest of the state (The Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming ... did I miss any states?). On the obverse, expect law enforcement to be on high alert in all of the western states and along the Canadian border. The "green" trouts and salmons are doing a special fall "rut" come Oct 1st in OR. I suggest the south coast of OR. How about Brookings? There's a #MedMj facility there right on the main drag. Southcoast ... that's where its at.

 

[Big Sur]

Agreed, I give it 3 days myself before they (medical MJ dispensaries) are sold out. From what I have heard from some medical MJ places, they are low on supply and demand is already high. Which is the bad thing about this late legal move in Oregon. Medical buyers are buying before the stores are overrun. The medical MJ supply simply cannot feed the open market. Though the rec market likely wants high THC strains, and not high CBD as is more common in medical weed. Some of us are not in a huge rush to buy though, as we have buds growing here in our backyards. I am more interested in seeds myself, and maybe 4 more starter plants to get me through the winter indoors.

Some counties and cities have banned recreational sales at medical MJ dispensaries. Good news for medical buyers though. Also if the supply runs out, we can always drive up to Washington state and buy there legally in stores, where rec weed has been in full swing for a while now. Hopefully the weed prices in Oregon will drag prices lower in WA state. The black market is also going to flourish, even though the states are trying to stomp it out. Medical MJ places are apt to buy any goods from any source, because from October to January, sales are tax-free and licensed growers do not exist and supply tracking is not in place. Prices are falling and black market weed prices are as low as $120/oz of some good stuff.

2 more days to d-day.

 

[stones55]

20% tax ??? Guess what ? This tax puts the price of the product at an unreasonable level and it certainly will have an effect on sales. I see people gravitating toward buying seeds or clones and getting into a small grow for their own use. After all --- growing cannabis is NOT rocket science. I've seen some of the most inept people find success with their endeavors. Sooooooo, people. Make your voice be heard. The market and the retailers need to let the Establishment know that once again, Big Brother has spoiled the broth....

 

[Lilarose1941]

I live in Bandon on the South Oregon Coast. We have a city council still living in the dark ages. I would drive to Brookings, but I don't know anything about this subject other than I would love to have some seeds/plants. I have used marijuana only twice in my life. I have a medical condition that is painful and would like help from marijuana rather than pain pills. How can I get seeds/plants in Brookings?

 

[Big Sur]

20% tax ??? Guess what ? This tax puts the price of the product at an unreasonable level and it certainly will have an effect on sales. I see people gravitating toward buying seeds or clones and getting into a small grow for their own use. After all --- growing cannabis is NOT rocket science. I've seen some of the most inept people find success with their endeavors. Sooooooo, people. Make your voice be heard. The market and the retailers need to let the Establishment know that once again, Big Brother has spoiled the broth....

Actually the tax will be 25% in Oregon. But MMJ dispensary owners that I have talked to believe that the cost of weed will drop to compensate for the tax when it is implemented in January. Weed here in Oregon sells for between $7 to $15 a gram. Compare that to WA state where it typically sells for $20 a gram and up. So even after the Oregon tax kicks in, it will still be cheaper than WA, where it sells at a good clip.

Also the black market is alive and well here, regardless of intentions of these laws.

 

[OlderGrower]

I've seen some of the most inept people find success with their endeavors.

Have we met?

 

[Big Sur]

Agreed, I give it 3 days myself before they (medical MJ dispensaries) are sold out.

Well, its been a month and a half now since the sale of weed became legal in Oregon. I have to say that I was dead wrong about the supply issue. There is a LOT of weed to be bought in Oregon. As a matter of fact, I was at my local MMJ dispensary the other day, and they had a whopping 50 strains available for sale. 50 strains! I bought some Blue Dream and GDP, 2 strains I want to grow next year. I was also talking to the owner of Canna Daddy's, the largest MMJ store in Oregon, and he has 38 growers that he can get weed from. So according to him, they are not going to run out of weed for sale. Ever.

Plant sales here in Oregon have also been very brisk. I have been running around town trying to find the strains that I want before the tax hits, and also so I can clone them before the spring outdoor grow season. The problem is that the MMJ shops here that sell plants run out fast. The story goes that people in WA state come down and buy them all out. That is because it is not legal to buy MJ plants in WA w/o a Medical MJ card. Also the Medical MJ program in WA state may be completely phased out, so it will no longer be legal to grow in WA, either rec or medical. So the buying frenzy is on from WA. Blue Dream has been impossible to find, but I snagged a clone yesterday!