Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
And you thought Starbucks got crowded. Before dawn Monday, lines began to form outside of many of San Diego's licensed marijuana stores and they soon snaked part way around buildings on the first day of recreational cannabis sales in California.
Hundreds of customers – everyone from older people in leisure suits to a young man in pajamas got in line – waited upwards of an hour to buy such things as pre-rolled joints to topical creams and foods infused with marijuana.
By noon, Torrey Holistics in Sorrento Valley had served more than 500 people, it had another 150 in line, and its shop was at capacity. Urbn Leaf had served more than 350 at its Bay Park location, and was dealing with a line nearly as long. The store also was bussing in customers from a bar in Pacific Beach, and it was using 27 drivers to make deliveries in San Diego, which is currently the only part of the county where recreational cannabis can be sold.
"We can deliver marijuana in 20 minutes; it's like pizza," said Will Senn, co-founder of Urbn Leaf.
He surveyed the line outside of his Bay Park store and said, "This is crazy. We hoped for big crowds, and prepared. But we didn't expect this. And people are being really calm about it."
By noon Monday, the store had served more than 350 customers, more than it serves all day.
"We're at capacity inside, we have 75 people in line, and the line is getting longer," Senn said. "We would get as many as 1,000 people by the end of the day."
Further north, Torrey Holistics in Sorrento Valley had greeted at least 250 customers by 9 a.m., and it was dealing with a long line. Business also was brisk at A Green Alternative, a small shop in Otay Mesa, four blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border.
"We're going to have three times the normal number of customers today," said Zach Lazarus, the store's co-founder. "The stigma of marijuana is going away."
California has been both a leader and a lagger when it come to cannabis.
In 1996, it became the first state to approve medical marijuana, legislation that has since spread to almost 30 other states.
But California trailed four other states in approving recreational marijuana, which is also known as "adult use" cannabis.
California joined the list in November 2016 when voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition, which made it legal for people to possess and grow a small amount of cannabis. The law also made it legal to sell so-called "adult use" weed in licensed shops.
Counties and communities were given the right to opt out, and about 70 percent of those
About 70 percent of California's counties and cities did ban the commercial sale or cultivation, or both, of marijuana. But many cities embraced it – notably San Diego, which approved a supply chain for the cultivation, manufacture, testing and sale of cannabis.
Nearly 12 stores in San Diego were awarded licenses for recreational marijuana, including Torrey Holistics in Sorrento Valley, where a big crowed turned out early Monday, creating a line more than 60 people long.
"We've turned this into a celebration to make it go smoothly," said Ruthie Edelson, the store's marketing director. "We're having raffles live music and food."
Business was even brisk at the city's southernmost store, A Green Alternative in Otay Mesa, four blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border.
At 6:30 a.m, Richard Gold stood in the dark, and lingering fog, waiting for the 7 a.m. opening.
"This is historic, and I wanted to be the first person in line," said Gold, who lives in Lemon Grove.
"I've been smoking marijuana for 55 years. It is a good way to stay calm. I believe that this should be legal across the country."
Gold was followed into the store by Karla Cendejas of Chula Vista, who also wanted to join in the celebration of the first day of recreational cannabis sales.
"Weed is my thing and I didn't want to miss this,' Cendejas said. "This is really exciting."
Zach Lazarus, the store's co-founder, watched a steady stream of customers file and said, "We're going to get 2 to 3 times the normal number of people by the end of the day. We'll get 200 to 300 customers, maybe more."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Crowds swamp San Diego's pot shops on first day of recreational marijuana sales - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Author: Gary Robbins
Contact: Contact the Union-Tribune - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Photo Credit: Nelvin C Cepeda
Website: The San Diego Union-Tribune - San Diego, California & National News
Hundreds of customers – everyone from older people in leisure suits to a young man in pajamas got in line – waited upwards of an hour to buy such things as pre-rolled joints to topical creams and foods infused with marijuana.
By noon, Torrey Holistics in Sorrento Valley had served more than 500 people, it had another 150 in line, and its shop was at capacity. Urbn Leaf had served more than 350 at its Bay Park location, and was dealing with a line nearly as long. The store also was bussing in customers from a bar in Pacific Beach, and it was using 27 drivers to make deliveries in San Diego, which is currently the only part of the county where recreational cannabis can be sold.
"We can deliver marijuana in 20 minutes; it's like pizza," said Will Senn, co-founder of Urbn Leaf.
He surveyed the line outside of his Bay Park store and said, "This is crazy. We hoped for big crowds, and prepared. But we didn't expect this. And people are being really calm about it."
By noon Monday, the store had served more than 350 customers, more than it serves all day.
"We're at capacity inside, we have 75 people in line, and the line is getting longer," Senn said. "We would get as many as 1,000 people by the end of the day."
Further north, Torrey Holistics in Sorrento Valley had greeted at least 250 customers by 9 a.m., and it was dealing with a long line. Business also was brisk at A Green Alternative, a small shop in Otay Mesa, four blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border.
"We're going to have three times the normal number of customers today," said Zach Lazarus, the store's co-founder. "The stigma of marijuana is going away."
California has been both a leader and a lagger when it come to cannabis.
In 1996, it became the first state to approve medical marijuana, legislation that has since spread to almost 30 other states.
But California trailed four other states in approving recreational marijuana, which is also known as "adult use" cannabis.
California joined the list in November 2016 when voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition, which made it legal for people to possess and grow a small amount of cannabis. The law also made it legal to sell so-called "adult use" weed in licensed shops.
Counties and communities were given the right to opt out, and about 70 percent of those
About 70 percent of California's counties and cities did ban the commercial sale or cultivation, or both, of marijuana. But many cities embraced it – notably San Diego, which approved a supply chain for the cultivation, manufacture, testing and sale of cannabis.
Nearly 12 stores in San Diego were awarded licenses for recreational marijuana, including Torrey Holistics in Sorrento Valley, where a big crowed turned out early Monday, creating a line more than 60 people long.
"We've turned this into a celebration to make it go smoothly," said Ruthie Edelson, the store's marketing director. "We're having raffles live music and food."
Business was even brisk at the city's southernmost store, A Green Alternative in Otay Mesa, four blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border.
At 6:30 a.m, Richard Gold stood in the dark, and lingering fog, waiting for the 7 a.m. opening.
"This is historic, and I wanted to be the first person in line," said Gold, who lives in Lemon Grove.
"I've been smoking marijuana for 55 years. It is a good way to stay calm. I believe that this should be legal across the country."
Gold was followed into the store by Karla Cendejas of Chula Vista, who also wanted to join in the celebration of the first day of recreational cannabis sales.
"Weed is my thing and I didn't want to miss this,' Cendejas said. "This is really exciting."
Zach Lazarus, the store's co-founder, watched a steady stream of customers file and said, "We're going to get 2 to 3 times the normal number of people by the end of the day. We'll get 200 to 300 customers, maybe more."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Crowds swamp San Diego's pot shops on first day of recreational marijuana sales - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Author: Gary Robbins
Contact: Contact the Union-Tribune - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Photo Credit: Nelvin C Cepeda
Website: The San Diego Union-Tribune - San Diego, California & National News
