DISCOVERY BAY –– River Carey of Port Townsend purchased the first legal recreational marijuana on the North Olympic Peninsula at Sea Change Cannabis in Discovery Bay on Friday morning.
“I’m going home to smoke this right now,” Carey said. “I’m going to have weed in my car on the highway.”
Carey paid $106.50 cash for two one-eighth ounce packages of Peninsula Cannabis marijuana — one bag of the OG Gohst Train Haze variety and one bag of White Widow — and a pack of Elements rolling papers.
“This [expletive] is expensive,” Carey said.
Carey arrived at 8 a.m. for the Sea Change grand opening, and bought the marijuana from budtender Jessica Bahrijczuk shortly after owner
Greg Brotherton opened the door at 10 a.m.
A crowd of some 60 people stood in line outside the store, a former espresso stand designed to look like a log cabin at 282332 U.S. Highway 101, before it opened.
Brotherton and his employees handed pagers to those in line, and they were notified individually as their spots came up.
Under Initiative 502, which was approved by voters in November 2012, adults older than 21 can possess no more than 1 ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Brotherton said he will be open weekends only until more inventory becomes available. Then he expects to do business seven days a week.
For Friday’s debut, he had just 2½ pounds to sell — about 320 packages.
Friday’s open featured three strains of marijuana grown by Peninsula Cannabis in Port Angeles: the “gohst” and “widow” varieties, and another called Jack Frost.
Friday’s opening sales were cash-only. Brotherton said he expects to accept debit and credit cards soon.
he state allotted Jefferson County four retail cannabis stores: one in Port Townsend and three in unincorporated areas.
Two other pot shops in Jefferson County are in the latter stage of the approval process.
Gracen Hook, who expects to open Port Townsend’s sole retail outlet at 1433 W. Sims Way, will open in September at the earliest, while Forrest Thomsen’s Herbal Access Retail at 661 Ness’ Corner Road is shooting for mid-August.
The state allotted Clallam County six retail stores: two in Port Angeles, one in Sequim and three anywhere else.
None expects to receive a state license this month.
Heather Owen, owner of the Hidden Bush outside Port Angeles, said she hopes to have her license by early August.
“Now we’re just waiting for the state to do its thing,” she said. “We’re hoping to be open in the next couple of weeks.”
Wendy Buck-Benge of Sparket in Port Angeles said contractor delays have pushed back the opening until after Labor Day.
Malik Atwater, too, is waiting for contractors to finish remodeling his Mr. Buds store in Port Angeles.
Rodney Caldwell said he will wait to open Weed-R-Us on U.S. Highway 101 outside Port Angeles until more marijuana is available for sale.
In Sequim, David Halpern said he is expecting to get the keys for his shop site on West Washington Street on Aug. 1 but will then have to begin remodeling the place to meet the state’s marijuana shop requirements.
That may be moot, anyhow, as Sequim has a moratorium in place prohibiting the establishment of marijuana businesses.
Jennifer Brassfield with the High Grade Organics shop in Forks did not return calls seeking an opening date.
City Attorney Rod Fleck said he has not yet been contacted by the liquor board about Brassfield’s shop.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Joe Smillie can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or at jsmillie@peninsuladailynews.com.
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant contributed to this story.
