Green Wednesday: Colorado prepares for over the counter sale of recreational marijuana
At the 14 licensed retail shops, 17 growers and three makers of cannabis-infused products, last minute preparations are being made for an expected rush in sales after the permits were issued only on Friday.
The state is already covered in pot shops as, like in California, sale of the drug for medical use has been legal for a number of years – at one point the city had more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks coffee shops.
Only existing stores with medical licenses have been allowed to transition to holding recreational ones, in an apparent effort to prevent the further growth of the cannabis shops
“I think it’s about time that adults can imbibe in marijuana,” said Donald Andrews, who works at one of the newly licensed retail shops, LoDo Wellness Center in downtown Denver.
“We are building an impressive showcase for the world, to show them this is an industry,” said Andy Williams, owner of Medicine Man, who is preparing for the expected boost in sales by filling a new warehouse with 40,000 square feet (3,700 square meters) of cannabis strains.
“It’s going to be all white and beautiful,” added Mr Williams, a 45-year-old ex-industrial engineer. The two floors of growing rooms will have windows showing shoppers in the connected store how the plant is grown.