Vol. 22 No. 8
August 2014 County camel farm plods on [Page 10]
A month of retail weed
The Buzz Port continues talks with potential waterfront developers
High prices, high customers, and low supplies at Bellingham’s 2 pot shops
Port executive director Rob Fix expects to come to an agreement with Harcourt Developments of Dublin by the end of a second 120-day negotiation period.
BY OLIVER LAZENBY The Bellingham Business Journal Don Murphy, security guard at Top Shelf Cannabis, sees putting people at ease as part of his job. Some are nervous about entering the retail marijuana store at 3857 Hannegan Rd., in Bellingham. “You can’t come in here, you have more hair than me.” Murphy told a customer while checking his ID - buyers myst be 21. “I’ll give you a pass because you’re younger than me. I haven’t seen my hairline since I was 23.” Murphy keeps a list of all 50 states, and he crosses them off when he sees an ID from that state. So far, the only states not crossed off are Rhode Island, Connecticut, and West Virginia. As he checks IDs, a family of three filter into the store, followed by a father and daughter, a grayhaired woman, and a man in a cowboy hat. Murphy only lets five groups of people at a time into the store. While he’s not checking ID, he watches for suspicious cars in the parking lot. A car with Canadian plates pulls up. About 40 percent of Top Shelf ’s customers are Canadian, Murphy said. Pot shops in Washington finally opened on July 8, about 1.5 years after voters passed initiative 502. Apparently, the green buds had an eager market, and Bellingham’s two retailers could hardly keep product on the shelves. Like other shops in the state, both Top Shelf Cannabis and 2020 Solutions, at 2018 Iron Street, closed periodically throughout the month. Near the end of the July, Top Shelf Cannabis opened for the first time in four days and sold out of its 1.5 pound supply before
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Coffee roasting Local chain Woods Coffee is now roasting coffee for all its stores at its Lynden base. PAGE 6
WCC awarded healthcare program development grant With a $457,500 state grant, Whatcom Community College is developing curriculum to train health care workers for emerging professions. Don Murphy, right, checks IDs and enforces security at Top Shelf Cannabis at 3857 Hannegan Road in Bellingham. OLIVER LAZENBY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL closing time. If Top Shelf could There aren’t enough licensed “We could be making way get enough marijuana to allow growers to supply the state’s 10 more money but we want people each customer to buy the state stores. Blewett Pass Farms, which to know that we’re reliable,” he limit of 1 ounce, Zack Henifin, supplies 2020 Solutions on 2018 said. “We want people to know a store manager, said they could Iron Street, said five stores want they can come here and not have sell about 5 pounds a day. their weed for every one they can to unload their pockets just to To keep their doors open as supply. In mid-July, they were smoke a little dope.” long possible, Top Shelf rationed distributing 10 or 15 pounds of At Top Shelf Cannabis on July the amount each customer could marijuana a week. 24, 1 gram sold for $22. That’s buy. At times, they sold just 1 “Our phones are constantly about twice the street price. gram per customer - the smallest hammered,” said Colin Smith, a Prices at both Top Shelf Canamount available. But more weed grower at the Peshastin, Wash., nabis and 2020 Solutions varied was on the way. farm. “There’s just no way we can throughout the month, but usu“We have the shipments sched- meet the demand that’s out there.” ally they were at least twice the uled out,” Henifin said. “It’s just Top Shelf Cannabis didn’t raise street price. a matter of hoping the producers their prices because of the limited The state Liquor Control make it on time.” supply, Henifin said. WEED, PAGE 9
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NW Leaf magazine A Snohomsh county-based medical marijuana magazine that started small is now looking to expand to other states. PAGE 17
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