***
“So I buy mostly female seeds from this guy up in Oregon. You know why you want female plants, right?”
Bob Findlay looked exactly like what I’d expected. He was about fifty-fifty salt and pepper, with a full head of hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. He wore a faded tie-dye t-shirt, jeans with frayed bottoms, and Birkenstocks. He was very proud of his plants.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I grew some kick-ass bud in college. I get the higher yield and no seeds thing. So how much of what you sell is your own bud?” I asked.
He’d showed us around the store — pointing out the lollipops, vaporizers, brownies, and nearly thirty varieties of marijuana — before taking us back to his house, the site of his grow operation.
“Depends,” Bob answered, bending over to smell an enormous bud. “Sometimes it’s mostly ours, and sometimes it’s not. I have a kush strain that’s been pretty hot, and when that’s around I can’t keep it in stock. When I sell out, I sometimes buy from other growers.”
Sable had been stunned by the variety of edible forms of THC-laden items for sale. “And the lollipops and gummies? You buy all of those?”
“Yeah. You see a lot of the same brands from store to store here, except for the baked goods. A lot of growers bake their own stuff, and some even partner with local bakeries. It’s turned out to be a bigger part of our business than we’d thought.”
I knew it was a far cry from growing a few plants in college to handling both the growing and the operation of the store, but I was pretty sure that with some help, I was going to be able to make it work.
“So you’re pretty friendly with the other folks who own dispensaries?” I asked.
“For the most part,” Bob answered. “There’s plenty of room for all of us to make a living. We got a few bad apples, same as any other business, but you’ll find that most of us are pretty mellow.”
I laughed and looked at Sable to see if she had any other questions.
“Bobby, we sure do appreciate your taking the time to talk to us.” Sable put her hand on Bob’s arm, and it was obvious that he was far from immune to her charms.
“Sable, honey, you know I’d do anything for you. You still married to that biker of yours?”
“Yup,” Sable answered. “Joker and I are still together. In fact, we’re gonna make this something of a family business.”
“Well, you and Luke are welcome to call me if there’s anything you need. You have a grow problem, or if you’re having trouble tracking down the seeds you want, you just let me know.”
I held out my hand. “Thanks, Bob,” I said. “It’s been helpful.”
***
After lunch, we headed over to THC Healing, a shop run by a woman who also owned the new age bookstore next door. We walked inside and the vibe was completely different from Bob’s store, which had a serious bud fanatic atmosphere. This second store felt more like a place you’d go to have your palms read, and I half expected to see a fortune teller emerge from the back room.
“Can I help you?”
I turned to see a tall woman who had a stuffed dragon on her shoulder.
“Sable,” she said with a huge grin, coming out from behind the counter to give Sable a hug. “You look fantastic.”
“Thanks, mama. The tea you gave me has done wonders for my hot flashes.” Sable turned to me. “Luke, this is my friend, Ellomere. She owns the shop.”
I shook the woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Your shop’s sure different from the other we just visited.”
Ellomere laughed, a deep and sexy sound. “We’ve positioned ourselves a little differently from other dispensaries. We focus on the healing aspects of marijuana.” She leaned a little closer. “Not that we balk at selling you a little somethin’ somethin’ just to get you high.”
I laughed with her, and I could see why Sable had wanted me to see two very different kinds of stores. “For medicinal purposes, eh?” I asked as I looked over the selection of brownies made with fair trade organic chocolate.
“You know it. One of the benefits our store has is that there’s a medical doctor next door during all of our business hours. You want to come in but don’t have a medical card? Not a problem here. A consultation fee and a few minutes puts you in business.”
Sable looked at me. “I think it would be worthwhile to find a location where we can do the same thing. Employ a doctor to be on call so that anyone who wants one can get a red card.”
“Makes sense,” I said. “So do your grow your own?”
Ellomere shook her head. “I grow a few plants at home for personal use, but I don’t have time or space to grow as much as we sell here. I have several reliable growers nearby, and I have some great sources for some hard-to-get imports.”