Bremerton’s first recreational marijuana shop is open for business.
Pacific Cannabis Company held its soft opening on Tuesday at 625 North Callow Avenue, just days after state officials issued their license. Nestled in a storefront between China Wok and McGavin’s Bakery, the shop represents a coming tide of marijuana stores to Bremerton and Kitsap County.
A store called HWY 420 has been up and running since October on Charleston Beach Road, but alas, it’s just outside Bremerton city limits. Two other pot stores are awaiting licenses in Bremerton as well, one just up Callow at 11th Street and the other in East Bremerton on Hollis Street, according to city officials. Outside Bremerton, several stores have already opened in South Kitsap and on Bainbridge.
Pacific Cannabis is the sixth licensed here in Kitsap. It’s been a long time coming for Kristen Waters, its CEO, who formerly owned an auto shop Port Orchard. She applied through the Liquor Control Board in November 2013 for the license.
The store’s decor includes boogie boards and an ocean wave motif. Waters wanted the 500-square-foot storefront to have a “warm and welcoming” feel, a contrast to some rather drab environs she’s found at other pot stores around the state.
Her own entrance to the pot marketplace came through illness. Waters endured chemotherapy a few years ago and it all but killed her appetite (she’d prefer not utter even the name of the illness from which she suffered). Down to 109 pounds, she tried pot and was able to eat again.
“I never dreamed at 47 that I’d be into marijuana,” she joked.
The store will offer a wide variety of edible pot products and will feature Tommy Chong’s brand. For now, their inventory is only building up but staff expected to have much more in stock by Friday. A gram on Tuesday was going for $12 or $13 and joints were selling for $9. Waters plans to keep prices consistent and low as possible to be competitive.
The store’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Below, you’ll find a map of all recreational marijuana locations by way of my colleague Tad Sooter, the Kitsap Sun’s business reporter.
