Oregon pot stores sell more than $11 million in first 5 days

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Retailers sold more than $11 million of marijuana during Oregon's first week of legal recreational sales, outpacing the early business done in other states that have legalized pot, according to the Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association
Oregon retailers had sales of $3.5 million by the end of opening day, Casey Houlihan, executive director of the association, told the Statesman Journal (http://is.gd/6L3fPc ). By contrast, Colorado's first week of sales reached $5 million. In Washington, sales during the first month hit $2 million.
Under the state law approved by Oregon voters last year, possession of marijuana in limited quantities has been permitted since July 1.
But there was no legal way to buy it until Oct. 1. Pot shops that already sell medical marijuana made big plans for the historic day, with some opening just after midnight.
One reason Oregon posted stronger early sales was the existing medical marijuana infrastructure. More than 250 medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon have told the state they will sell to recreational customers. By contrast, Colorado had 24 stores on Day 1. Washington had just four, and a year later, still has fewer than Oregon.
Oregon also has a robust supply of marijuana that's grown to support medical marijuana users and the black market. Companies have invested in massive warehouses in Portland to grow the drug indoors, and southern Oregon has some of the nation's best conditions for outdoor cultivation of marijuana.
Growers don't face strict regulations yet, so the supply can more easily flow into retail stores than it did in Washington and Colorado.
Houlihan says shops are seeing customers coming back to pot after years of not smoking it.
"They're telling me that customers lining up are in many cases 50 to 65 and haven't purchased marijuana in decades, but they're just happy to have the opportunity to do so," he said.
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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com
http://news.yahoo.com/oregon-pot-stores-sell-more-11-million-first-171218067.html

Great to hear! Hope $$ used wisely.....and opens up minds (of legislator's) for more states to follow suit.

No way that trend continues. No jobs in OR other than part time, Service Industry (fries with that?) I love how Salem thinks this is their new cash cow. Unless they start taking foodies for nugs, not going to hit their 3 billion dollar projections. State is flooded, go South of Eugene and it's nearly free, schwagg but free. Salem will find a way to screw everyone and turn it all over to Monsanto and Big Tobacco. Pathetic that just a year ago they looked down on folks with green thumbs. Still do but if your Wall St Money with a big op your on the news as an expert. Cities and Counties are opting out daily. Many big ops were built in counties that no longer allow production. Lots of money lost. The state is #1 in xmas trees and grass seed, smart money would play on that and make it the best for buds. Over regulated, taxed, their gonna blow it. Btw Hello everyone..

Sluicebox said:

No way that trend continues. No jobs in OR other than part time, Service Industry (fries with that?) I love how Salem thinks this is their new cash cow. Unless they start taking foodies for nugs, not going to hit their 3 billion dollar projections. State is flooded, go South of Eugene and it's nearly free, schwagg but free. Salem will find a way to screw everyone and turn it all over to Monsanto and Big Tobacco. Pathetic that just a year ago they looked down on folks with green thumbs. Still do but if your Wall St Money with a big op your on the news as an expert. Cities and Counties are opting out daily. Many big ops were built in counties that no longer allow production. Lots of money lost. The state is #1 in xmas trees and grass seed, smart money would play on that and make it the best for buds. Over regulated, taxed, their gonna blow it. Btw Hello everyone..

Click to expand...

It is always nice to read an optimistic post. Nothing like a negative attitude to produce a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Monsanto, Big Tobacco, Wall Street, you somehow managed to leave out the Big Oil boogieman in your post. As my grandfather used to say, "Can't never did do anything!" I enjoy reading the threads where real people work their asses off to grow great crops and reap their well deserved rewards, despite the many obstacles that nature and society throw in their paths.

It sounds like Oregon is starting off well, better than Washington and perhaps nearly as well as Colorado. It takes a while to turnaround a battleship, but the tide is definitely turning and it is only a matter of time now.

I always liked Oregon......yeehaw

Perhaps you may like to read the updated OLCC draft issued today. This is not what voters in Oregon wanted. I am optimistic, cautiously so. However this opt out law is bs. Should be legal in the whole state. At any point a county may opt out without warning. Try to base a business model on that.

Lots of dollars being dumped around the world, as that happens they come home to roost. The only way to offset that is with fines and fees. OR is doing their part anyway they can.

The only good thing to come out of that law so far imo is the freedom to grow your own. I use that term loosely though as limit of 4 plants does not really qualify as freedom. Legal should be legal period, just like any other crop in the state.

Sluicebox said:

No way that trend continues. No jobs in OR other than part time, Service Industry (fries with that?) I love how Salem thinks this is their new cash cow. Unless they start taking foodies for nugs, not going to hit their 3 billion dollar projections. State is flooded, go South of Eugene and it's nearly free, schwagg but free. Salem will find a way to screw everyone and turn it all over to Monsanto and Big Tobacco. Pathetic that just a year ago they looked down on folks with green thumbs. Still do but if your Wall St Money with a big op your on the news as an expert. Cities and Counties are opting out daily. Many big ops were built in counties that no longer allow production. Lots of money lost. The state is #1 in xmas trees and grass seed, smart money would play on that and make it the best for buds. Over regulated, taxed, their gonna blow it. Btw Hello everyone..

Click to expand...

If it's "nearly free" why will Monsanto and big tobacco bother to get involved at all? If they do get involved at some point that is years away. I imagine the market might evolve into something like the beer market here in Oregon. Hundreds of craft beers / brewers in the state but you can still buy budweiser if you want it also. I believe that over time most cities and counties will allow sales/ commercial growing when they see how much money they could be making.
I agree that 4 plants is ridiculous but I doubt that it will stop very many indoor folks from growing more than that. Who's gonna check ?

I think it's a great start.

Yeehaw...

if there's one decent thing about the new California bills it's the fact that they went from plant count to "canopy size" for personal grows.

that's what OR,CO,WA need to adopt instead of these ridiculous plant counts that just make people grow bigger plants to get the same yield, and prevents people from doing home breeding with larger plant counts if they want to stay inside the law. Also forces people to grow in ways they normally wouldn't to yield more and get around the law. With a canopy limit instead of a plant limit, they still restrict the production capabilities of a home-growers' space to whatever they want, but that space can be used as creatively as the grower wants to use it and allows them to pursue home breeding projects. "everybody's a pollen chucker" now, people need more plants to be able to pursue these types of hobbies. it is a much more popular hobby than ever in 2015 and a relatively innocent one - when at least half the plants are generally never smoked or harvested or even induced to flower! (very generally speaking). The new Canopy Size regulation in Cali protects people who enjoy breeding (chucking, however you feel like calling it) as a hobby, on a small, non-commercial scale - because you can put your 20 or 30 phenos in veg in a 100 sq ft canopy quite easily, and you're only gonna flower a handful anyway, which you can do quite easily in 100 sq ft as well. Plant counts are an outdated and uninformed way of regulating indoor growing, considering all of the interest in breeding and people who are actively taking it up as a hobby, and considering all the ways people get around the plant counts and make them obsolete.

CANOPY SIZE > PLANT COUNTS for personal growing, would be great if other states adopted. but who's listening.

Nice to see the green economy helping out.
When will the uk government take advantage of this and stop giving all the profits away

So true canopy size would be way better. Even better yet no regulations (wet dream) Strains anymore while still good have been beaten down and diluted, while still quite good what the World needs is older genetics to pull from. I enjoyed your post, thank you. @Spacejunk og

Weed program nicely launched. Great incomes!
Some news from the summit 2015 if you got interested: http://allweednews.com/regional-cannabis-business-summit-2015/
Go Go Oregon!

Sforza said:

It is always nice to read an optimistic post. Nothing like a negative attitude to produce a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Monsanto, Big Tobacco, Wall Street, you somehow managed to leave out the Big Oil boogieman in your post. As my grandfather used to say, "Can't never did do anything!" I enjoy reading the threads where real people work their asses off to grow great crops and reap their well deserved rewards, despite the many obstacles that nature and society throw in their paths.

It sounds like Oregon is starting off well, better than Washington and perhaps nearly as well as Colorado. It takes a while to turnaround a battleship, but the tide is definitely turning and it is only a matter of time now.

Click to expand...

Still think that I'm trippin? Here is the next thing you will see happen. With the inspections you will see negative press on so called filthy conditions of grows. The first bad grow or two they run into will be plastered all over the news. All growers who are small time will be lumped in with them.

My negativity? I'm not negative just a realist. This is business and this is the way big business works. We will all be demonized and the big shows will be the ones who win.

How do you intend to compete? You don't get the breaks on electricity or write offs. You can barely afford to stay in operation as it is. Now cut your retail price by at least half add some more fees, can you still run?

Even the 100 light shows are now going to be small time. Game over politicians paid, do not give a shit about Oregonians or growing small business.

My experience in OR says all the state cares about is $$$$$.

Once all is said n done OR will be controled largely by big money interests tossing the lil guys under the bus.

people just dont understand that legalisation is only good for big corp, im tired of seeing people supporting it wanting it to be taxed... the taxes will only be wasted into the system and it wont benefit anyone.
what other good buisness will there be left out there, where almost anybody can make good money without hurting people ???

cracks me up to read ppl groveling over the money. I say to you that you forget there is a state a joint can get you a ticket to the big state hotel with 3 hots, a cot and a 3 year freind named dont drop the soap. Just be glad your in a legal state. hate to break it to you theres nothing truely free in life. not even death is free