Retail marijuana shops are making inroads in Durango less than two months after the first retail operation opened.
Durango now has three retail marijuana stores: Durango Organics and Wellness Center at 72 Suttle Street in Bodo Industrial Park has been joined by Santé Alternative Wellness at 742 Main Ave. and Animas Herbal Wellness Center at 1111 S. Camino del Rio, unit 5.
The retailers say they're attracting out-of-state customers.
"The vast majority of my business has been out of state," said Allan Bays, a "budtender" at Santé. Visitors often come from New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Kansas, he said.
Santé opened its retail shop Oct. 24, general manager Joelle Riddle said. The retail side is next door to the pre-existing medical marijuana dispensary tucked in the alley behind the 700 block of Main Avenue. Sandwich boards direct customers to the retail or medical sides. Customers must have a medical-marijuana card to enter the medical side, where marijuana is cheaper because it's not subject to Colorado's 10 percent tax on retail pot.
Durango Organics was the first local marijuana retailer to open, on Sept. 26.
A fourth retail shop, linked to Rocky Mountain High, a local dispensary, is "in process," said Greg Hoch, director of the city of Durango's Planning and Community Development Department.
A proposal by The Acceptus Group to open a retail store at 965½ Main Ave. hasn't gone anywhere despite the application landing before competitors. Co-owner Adam Gifford did not respond to requests for comment.
For the shops that have opened, they're capitalizing on the initial buzz of retail marijuana in Durango.
Inside Santé, the dizzying selection of marijuana-laced products is evident. Caramel chews that contain 100 milligrams of THC are popular. Blue Kuda chocolates come in several flavors.
There are products such as topical lotions that contain cannabinoid oils but no THC for customers who desire the perceived health treatments with no accompanying high.
Joints can be had for $20 each, while marijuana buds go for $20 a gram or $55 per eighth-ounce.
"Some people have driven a long distance. Some people have come from other parts of the world," Riddle said. "The vast majority of them feel good about purchasing something in a legal way. They've spent a long time seeing the benefits in their own life, and now they can be legal about it."
