Legal Medical Marijuana Dispensary opens in Grover Beach

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on May 20, 2018.

In the first of its kind, San Luis Obispo County opened its first marijuana dispensary in Grover Beach Saturday since it was legalized effective January 1, 2018.

Grover Beach Mayor John Shoals attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new facility at 1053 Highland Way called 805 Beach Breaks along with members of the city council and chamber of commerce.

The 805 Beach Breaks, where lines began forming at 9 AM, features a 1,800-square-foot dispensary with an additional 900-square-foot manufacturing space.

The 805 Beach Breaks, a brightly colored, yet modern feeling store, opened its doors as the first marijuana dispensary in SLO County a year after submitting it's application.

One of the co-owners of the 805 Beach Breaks, who requested to not have his name published, said he got positive feedback from the 20 customers to whom he spoke.

He said the shop currently sells medical marijuana, because adult recreational use has not yet been passed by the city. The owner said he hopes that could come as early as July.

About 15 workers have been employed in the dispensary where live music, food trucks and vendors helped to create a positive vibe around the 805 Beach Breaks.

The owner said, inside the facility, touch screen computers guide patients through information on each product, health facts, and price.

He said the patients cannot enter the store without their medical marijuana card or recommendation from a doctor and a state ID. They are then verified a second time once inside.

Security has been beefed-up in the store. The facility is highly guarded with cameras, restricted access doors, and security guards.  

Also as a part of the security measures, the visuals are being sent to the Grover Beach Police Department.

Also, the owner said, the 805 Beach Breaks will apply for its recreational marijuana license in the coming months as well.  

Speaking on the accession, Shoals said, "It's taken a while to basically get to the point to realize we're talking about legal businesses operating in a legal way."

The Mayor further said that before Saturday's celebration, the Grover Beach City Council established laws on regulation, taxation, and operation with the hope that revenue generation through such medical marijuana dispensaries will help them to pay for core services like police, fire, and streets as well.

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