Pubdate: Thu, 10 Mar 2016 Source: Mail Tribune, The (Medford, OR) Copyright: 2016 The Mail Tribune Contact: http://www.mailtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/642 Note: Only prints LTEs from within it's circulation area, 200 word count limit Author: Damian Mann BUDDING INDUSTRY: FIVE MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES LICENSED IN MEDFORD Medford's wall against pot dispensaries crumbled last year, and cannabis entrepreneurs have wasted no time getting licenses from the state to open medical marijuana stores. "It's good to have quite a few stores in town," said Nina Crawford, a 21-year-old bud tender at the newly opened Kush Gardens at 1067 Court St. Kush Gardens is the second legal store to open. Patients Helping Patients was the first legal dispensary in Medford, but the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program has issued five licenses for businesses within city limits. Medford is already surrounded by a half-dozen cannabis dispensaries. In Jackson County, 22 licenses have been issued to dispensaries, though not all are open for business. In addition to the five Medford licenses issued, City Councilor Clay Bearnson has applied for a license to open a dispensary near downtown. Patients Helping Patients, at 2390 W. Main St., is prepared to seek a second license to open a new store in southwest Medford. If the owners are successful, that would mean seven dispensaries have licenses to operate within the city. Although many dispensaries have licenses, it's not clear how many actually plan to open an outlet in the city. Lime Green, at 17 N. Riverside Ave., in the former Shenanigan's bar, received a license, but a sign in front says La Mota, which is a cannabis dispensary chain in Oregon. La Mota has another location in Shady Cove. A representative for the company said the Medford location should open within six weeks, and it will be the sixth La Mota in the state. Mary Jane's Basement, which ran afoul of local law enforcement for dispensing marijuana without a city business license, still appears to be closed, and its phone appears to have been disconnected. Mary Jane's license is still active, according to the OMMP website. Crawford, who recently moved from Virginia, where pot is illegal, said the Medford Kush Gardens store is smaller than a dispensary with the same name in Shady Cove, because recreational marijuana cannot be sold within Medford city limits. "If we become recreational, it is going to be very busy here," she said. Last October, Medford City Council voted to lift its ban on cannabis dispensaries, effective Dec. 1. The council will place a measure on the November ballot asking voters whether they want to approve of selling recreational marijuana in the city and whether it should be taxed at 3 percent. Dispensaries will not be allowed to sell recreational marijuana unless the ballot measure passes. Phil Carvalho was the first to get a business license in Medford, for his marijuana dispensary Patients Helping Patients at 2390 W. Main St. "I do feel Medford is the capital of Southern Oregon," Carvalho said. He's finalizing a lease at a southwest Medford location for a new store, and then he said he will apply for a license with the state. Carvalho said he's developing his own line of cartridges with hash oil, as well as vaporizers. He said he expects Medford to be a popular spot to open a dispensary, though the inability to sell recreational marijuana could limit some people from opening a store here. Carvalho said he thinks about 10 dispensaries could open in Medford before the market gets oversaturated. Bearnson, who operates Gypsy Blues Bar on Eighth Street downtown, said he expected quite a few applicants to come forward seeking a dispensary license once the city lifted its ban. "I'm not surprised at all," he said. Bearnson said he's not sure how many dispensaries the city can support, but he said there are quite a few practical limitations. They have to stay out of residential neighborhoods, and they can't be located within 1,000 feet of a school or another dispensary. Also, many landlords won't lease to dispensaries, he said. "Finding a property owner who will permit that use is a pretty big hurdle," he said. Bearnson said he's about one month away from getting a license from the state, and he expects to open a store downtown sometime in early April. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom