Oregon Grown Dispensary quietly closed its pot sales store at 324 SE 82nd Avenue this month. The store and its owner often attracting widespread media attention to Portland’s Marijuana industry and the neighborhood. Its closure ends a 13-year history of cannabis use and sales in this building.
In July 2010, the Cannabis Cafe relocated to Montavilla from the Woodlawn neighborhood, taking over a basement bar space that previously held Aaron’s Wine Cellar and Piano Bar. Oregon NORMML operated the consumption space for people holding Oregon medical marijuana cards, charging entry fees and monthly dues. The 4,000-square-foot Cafe reused many of the wine bar’s existing furniture and game tables, making it a cozy gathering space for members. That community room closed down a few years later. However, the Cafe’s sign remained on site as part of Oregon Grown’s collection of memorabilia chronicling the regional legalization efforts.
An April 20th Washington Post article referred to Oregon Grown’s storefront as the “Library of Congress of Cannabis.” Since July 1, 2015, possession and use of recreational marijuana has been legal in the State of Oregon. That legislative reform has launched a wave of storefronts selling marijuana and derivative products. Oregon Grown claimed to be one of the oldest community-based dispensaries in Portland. True to its medicinal roots, the store offered discounts to medical card holders and focussed on small-batch, craft cannabis items.
People looking to buy recreational Cannabis have a wide selection in the area and across the city. However, this place was not just another storefront. It was a player in the nations shifting view on drug use, supporting the efforts of the people pushing for legalization. This dispensary’s closure could indicate that marijuana sales no longer has space for its early pioneers, but that reality is an almost inevitable outcome of any industry maturing.
Update: The shop owners name was removed from this article at their request.
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