Whidbey Island saw its first legal sale of recreational marijuana in Friday.
Tom Trimbath, a South Whidbey blogger, was the third paying customer at the shop on Kramer Road in Bayview. His wait was a long one, as he was initially at the store in July when news came that Whidbey Island Cannabis Company received one of the first licenses issued in Washington.
He returned Friday, camera around his neck for pictures for his blog, to make a purchase, which he planned to use in cooking.
“It will be an interesting experiment,” said Trimbath after sniffing the two strains available, blackberry Kush and purple Afgani.
Whidbey Island Cannabis Co. owner Maureen Cooke received her occupancy permit from Island County minutes before the store’s 11 a.m. grand opening.
She said she expected the first day to be “a zoo.”
“I can breathe now,” said Cooke, after the first few transactions — all in cash.
As a few people lingered outside the frosted doors before 11 a.m., Cooke asked her employees if they were ready to open.
With a few pensive smiles, a couple of knowing head shakes and a “not quite yet, give us five minutes,” Cooke waited.
What was another five minutes after a more than three-month wait?
It took that long for Island County to complete its review of her application.
Whidbey Island Cannabis Company was issued a stop-work order in July by the Island County Planning Department for failing to apply and receive a proper building permit and go through a site review.
The store had two strains of marijuana on hand Friday, with an order for seven more. Costs ranged from $19 to $28 per gram, plus sales tax.
Four edibles were available for sale as well. Cooke’s operations manager, Drew Elliott, showed off peanut butter cups, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies. The edibles cost $37.50, plus sales tax.
“Prices reflect the acquisition cost,” said Casey Davidson, owner of Green Life Cannabis in Wenatchee, a longtime friend of Elliott’s who was visiting the night before to help the Whidbey shop set up.
His store has been open for two months and struggled to secure product.
The store also offers paraphernalia for sale, including pipes, bongs and vaporizers.
