Chico’s first legal cannabis dispensary opens

 

By MICHAEL WEBER | December 18, 2022 

CHICO California — It wasn’t a line for concert tickets, nor a new iPhone, but for cannabis.

Arriving promptly at 4:20 a.m., Bryan Samprucci was the first of more than 300 people lined up Saturday morning for the grand opening of Sweet Flower, Chico’s first legal cannabis dispensary.

“We’ve been waiting for years,” Samprucci said.

Two friends, Kiara Castellanos and April Lee, lined up early to beat the crowd and take advantage of the opening special, a $50 grab bag given to the first 200 customers for just one penny.

“It’s an amazing day in Chico history,” Castellanos said.

“I finally don’t have to drive an hour to get some weed,” Lee said.

“Medicine,” Castanellos said to Lee.

“Whatever. It’s legal. I can say weed, marijuana, puff, whatever,” Lee said. “It’s actually just been fun to visit with everybody who is also here. You get to know your fellow people.”

“Cannabis enthusiasts,” said Castanellos, again to correct Lee.

I was going to stay stoner, but …,” said Lee, and the two laughed.

Sweet Flower CEO Tim Dodd said the dispensary has been in the works for two and a half years and is designed from the ground up to be a purpose-built facility with security, open windows and lots of light.

“I think it’s great for Chico, it’s great for Sweet Flower, and more importantly good for the community providing safe legal access to cannabis,” Dodd said.

The dispensary in Chico will be the seventh store that Sweet Flower operates.

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Chico California's first cannabis dispensary "Sweet Flower" set to open in December

 

CHICO, Calif. - The first cannabis dispensary in Chico has set its opening date for next weekend. 

Sweet Flower says it will be opening its doors on Dec. 17 at 8 a.m. in Meriam Park. The location of the dispensary is 1998 Alcott Ave.

The dispensary is offering a grab bag for a penny for the first 200 customers. It says first-time customers get 15% off.

There will be food trucks and vendors at the grand opening. “Successful cannabis businesses are built on commitment to the communities they serve," Timothy Dodd, CEO and co-founder of Sweet Flower, said in a news release.

"Sweet Flower Chico brings to Chico local jobs, local business partnerships and thousands of hours of volunteer engagement.

In addition, we have committed to voluntarily give back 1% of our revenues to Chico via our Community Advisory Board, on top of 5% of our revenues to the City of Chico via our Community Development Agreement.”

We are proud to be the only locally owned and operated dispensary in Chico.


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Sweet Flower Chico

Sweet Flower Cannabis from POSTAS on Vimeo.

Sacramento lawmakers voting on $5.8M grant to help legal cannabis market

With California cannabis retailers continuing to face a drawn-out licensing process, the city would put most of the funds toward its equity program.


SACRAMENTO, Calif. — While California's Department of Cannabis Control greenlit about $5.8 million in grant funds for the Sacramento Office of Cannabis Management on Dec. 24, 2021, the City Council has the final say on whether to accept the money.

The council is expected to vote on a final stamp of approval at Tuesday evening's meeting with more than $3 million being awarded because of Sacramento's Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity (CORE) Program.

The funds come at a time when about 82% of the state’s cannabis licensees still held provisional licenses. As of April 2021, according to the governor’s office, there are more unlicensed retailers working in the state than licensed distributors.

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