If it works for McDonald’s, banks, and warehouse liquor stores, why not for marijuana?
A new means of getting the world’s second-favorite recreational drug is coming to Oregon: the cannabis drive-through. The attached dispensary mostly serves medical patients, but the new drive-through could be a first of its kind in the state.
Not elsewhere, though. Drive-through windows are rapidly becoming common in neighboring Washington and the outskirts of Detroit.
The new window will allow drivers to order, buy, and get their medical marijuana without leaving their cars. The Green Life Oregon dispensary in Gold Beach will soon start serving mobile customers in a shop across from a local hospital.
A valuable asset to the area
“I’ve seen the business plan, I’ve met the investors, and I believe this venture is going to be quite an asset to the area,” said Curry County Economic Development Director Julie Schmelzer. “Their plans for expansion and other amenities can help Gold Beach and the southwestern coast become a destination for those interested in the new green tourism we are fortunate to be a part of.”
Marijuana has been legal in Oregon for any use since last year. Voters legalized in 2014, two years after the first such votes in Colorado and Washington.
Many in Gold Beach, a community long past its prime as a timber boomtown, are eager for the cash and jobs that come with new pot shops. A drive-through window could bring new business to the town while making life easier for local patients and stoners.
Providing easier access for patients
Green Life’s owners said they put the new shop near the hospital so patients would have easier access. Naturally, the shop will sell food out the window, but only food laced with cannabis.
“We want to make sure people have the opportunity for natural alternatives to pain medicine, as well as offer a product the voters of Oregon support,” said manager Jeremy Paulson.
The idea of a marijuana drive-through may horrify people who oppose cannabis use and legal reform. But it’s not really much of a stretch. Liquor stores in many parts of the country are already allowed to sell alcohol out of drive-up windows.
The idea is sure to boost business, assuming lines are relatively short. Among other benefits, tokers who don’t like the idea of hanging around in dispensaries with peeling paint and ancient carpets can buy their marijuana without turning off the engine.
Fittingly, Green Life plans to open its new drive-through lane April 20.
