Recreational Relaxation: Cannabis 21 opens in Aberdeen

The staff of Cannabis 21 is ready to serve the Harbor public with a full line of marijuana products. The store opened on July 3 in Aberdeen.

"We want something that stands out for value," said owners Arnie and Angela Bossard, of the new marijuana retail store just open in Aberdeen.

Cannabis 21, opened their doors to the public on the Fourth of July weekend and have already seen customers from Australia and many from outside of Washington State.

"We have local product and will be getting more. We wish to have people coming in from places like Seattle and get a taste of what the Harbor has to offer. We have fine cannabis products that are legal within the state guidelines for Initiative 502," said Arnie.

As you enter Cannabis 21, through a rear entrance for a more discreet visit, you are checked in and if you are of age you can enter the sales room. Flush with several strains of marijuana products and glass accessories, the staff of Cannabis 21 is very knowledgeable and passionate about their products.

Cannabis 21 Manager, Adam Bakotich, lets it slip that they are working with several growers some as far away as Seattle and will be offering specials. "This weekend we had a four gram special on our Kai-Dro flower," noted Adam. It was a FWEEDom special that ran during Independence Day weekend. You can always ask if the special is still running when you visit.

But with their new exposure to the Aberdeen market you can expect many more specials coming to your Aberdeen marijuana retail store.

"We are also working on a reward program for our regular customers," said Angela.

The store is already taking the feedback from customers and putting it to use with their product line by offering strains like G-13, an Indica based flower grown in Elma. They also have a nice circa 97 Dutch (like a Dutch treat said Adam) that comes from Nisqually.

"We talk to the customers and see what their history is or what they may know or not know about the product. Then one of our cannabis concierges can provide the best product for them," said Angela.
The owners are very serious about their business and do not take the responsibility of the new marijuana industry lightly. They are very concerned with the safety of their customers and the education of the new product as it rolls out into all areas of the state.

"We make sure that everyone is of legal age before entering the sales room. And we will soon have a new system that will help us with that. It will be able to read most any identification to verify that it is a valid ID and that they are of legal age, but it does not retain any information about the individual. That is a safeguard for both us and the customer," said Arnie.

The store has a few edibles and more customers are asking for a wider selection, but with the current technologies and varying recipes, the store is taking it slow with the edible market and focusing on flower in various forms.

"We think a smaller menu of items with a focus on top shelf quality is the way to start," said Adam.

Some have associated the marijuana industry akin to the wine industry with the various strains, tastes and potency, and with some of the attitudes they have observed from the producers in the market, with the care that they are taking to produce quality products that stand out in the new industry.

"The current state of the industry is very positive," notes Arnie, "I have not had anyone speak negatively to me about being in the marijuana business."

And of course it is a business and the Bossards will admit that...but they not only see Cannabis 21 being a financial gain for them, after they recover their initial investments, inventory and construction costs, but as a way to help the community as well with tourism and tax dollars.

"We are not only creating tax revenue, we are dampening the black market of marijuana as well."
And when you ask how many jobs they are brining to the area, Arnie lights up.

"Out of the eight employees we have, seven of them are from right here in the Harbor," tells Arnie.

The feel of Cannabis 21 is clean, professional and friendly even down to the parapet construction to provide a more sleek appearance with its surrounding businesses.

"That is kind of funny...when we saw a posting on social media about the store during construction, the picture did not show the entrance door and read something like, "they must be using their own product because they forgot the door,"...If they would have went around the corner they would have seen the bog hole in the back," chuckles Arnie.

Done on purpose, Cannabis 21 wants to provide a welcoming if not discreet entry for customers whom may be getting back into the relaxing world of cannabis.
"This allows those who are still a bit cautious about being seen in a retail store to have a way to enter with less visibility to the general public, it is another way of providing customer service."

Under the microscope by many from the newly form Marijuana 2015 (I-502), local authorities and the state having reached about the original halfway mark with around 154 retail stores now open and operating as of July this year, Cannabis 21 is very aware of all the eyes that are watching them enter into the new industry.

"Everyone is waiting for you to fail and we are not looking to fail," said Angela and one of those ways that many people bring up, is about banking.

"Many people have a misconceptions about this business, and one of those things is banking. We do have a bank and they are working with us who is regulated and has rules to follow," remarks Angela.

Cannabis 21 is located at 1000 East Wishkah in Aberdeen and maintains a Facebook page as well as a website at Cannabis21.com. Cannabis 21 is open daily at 10 am closing at 8 pm Monday - Thursday, 9 pm Saturday and 6 pm on Sunday.