BELLINGHAM — Hundreds of customers were on hand - along with TV stations and a food truck - as Top Shelf Cannabis opened Tuesday, July 8, the first store in Bellingham to legally sell recreational marijuana.
Employees opened the doors at Top Shelf, 3863 Hannegan Road in Henifin Plaza, a little after 8 a.m. Cale Holdsworth, 29, of Abilene, Kansas was first in line. He and his girlfriend were in town for a grandfather's 84th birthday and family reunion.
"We expected larger crowds. We thought there would be campers and revelers," said Holdsworth, who said he is an advocate of legalization and the responsible use of marijuana. "It's a momentous occasion."
His girlfriend, 24-year-old Sarah Gorton, also of Abilene, was happy to be among the first in line.
"This is completely new to me," she said. "I've never been in a shop where I can buy my favorite thing."
The couple bought two grams of a strain called OG's Pearl, which retails for $19.82 ($26.50 with taxes included) for a two-gram package. They planned to try out their purchase at home and said they know it's illegal to carry it across state lines.