Better in Bellingham

Ten
years ago, buying legal cannabis for recreational use in Washington seemed like
a pipe dream. Pun fully intended. But now it’s a reality. And it’s happening
smack dab in the middle of a college town. Bellingham has a long history of
counter and cannabis culture. Located right on the border of B.C. where cannabis
laws have long been lenient, Bellingham has always been a Mecca for cannabis
enthusiasts. Add in a liberal university, and overall funky vibe, and you get
an environment that doesn’t necessarily frown on cannabis use. Long before
legalization, Bellingham’s cannabis culture was cultivating.

This
fall, of-age students at Western Washington University will have the option of
walking to their nearest legal cannabis store to purchase their products. As
long as they’re 21, they’ll have their choice of flower, extracts or edibles to
buy. Though cannabis use is not permitted on campus, it’s still a
groundbreaking college experience for these students. But just because this is
the first year students can partake in recreational cannabis use legally
doesn’t mean Western students haven’t long had access to a variety of high-quality
cannabis.

Though
Washington State was late to roll out I-502 compared to Colorado, Bellingham’s
ahead of the curve compared to other towns in Washington. With more stores per
capita than any other Washington town, it’s a good choice for recreational
cannabis users. Not to mention Bellingham and Whatcom County have long been
known as prolific cannabis producers. Both the black and medical markets are
extremely competitive in Bellingham, and have been for some time.

Perhaps
the competitive market place explains the fact that Bellingham’s the most well-supplied
recreational market in the state. Bellingham recreational stores remained
stocked, while the one and only Seattle store, Cannabis City, has suffered
major supply issues from the first day. Despite the issues with the Washington
State Liquor Control Board’s under-supplying retailers, Bellingham stores have
managed to stay open and supplied. Seattle area residents were even making the
two-hour drive north to purchase. The first store to sell edibles in the state
was also in Bellingham at Top Shelf.

There
are now three legal cannabis stores open in the city of Bellingham. The first
to open was Top Shelf, and 2020 Solutions the second. Top Shelf is located on
the opposite side of town from WWU campus. 2020 Solutions is closer, but still
not exactly conveniently located for all of the students. The third store to
open, Cascade Herb Company, is located right in Downtown Bellingham, within a
mile of some of the most high density student housing areas in the city.

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It
seems that this collision of cannabis culture and college would be an ideal
situation for a student who enjoys imbibing. Perhaps the culture also
contributed to the fact that retailers and producers in Bellingham seemed to
have a better handle on supply than retailers elsewhere in the state. Beyond
WWU, Bellingham likely has a future in cannabis, be it medical, recreational or
even the burgeoning industry of cannabis tourism.