community
january18
2018
Vernonia’s Natural Choice: More Than Just Weed
legalizing recreational sales with Mea-
sure 91. Buffum attended Vernonia City
Council meetings in 2014 to get the feel
for whether the local political leadership
would oppose local sales within City
limits if the Measure passed.
Brisbin says Oregon’s strict laws
and OLCC regulations on both recre-
ational and medical marijuana required
them to navigate a seemingly endless
stream of red tape just to open the busi-
ness, that included licensing, a security
system and safe for locking up products
overnight, policy and procedures hand-
books for employees, and much more.
Ongoing required paperwork to track
product is a full time job, along with
bookwork required of any business, says
Brisbin. “The laws keep being adjusted
Store manager Scott says that
the legalization of cannabis in Oregon
has led to the creation of approximately
19,000 jobs across the state within all
sectors of the industry, including grow-
ing operations, manufacturing and pro-
duction jobs, and retail sales, especially
in rural parts of the state. She says the
industry has gone through significant
changes that have included the filtering
out of suppliers as businesses jumped
into the market and then closed down.
Supply from growers of marijuana prod-
ucts has skyrocketed, leading to a signifi-
cant reduction in wholesale costs. Many
of the over 30 different vendors that
supply Vernonia’s Natural Choice are
fairly regional, including product suppli-
ers from Scappoose, Banks and Forest
Vernonia’s Natural Choice offers a variety of CBD products that can help with
numerous health issues including anxiety, stress, and pain.
and changed as well, so we have to keep
up with all that,” says Brisbin.
Medical marijuana patients who
hold a card prescribed by a physician
now use local dispensaries and receive a
price break by not having to pay the state
tax imposed on recreational customers.
Grove, and some local growers. Verno-
nia’s Natural Choice itself provides jobs
and income for five local families; Buf-
fum was able to get off disability and be-
gin working again as a clerk in the store
and will also begin supplying the store
with his own grown product in the near
9
continued from front page
future.
an e-cigarette; shatters
“It’s really had
which are like hash;
a positive impact on our
and of course flower,
local economy,” says
buds, and joints that
Scott.
can be smoked the old
THC infused
fashion way. “A lot of
products can do more
people really enjoy
than just get people
the process of coming
high, and have been
in and picking their
shown to offer numer-
weed for its look and
ous therapeutic values
its smell,” says Scott.
as well, including help
“Things are constant-
with depression, sei-
ly changing. The pro-
zures including epilep-
cessors are still get-
sy, spasms, sleep apnea,
ting into their groove
appetite
stimulation,
and learning what
glaucoma, and as an
they are doing right
Vernonia’s Natural Choice
anti-oxidant.
Brisbin
and what they are do-
sells medical and
herself suffers from epi-
ing wrong and adjust-
recreational marijuana.
lepsy, and says she has
ing their product.”
not had a seizure since she starting using
“For some people it’s just the
THC infused products three years ago.
whole adventure and the experience of
“We try to stay up on things and walking into a store and buying it,” adds
make sure we are bringing in the best Brisbin.
and newest products available,” says
Brisbin says business has been
Brisbin.
pretty good so far and slowly improving
While the CBD and therapeutic as more people find out about the vari-
THC markets have greatly expanded, ety of products available and the stigma
so has the diversity of products avail- of shopping at a marijuana dispensary
able for those looking to get high from slowly dissipates. “We’re trying to give
THC. Vernonia’s Natural Choice carries people a reason to shop in their home-
a wide variety of edibles like chocolates, town,” says Brisbin. “We try to provide
caramels, almond butters, and gummies; very personalized service because our
oils and canisters which can be much customers are our neighbors and this is
more convenient and discreet to use, like our town.”
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(503) 429-5018
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