'The new normal is here': Largest marijuana megastore in Sacramento region to open in Arden area KOLAS took KCRA 3 inside the nearly 8,000 square-foot dispensary Share Copy Link Copy
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YOUR TICKET TO A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP!] ANNOUNCER: THIS IS KCRA 3 NEWS THAT 11:00. >> NEW TONIGHT. MARIJUANA GOING MORE MAINSTREAM. FROM A NEW MEGA STORE IN SACRAMENTO TO THE MAIN STAGE AT THE STATE FAIR. WHAT WAS ILLEGAL JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, IS NOW A MAJOR CASH CROP. SINCE MARIJUANA WAS LEGALIZED FOR RECREATIONAL USE. THERE’S BEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF POT SHOPS THAT OPENED IN THE SACRAMENTO REGION. >> NOW, A NEW STORE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ARDEN FAIR MALL IS TAKING IT TO A NEW LEVEL. AND IT COULD BE A SIGN OF HOW THE INDUSTRY IS GROWING. KCRA 3’S ORKO MANNA JOINS US LIVE FROM SACRAMENTO WITH HOW THAT STORE COULD BE A SIGN OF HOW MUCH THE INDUSTRY IS GROWING. ORKO? REPORTER: THIS WHOLE BUILDING BEHIND ME IS THE DISPENSARY. THAT’S BIGGER THAN ANYTHING WE’VE EVER SEEN IN THIS AREA. THE CANNABIS COMPANY THAT RUNS IT SAYS IT’S SIZE, AND HOW CLOSE IT IS TO OTHER MAJOR RETAIL BUSINESSES HERE, SHOWS HOW THE INDUSTRY IS BECOMING NORMALIZED. >> CONSIDER THIS A CANNABIS MALL, AND THESE ARE LITTLE KIOSKS IN THE MALL. REPORTER: POT PRODUCTS LINE THE WALLS OF THE NEWEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY IN SACRAMENTO. BUT WHAT SETS IT APART FROM OTHERS IN THE CITY - IS ITS SHEER SIZE. >> 7700 SQUARE FEET, OVER 1,000 PRODUCTS. REPORTER: THE CANNABIS COMPANY KOLAS SAYS THEIR PASSION PROJECT IS THE LARGEST MARIJUANA MEGASTORE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. AND HERE, THERE’S AN EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION. >> THE CANNA-CURIOUS IS THE FASTING-GROWING GROUP NOW. THEY’RE ON THE FENCE, THEY’RE GOING, I’M JUST WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO EDUCATE ME, BRING ME IN, LET ME KNOW HOW TO USE IT, WHAT I NEED, WHAT TO EXPECT. REPORTER: THAT’S WHY CERTAIN AREAS OF THE DISPENSARY ARE DEDICATED TO TEACHING CUSTOMERS. THIS IS WHERE COMPANIES CAN EXPLAIN THE WHOLE POT PROCESS - FROM PLANTING TO PACKAGING. AND THERE’S EVEN A LIVING ROOM, COMPLETE WITH COUCHES AND BOARD GAMES. >> A VERY CASUAL SETTING TO BE VERY OPEN, TRANSPARENT, TO DISCUSS HOW THEY’RE USING CANNABIS. >> OH, I’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN ONE OF THESE. REPORTER: CUSTOMERS, HAPPY WITH THE HELP. >> I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY, GREAT FOR BRINGING PEOPLE IN, AND IT ALSO MAKE IT FEEL MORE WELCOME. REPORTER: THE GOAL IS TO NORMALIZE THE INDUSTRY. EMPLOYEES SAY A BIG PART OF THAT HERE IS THE STORE’S LOCATION, IN A MAJOR SHOPPING DISTRICT IN THE ARDEN AREA. COLLECT BEING ABLE TO KNOW, I DON’T HAVE TO HIDE WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING ANYMORE, IS JUST HONESTLY A HUGE BLESSING, AND WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR THAT. REPORTER: BUSINESS LEADERS SAY THIS MEGASTORE SHOWS JUST HOW FAR THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY HAS COME HERE IN CALIFORNIA, AND THEY’RE EXPECTING EVEN MORE GROWTH IN THE FUTURE. >> WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON EXPANDING RETAIL ACCESS. REPORTER: LINDSAY ROBINSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA CANNABIS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION TELLS ME ONE REASON TO HAVE MORE MEGASTORES IS TO ENOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO STAY AWAY FROM THE ILLEGAL MARIJUANA MARKET. >> WE WANT LEGAL CANNABIS BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE, BECAUSE THAT REALLY HELPS ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY. REPORTER: KOLAS, HOPING THEIR MEGASTORE HELPS IN THAT PROCESS. >> IT’S NOW NORMAL. THE NEW NORMAL IS HERE. THAT IS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT. REPORTER: TODAY WAS MORE OF A SOFT OPENING FOR THIS LOCATION. THEY’LL HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY AND A GRAND OPENING TOMORROW AT 9:00 A.M. REPORTING LIVE IN SACRAMENTO ORKO MANNA KCRA 3 NEWS. >> YOU CAN ALSO SEE HOW MUCH THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY HAS GROWN, BY LOOKING AT TAX REVENUE FOR THE STATE, AND PROFITS FOR BUSINESSES. A RECENT STUDY SHOWED THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY IN SACRAMENTO ALONE TOOK IN MORE THAN $800 MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR. >> THE CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR THAT IS SET TO OPEN TOMORROW MORNING. ONE OF THE NEW FEATURES AT THE FAIR WILL BE THE FIRST-EVER CANNABIS EXHIBIT. IT IS A 7500 SQUARE-FOOT CELEBRATION OF THE STATE’S CANNABIS INDUSTRY, THERE’S NO WEED FOR SALE BUT THIS EXHIBIT WILL FEATURE 55 DIFFERENT SPEAKERS, DOCUMENTARY FILMS, AND CANNABIS EXPERTS. THERE WILL ALSO BE THE 60 WINNERS OF THE STATE’S FIRST-EVER CANNABIS FLOWER AWARDS. WHILE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SMOKE ANY OF THE CANNABIS AT THE EXHIBIT, YOU CAN DRINK SOME. >> LEHUA BRANDS WILL BE SELLING A NUMBER OF CANNABIS INFUSED DRINKS AND SLUSHIES. ALL OF THE DRINKS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THC FREE, SO THEY WILL MEET ALL THE GUIDELINES SET BY THE STATE FAIR. THE DRINKS ARE INFUSED WITH CANNABIS GROWN FROM CALIFORNIA. >> AND JONES SODA IS ALSO GETTING INTO THE MARIJUANA INFUSED BEVERAGE BUSINESS. THE SEATTLE BASED COMPANY RELEASED IT’S MARY JONES LINE OF SODA’S THIS WEEKEND A A NUMBER OF SACRAMENTO DISPENSARIES. THE DRINKS COME IN A NUMBER
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