Student shares views of dispensary, Shango

The first marijuana store in Forest Grove opened on March 12th. Shango, on Pacific Ave., is conveniently located just past McDonald’s. Shango already operates two dispensaries in Portland.Owner Adrian Perte has already been operating another Shango in Hillsboro along Highway 8 since last summer.

Thanks to TV and movies, some people might think weed stores are sketchy, destitute shacks in dark alleys run by unqualified stoners, but as the marijuana industry grows, so does their reputability. Shango is a well-lit, professionally run business that caters to medical patients and recreational users alike. They carry 17 to 25 different strains of marijuana flowers in the indica, sativa or hybrid varieties. And exclusively for the medical users, Shango sells cannabis edibles, shatters, tinctures and oils.

Shango is said to sell about 70 percent to recreational users, and 30 percent to medical users. However, many of the recreational users attribute their marijuana use to medical problems, but that hassle of getting a card deters them from going through the process and paying the $200 fee. If it were easier, it is estimated that about 95 percent of their customers would be medical patients.

Their website emphasizes their “state-of-the-art interior design and advanced customer education.” It also states that they are aiming to “not only set the standard for the entire Cannabis Industry, but possibly for many retailers in other industries.”

As for the Pacific community, a student who wishes to remain anonymous said that it doesn’t really affect Pacific and the only difference is that the people who didn’t know how to get it illegally, or were too scared to buy it off the street have a safe alternative.

However, they do have deals for every day of the week, ranging from Munchie Monday with 15 perfect off all food related cannabis products to Flower Power Hour, Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with 10 percent off all flower. These could be seen as financial incentives for college students, but overall, Shango is a legitimate business that, if consumed responsibly will have little to no effect on campus life.