Gearhart Getting Its First Marijuana Dispensary in July

Sweet Relief is scheduled to open its doors on July 16. This will be the first marijuana store in Gearhart. It will be the second Sweet Relief location in Clatsop County.

There has been interest in Gearhart by other marijuana companies in the past, but none could find a suitable location, the Daily Astorian reports. Sweet Relief will be right next door to Gearhart Liquor Store. The town adopted a strict ordinance which limited where marijuana retailers could be.

Co-owner Oscar Nelson said, “We picked Gearhart because we love small towns. We feel Gearhart is a great location for both locals and tourists.”

Sweet Relief picked a location that is already in a commercial zone, which made their process a little easier.

Nelson said, “After having our downtown Astoria location for over four years and (being) in the cannabis industry for over eight years, we are excited to expand in our local neighborhood with another convenient location.”

In Gearhart, marijuana consumers will pay a 5-percent tax on medical marijuana and 10-percent tax on recreational marijuana. The town may reconsider the tax rates in the near future.