There are significant obstacles for business owners in the cannabis industry. With zoning restrictions and a lack of banking, it can be difficult to build out the perfect retail space. However, with so many traditional retailers closing up and leaving behind commercial property, many cannabis operators have been creative in repurposing old space. Check out these five old commercial properties that have been repurposed for the cannabis industry.
Cannabis Station by Rocky Mountain High
Rocky Mountain High is a chain of dispensaries operating in Colorado. However, one of their shops really stands out. Cannabis Station in Denver gives new meaning to the phrase “fill up on diesel.” This former gas station has been repurposed and is now a cannabis dispensary. They even use the price per gallon signs to list eighth prices. It is located near Coors Field and a must-see for any cannabis tourists.
The Claremont Custody Center
Talk about criminal justice reform. The Claremont Custody Center is now putting people to work instead of behind bars. Damian Marley and Ocean Grown Extracts in 2016 purchased the abandoned prison in Coalinga in for their cannabis grow oil extraction operation. Hopefully, other prisons can be repurposed this way. The city of Claremont the made over $4 million from the sale of Claremont Custody Center which helped eliminate its debt and create many new jobs.
Amoeba Music Hi Fidelity Dispensary
Amoeba Music may be known as the largest independent chain of record stores. But many people may be surprised to learn that they operate one of the most unique cannabis dispensaries. For those looking for some mood setting cannabis to go with their sweet vinyl collection, they’ll want to check out Amoeba’s Berkeley California store Hi Fidelity. In this case, Amoeba is repurposing its own record shop to act as both a music store and cannabis dispensary.
Lipay Nation of Santa Ysabel Casino
Although casinos typically have the odds in their favor, the gambling industry still has many sites that fail. The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel struggled to make a success out of its 35,000 square foot casino. With big debt weighing them down, they shut the doors to the casino in 2014. However, they quickly found a new use for the space. The casino has been transformed into a large commercial cannabis grow operation that sends flower to dispensaries all over California.
Flow Kana Turns Vineyard into Cannabis Grow Operation
An old vineyard may not be able to accommodate many new business ventures, but as it turns out, they are ideal for large cannabis farms. Last year, Flow Kana, which produces boutique small batch cannabis flower, purchased an 80-acre piece of land that was formerly a vineyard in Mendicino County. Once completed, the land will feature a cannabis farm, as well as a bed and breakfast for guests to stay at. The property will be known as the Flow Kana institute and will provide small batch growers with a place to produce flower and compete with large-scale farms.
