Welcome back to Season 2. A few weeks ago I road tripped into Oregon for the first time in over a year. It gave me an opportunity to look at things through new eyes because while Oregon borders on Idaho… they tend to be very different places at the heart. In a previous bonus episode I touched on some the high quality beverages that seem to be everywhere in Oregon , today I thought it would be appropriate to touch on another ubiquitous Oregon business: The dispensaries:
Because while I’m not in the least bit interested in marijuana (and in fact it is one of those things that could get me fired) I would like to acknowledge the creativity that can be seen just outside these establishments.
Welcome back to Season 2. A few weeks ago I road tripped into Oregon for the first time in over a year. It gave me an opportunity to look at things through new eyes because while Oregon borders on Idaho… they tend to be very different places at the heart. In a previous bonus episode I touched on some the high quality beverages that seem to be everywhere in Oregon , today I thought it would be appropriate to touch on another ubiquitous Oregon business: The dispensaries:
Because while I’m not in the least bit interested in marijuana (and in fact it is one of those things that could get me fired) I would like to acknowledge the creativity that can be seen just outside these establishments.
In life we have two choices, to experience or to exist. Every week, each of us makes that choice to either seek a better way to live or to get by. walk alongside me each week on the strive seek find podcast as we continue to seek our own brilliant future. To paraphrase Frank Herbert, he who controls the pot controls the market share, or he who controls the spice controls the universe. This isn't just a selling point for drugs, but also the controlling of language. Welcome to Strive Seek Find podcast. I'm your host chance Whitmore Welcome back to season two. A few weeks ago, I road tripped into Oregon for the first time, obviously in over a year. It gave me an opportunity to look at things through new eyes because while Oregon borders on Idaho, they tend to be very different places at heart. In a previous bonus episode, I touched on some of the high quality beverages that seem to be everywhere in Oregon. So today, I thought it'd be appropriate to touch on the other ubiquitous Oregon business, the dispensaries because personally, while I'm not in the least bit interested in marijuana, and in fact, it's one of those things that could get me fired. I would like to acknowledge the creativity that can be seen just outside of these establishments. Now, let's get started. For clarity for you listeners outside the Pacific Northwest. Idaho is one of the most conservative states in the union. Oregon is not consequently, Oregon has legalized the sale of marijuana and various related products. And Idaho has not. So after a year away, it was a little jarring. The first thing I noticed had to do a store placement in the towns closest to the Idaho border right off the interstate. It little buildings that look like coffee shops. Welcome to Starbucks, only with weed some of them with drive throughs. And as far as the eye can see Idaho plates in for their weekly fix of edibles, smoke bowls, oils, and whoever knows what else. I credit their business plans. They're giving the people of Idaho what they want. And having multiple dispensaries within. Within 30 to 45 minutes the largest population centers in the state of Idaho. These people thought things through and they're prepared not only for the eventuality of Idaho legalizing pot, I've been told that some of them already purchase buildings even though it's most likely years down the road. But they made sure they had first class establishments ready within minutes of the border. Now, as you get further away from the border, things began to change. He moved to dispensaries that are either classy and clever. Or so damn overt Even if you've never seen the drugs, heard of the drugs, smelled the drugs. You know what's being sold. For instance, Hotbox This is the name you select. If you want teenagers hovering outside asking people to buy them weed just like they used to around the convenience store trying to get some stranger to buy and beer. Simple, evocative direct as direct is a puff puff pass in a smoke filled car. Next up, there was Chalice farms. The name itself wasn't all that evocative. What caught my attention was their symbol. The Holy Grail with a pot leaf on top. They are apparently selling your Mary Jane salvation. Then, further west as you move into Central and Western Oregon, where then things tend to be a little more, shall we say trendy. Sometimes dare I say hipster and it's not a value judgment. But I'm going to tell you I don't wax my mustache. You begin to see Answer your buildings, higher class sites, advertisement of farm to table pot, or organic. Both of these are ideas I associate most closely with restaurant movements designed to sell the idea of responsible agricultural practice, in this case with your weed, but it makes less sense to me with something you can literally spray as you walk along the ditch bank. And as for organic, no chemical fertilizers or bug killers, I get it. But growing up, this meant something you shoveled out of the corral and loaded into the manure spreader. And most people don't really want to think about their stuff being grown in something's crap. But there you go. Admittedly, on our trip, there were outliers, such as the Western Oregon dispensary, though, to the point. If you own this place, you know who's walking through the door, you're not seeking new customers, you've already got them where you want them, and they are coming for the product, not for you. And you're not gonna bother advertising. After being across the state and back. There are a couple of store names I was surprised I didn't see anywhere. Maybe they were in Portland and I just didn't get up there who knows. But for all you dealers out there, hands off. These are at least theoretically taken. My dispensary restaurant is going to be known as the weed and feed or maybe the grazing station. It will of course be organic, locally sourced and farm to table with the exception of the occasional two for one Twinkie Fridays. Anyway, the point of all this is when a new field of endeavor opens up, it tends towards wild creativity while people seek what works. And it is obvious, even to someone completely outside the field as I am. But then eventually the big fish eat the little fish and you end up with Walmart. And I guess in this case, it's Mary Jane Mart, but you still get the picture. If you see your opportunity to find your way forward in your field or another. Bring your wildest craziest ideas, everything your creativity has, because you never know what's going to work until you've tried. Shout outs. First quick shout out to Lorraine of the nightmare pod. She's the brave soul who ran my first broadcast promo a month ago. Another quick shout out and possible programming note. Thanks to Paul and Griff, for having me on last week to talk about the Avengers. Please check out their show the Paul and Griff show greatly appreciated guys. worth mentioning. It's odd when you find a regional event from your childhood turned into a documentary, let alone one you can vaguely remember being on the evening news during your middle school years. That is the case with Netflix murder among Mormons the story of the mark Hoffman forgeries and the bombings he perpetrated to cover them up. It's a chilling story set again, sweat felt like a more innocent time in place. And when you add Mark Hoffman's brilliance and his absolute lack of compassion, told in part by the people he victimized, it becomes something that you binge rather than work your way through. It is definitely worth watching. It's available now on Netflix. And that concludes this edition of Strive seek find. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, or would just like to support the podcast. Here are a few ways you can do it. You can leave a review on Apple podcasts or pod chaser. They will help bring more listeners to the podcast. If that isn't your style, you can buy me a coffee or purchase some mirch links are in the podcast description. Finally, if you have ideas or feedback, please reach out to the strive seek find page on Facebook or to at @chancewhitmore5 on Twit er. Until next time, keep seek ng your own brilliant futu e. Have a great day.