Shasta Lake now has its first medical marijuana dispensary drive-thru after Leave It To Nature opened its pull-up window at the former Starbucks on Shasta Dam Boulevard.
“It’s no different than going and picking up Vicodin at Rite Aid,” said Stacy Lidie, owner of the medical marijuana dispensary, which just opened a few months ago.
The dispensary saw its first patient pass through Thursday afternoon after a technical glitch caused payment issues earlier in the day, she said. Patients can pick up anything besides an actual plant through the window.
But for everyone else, she said they shouldn’t expect to see much difference between the window versus walk-ins. On-site use of marijuana is strictly prohibited in both cases and every driver must be already registered with the collective, she said.
Shasta County sheriff’s Sgt. Logan Stonehouse said in his month working patrol with the Shasta Lake substation, the concerns he’s seen revolve around property crimes, such as breaking into a trash bin or breaking a window.
“I don’t think it’d be any different from walking in and buying it and walking back and leaving,” he said.
Lidie said she chose the location in part because of the drive-thru to serve patients whose illnesses make getting out of a vehicle and walking in difficult.
But she said she’s heard from others interested in a drive-thru since then, in part because children aren’t allowed inside the dispensary.
“There aren’t a lot of kids (who use medical marijuana). But there are a lot of parents who can’t come in,” she said. “At least once a week I have people unable to pick up their medicine because they can’t find someone to watch their kids. They wait for another day.”
Caregivers and pet owners also sometimes skip on a busy day because they don’t want to leave loved ones in the vehicles.
Nonetheless, those eyeing more convenience in acquiring their cannabis should think of it as more picking up a prescription rather than a hamburger.
That’s because the dispensary still requires an in-person visit to register and orders must be placed online, though drop-off orders may be accepted in the future, Lidie said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Shasta Lakes Drive-Thru Pot Dispensary Now Open
Author: Joe Szydlowski
Contact: (530) 243-2424
Photo Credit: Andreas Fuhrmann
Website: Record Searchlight
