Mancos became home to the first recreational marijuana shop in Montezuma County this week, when owner Nate Fete opened the doors to The Shop at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22.
The store caries over 42 strands of dried marijuana and edibles such as chocolates, caramels, cookies and crackers.
With names like Road Runner Haze, Pirates Booty, Golden Goat, Green Candy and Blue Dream Purple, 1/8 ounce costs $60 to $70. Fete said he dutifully checks IDs, because you have to be at least 21 years old to enter the store.
Fete said he will offer discounts to regulars, locals and those who carry medical marijuana cards.
The Shop will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, but Fete said he might adjust the hours on Sundays and holidays.
“Right now, Mancos is the latest place open on the Western Slope,” he said.
Fete hands out child-proof bottles and bags with every purchase.
“I have an open-door policy. If any parent has concerns with my shop, I will gladly talk to them,” he said.
Behind display cases Wednesday, there were chocolates of varying strength and flavors – red velvet cookies, oatmeal butterscotch cookies, rosemary cheddar crackers, brownies and caramels. A small chocolate bar costs $7 to $20, depending on its strength.
Fete has been in the marijuana business since 2009, when he opened a medical marijuana store in Durango. He also manages Beacon Wellness Group in Cortez, a medical marijuana business. He also has applied to open a retail marijuana business in Cortez.
Opening the shop in Mancos required a lot of trips to Denver to meet with state regulators and a heavy security system.
“This place is under 24-hour surveillance,” Fete said.
Fete said a steady stream of people was walking through the door.
“I think it is great. Maybe it will help the economy,” he said.
The town of Mancos benefits from sales tax from The Shop and gets $2 per transaction under an ordinance passed this year.
Fete said he’ll likely change the name of The Shop to The Rec Shop, so people will know it’s for recreational marijuana, but he has to overcome a few state hurdles first.
Sales of recreational marijuana became legal in Colorado on Jan. 1, and Fete said he was a bit disappointed that it took so long for the area to have a recreational shop. Mancos already has one medical marijuana shop, and Cortez has a handful of medical marijuana shops, but the one in Mancos was the first retail shop to open in the county.
This brings in a whole new clientele, Fete said, from people passing through the area, first time users and tourists.
“My advice to people who are new to marijuana, especially with edibles, because they are so strong, is start with a low dose,” he said.
Fete hopes to attract visitors, and has already planned an advertising campaign and billboards in the Four Corners.
“It’s a new game, and we will see ow it goes in Mancos,” Fete said. “We like this town. It’s a nice little hub with (highways) 160 and 184. This is a good location.”
