Medical Marijuana Dispensary Coming to Five Points

[Tacachale]

National medical marijuana provider opening a flagship location in the iconic Five Points commercial district.

Read more: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/medical-marijuana-dispensary-coming-to-five-points/

[Kerry]

It will be interesting to see what 'medical' marijuana does to urban housing demand and prices.  You can't walk down the hallways at 220 Riverside without smelling it even though we are supposed to be a 100% smoke-free building.  It is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to moving out at the end of the month.

[sandyshoes]

    What's new about that - 5 Points has always been a maryjane mecca! 

[JPalmer]

#NoSmokeIsAJoke

[Adam White]

Stay classy, Riverside.

[FlaBoy]

This is a disappointment for the area. That is primetime real estate for the district that will now be underutilized for most people.

[Tacachale]

^Agreed. Not to knock people who need these, but this is not the best use of this property.

[Live_Oak]

I'm surprised they need the entire 6,000 square foot building. That's a lot of weed.

Also disappointed that they plan on painting over the Shaun Thurston mural.

[Captain Zissou]

Also disappointed that they plan on painting over the Shaun Thurston mural.

That's my biggest complaint.  I am sure they'll get some opposition from the uptight RAP crowd, so why upset them more by removing public art?  Hopefully they will replace it with another mural or something cool.

[Charles Hunter]

From the

Also disappointed that they plan on painting over the Shaun Thurston mural.

That's my biggest complaint.  I am sure they'll get some opposition from the uptight RAP crowd, so why upset them more by removing public art?  Hopefully they will replace it with another mural or something cool.

Nope.  From the article

he proposed storefront façade is under review for a Certificate of Appropriateness by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission, and includes a bold red facade that would stretch from new canopies to be installed along the Park St elevation and continue around the corner to replace the Shaun Thurston mural currently adorning the building along Lomax St.

Does seem large for medical pot shop, but probably about right when recreational use is legalized. Maybe they are playing the long game.

[JaxAvondale]

They are clearly making this purchase with the idea that recreational use will get passed in the next few years.

[Kerry]

Recreational use is already allowed.  It is so easy to get a medical card it is laughable.  My friend got one because he told his doctor he was stressed and had trouble eating.  The irony is, his stress is from being an unemployed pothead, but that is another subject.

[dp8541]

They are clearly making this purchase with the idea that recreational use will get passed in the next few years.

This.  I am interested if they are leasing urban locations like this across the country banking on state laws changing.  I think passing medical use was the hard part so recreational use and sale is only a matter of time. 

[Charles Hunter]

According to their website, they have stores in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, and New York. https://www.medmen.com/stores
Interestingly, the list does not include Jacksonville as "coming soon".

Also from their website

cannabis as a consumer product. It is a simple idea with profound consequences for how marijuana is cultivated, produced and marketed. Quality standards matter, best practices matter, brand reputation matters. Today, MedMen is the most dominant cannabis enterprise in the emerging legal marijuana industry.

Yeah, they are banking on legalization.

[Bill Hoff]

I've heard that some of the store owners in 5 Points are disappointed. They were hoping for a more inclusive use as well, and the solid red walls are definitely a major detractor.