Mike Warren, and his sister, Julie Warren, of 7 Leaf Collective in Salem, Oregon.
SALEM, Ore. — Mike Warren might be a relative newcomer to the medical marijuana game, but he’s positioning himself to be ahead of the curve when it comes to recreational sales in Oregon.
Warren said he was “100% in support” of Measure 91, which will serve as the basis for Oregon’s legal, regulated cannabis market.
“I think the way they wrote it (Measure 91) was really intelligent,” he said. “I think they really learned a lot of lessons quickly from Colorado and Washington.”
His dispensary, 7 Leaf Collective, is located less than two miles from the Oregon State Capitol. His goal was to create a clean, welcoming environment, more similar to traditional pharmacies than dispensaries. While several states — most notably Washington and California — have taken a hands-off approach to medical marijuana, Oregon began licensing and regulating retailers in 2014.
The program, which is overseen by Oregon Healthy Authority, does not regulate growing, processing or any activities outside the dispensaries.
That responsibility is left up to the retailers themselves.
“What that means is that if we want to establish higher standards for safety and packaging, it’s up to the dispensary owner,” Warren said. “When we call ourselves a collective, the collective is more referring to sharing the same mindset as the growers we work with. “So we have a lot higher standards for what we allow on our shelves.”
That commitment means Warren visits each grow site before welcoming a producer into the fold. Currently, 7 Leaf Collective only works with two different growers. Both are top-shelf indoor growers that focus on all-natural methods, Warren said.
“Also, we don’t allow anybody to produce edibles for us unless they have a licensed kitchen,” he added.
Although his customer base is smaller than many well-established dispensaries, Warren believes his approach puts him in the forefront of maintaining a high standard for doing business — a trait that could bode well for transitioning to the recreational market.
“I think we’ll have an advantage going forward,” he said.