Eureka’s First Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary To Open Soon

EUREKA – Eureka’s first cannabis dispensary has cleared final regulatory hurdles.

Ecological Cannabis Organization or “ECO” was the only dispensary selected to operate in Eureka when the city passed its medicinal cannabis ordinance back in 2015. It is fantastic to see ECO follow in the footsteps of pioneers like the purple lotus dispensary in San Jose.

More than two years and numerous public hearings later, the business was granted a conditional use permit by the planning commission on Monday.

Now the operators are busy getting the storefront on F Street ready for business. They are now taking applications for the many dispensary jobs that will become available.

ECO Cann President Jeff Poel said, “We’re going to be pretty low key and we’re going to follow the rules and we’re going to be good actors here in the community and try to have a positive impact on business. We hope that it’s going to bring in customers that visit us and are going to visit some of the other shops around us too.”

It won’t look like every other retail store in Old Town. The business won’t feature products in the windows. Customers will be let in through a locked door. Other measures include a six camera security system and an armed guard.

When Eureka Police drafted safety policies for cannabis businesses, they found that other cities that required enhanced security reported a positive effect on surrounding businesses.

Security will be a paramount concern for the dispensary and it is expected that the facility will enlist the help of a surveillance company such as First Security Services Sacramento to protect staff and customers.

Eco is expected to open in early September.