The cannabis industry is growing in Grover Beach.
The second medical marijuana dispensary within city limits is set to open Wednesday, July 4, at 9 a.m.
The Natural Healing Center is located in the 900 block of Huston Street. It’s about a half mile away from the first shop in the 1000 block of Highland Way. That shop, 805 Beach Breaks, opened up back in May.
On Tuesday evening, the Natural Healing Center opened for the first time ever for a private event for local business owners.
David Separzadeh, owner and founder, gave Grover Beach city leaders a tour of the facility just hours before the grand opening.
"Here will be three different sides, same product displays across, so we’ll be able to serve multiple patients at the same time," he explained.
Finishing touches were still being made all day Tuesday at the medical marijuana dispensary that’s been in the works for more than a year.
It was picked from 17 applications, marking the second to go online in the city with two more shops to come.
The city, ultimately, paving the way for San Luis Obispo County.
"Grover Beach said, ‘We’re going to be different from everyone. We’re going to look at this as a growth industry, not the sinister thing that people try to characterize it as,’" said Mayor John Shoals.
Mayor Shoals says with the 2016 voter-approved tax measure, the cannabis industry could generate an estimated $2 million annually for police, fire, and public education.
"This will be all fully glass and what you’ll be able to see is scientists working. Scientists will be working behind this glass on creating different types of products," Separzadeh explained.
The Natural Healing Center plans to eventually create more than 150 jobs. An extraction lab, a California distribution center, a cafe with cannabis-infused foods, and an oceanview rooftop lounge are also part of the 250,000 square foot, six-phase project.
"At the end of the day, we’d like this to be a major tourist destination, not only for people in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara County, but it’s more for the country," Separzadeh added.
Also on the line is a city council vote on July 9 to approve recreational use in Grover Beach for all four shops, meaning anyone 21 and over can come in without a medical card.
It marks a new era for the county and beyond.
"We believe that we have had to strike the balance between allowing this industry to flourish, be done legally, be done safe, and also be able to help build the local economy," Mayor Shoals concluded.
The owner says the full project should be completed within the next two to three years.
The mayor adds that the other two out of four shops have submitted plans to the city and they’re under review.
