Dozens lined up outside of Choice Organics Wednesday morning. The marijuana dispensary is the first in Larimer County to begin selling recreational cannabis. (Photo: Jason Pohl/The Coloradoan )



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There wasn’t the pomp and circumstance that some expected as they became the first people to purchase legal recreational marijuana in Larimer County.


There weren’t even snacks. That didn’t matter as the dozens of people who purchased cannabis and related products at Choice Organics on Wednesday left the shop clutching their newly-acquired stash.


They didn’t even try to hide their mile-wide smiles.


“Overall, it was the best experience ever,” said Lance Kosakewich, 26. He showed up at the shop at 9 a.m. – two hours before the retail operation opened its doors. He was among the marijuana patrons who flooded shops in Denver on New Year’s Day, and he said Wednesday was smoother and more streamlined than he ever could have imagined.


Walking away with a white zipped bag loaded with 1 gram each of Heavenly Haze, Grape Stomper and Mother Theresa – three strains totaling $60 – he said the selection and staff made the process a breeze.


Being the first person to purchase in a place like Fort Collins, he said, was “a big deal.”


“I will be back in the future. I can’t wait to go consume responsibly.”


A straw poll of people who lounged in the waiting room near Interstate 25 and Mulberry Street indicated almost everyone was from Fort Collins. One group of New Yorkers was passing through the area and heard the news. Another man came from Salt Lake City, almost entirely because of legal pot.


Erik Mercilliott, 23, moved to Fort Collins from Maryland two months ago. He was in the crowds that headed to a Garden City shop earlier this year, but he said the experience on Wednesday was much smoother and the interactions with staff was much more personable. Besides seeking some cannabis for himself, he hoped to find something that could help a family member with pain from recently-started chemotherapy treatments.


Most of the people who stopped by the shop in the morning – around 80 percent – appeared to be around 25 years old.


Cost has been a sticking point for a lot of people across the state, and shoppers should expect to pay more than they would for medical marijuana and maybe even more than they do from a back-door deal.


Nobody on Wednesday seemed to mind shelling out $20 for a gram.


“There’s more underlying aspects that make it palatable for the taxation,” said Trent Chavez, a 26-year-old biology major at Colorado State University. “At least it’s going to a positive aspect of our society. We’re no longer viewing this as a stigma. It’s a beautiful thing.”


Jason Pohl is the Coloradoan’s breaking news reporter. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason


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