When Brandon St. Germain got in line to apply for a marijuana dispensary license in this town of 11,000 people along the Idaho border in November 2018, he brought armed guards. “We’re talking ex-military veterans,” St. Germain said. “They’re standing there with M-16s. They’ve got bulletproof vests on; they’ve got pistols on their hip.” He had his reasons for the extraordinary security precautions: No one quite knew how many pot shops could ultimately be permitted, making his spot worth millions of dollars in a potential sale. That’s because this small agricultural town — best known for Ore-lda’s creation of the tater tot in the 1950s — is just a 50-minute drive from Boise, Idaho. It sits at the edge of the Treasure Valley, where more than 700,000 people — 40 percent of Idaho’s population — reside.
Politics, Policy, Political News – POLITICO, 04/17/2021 20:00:00
Open article: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/18/ontario-oregon-marijuana-481211