i+D - March/April 2019 - 40

A Growing Opportunity - By Brian Libby

"Quality Drugs" appears
in bright neon inside a lush
green wall at Serra stores,
an homage to both the
past apothecary aesthetic
and the Italian-derived
company name, meaning
"greenhouse."
(Image: Krista Jahnke)

The company's most personal design may be for the dispensary that Stone
is opening this spring in Palm Desert, California. "It will be unlike any
dispensary I've walked into before," she says, emphasizing its openness.
"We're basked in light. Two full walls are windows, looking south to the
Santa Rosa mountain range. Our showroom will have the ability to cater to
novices with one-on-one consultations and demonstrations of accessories and
product, but it will also be able to serve people who want to get in and get
out quickly." Preparing for the store's opening has been humbling, she adds.
"It really renewed my respect for what my clients go through and what it
takes to get into this business. By the time we've opened, my partner will
have been working towards this for four years. It's a lot of research and
attorney fees and consultations."
Even so, Stone is excited about the future, in which she sees big changes
for the recreational cannabis market. "The exciting thing on the West Coast
is cannabis lounges are beginning to come to fruition. West Hollywood
last month issued licenses for the first time, and they're permitting
dispensaries to provide space where you can consume in public." With
on-site usage will come new regulations, particularly in relation to exhausting
smoke. Even so, Stone says, "That's where I really think this industry will
eventually go."

Keep It Fresh
Though dispensaries must meet regulatory and code requirements, and
though customer demographics may drive much of a design approach, there
is something to be said for eye-catching design as attractor-just like any
retail space.

"What really excited us was to take
a product with all these negative
connotations attached to it and
revisit the experience and the touch
points to change the perception."
-MARDI NAJAFI, FIGURE3

For Serra, a new chain of dispensaries in Portland, Oregon, Holly Freres and
Liz Morgan of local interiors firm JHL Design wanted a blend of whimsy
and naturality. So, in addition to custom hanging lights shaped like smoke
rings, the designers created a living wall of plants to help emphasize what
Freres calls "this lush aesthetic." In front of the plant wall is a neon sign
that reads "Quality Drugs," a company slogan. "They really wanted a socialmedia moment their customers could create, to keep their brand really
strong," Freres explains. "The word, Serra, means 'greenhouse' in Italian.
So, that really was an important part of stepping into the space."
Even so, Morgan says clients like Serra also are continually changing their
dispensaries to meet changing rules and product offerings. "They're getting
more feedback about what people want and what brings in revenue. I think
a lot of money has flooded into this market, with a lot of people new to retail
and new to [cannabis]. They're learning what works. And, I think we're also
seeing a place for these brands to become lifestyle brands."

BRIAN LIBBY
is a journalist, photographer, and
award-winning filmmaker. His articles have
appeared in The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and
Architectural Digest.

i+D - March/April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i+D - March/April 2019