New dispensary to open in Niwot

Niwot will soon be home to a new business that has been over 3 years in the works.

Callie Craumer and daughter Caitlin will be opening a Starbuds Dispensary at 6924 N. 79th Street in Cottonwood Square Shopping Center that is close to completion.

Callie said that they initially purchased the property in 2014 as a real estate investment and to relocate their family to Colorado which was part of their long-term plan.

“We’re hoping we’ll have a successful business and be a contributor to the community,” Callie said. “As far as the business community, we hope to engage the local business owners and be a viable participant in both Niwot and Gunbarrel.”

Callie pointed out that there was roughly $195 million in marijuana tax revenue generated in the state through September 30th 2017. The way Niwot’s Local Improvement District (LID) is slated by the county, Niwot itself will get one percent of all tax revenue from the Starbuds location.

“I think you’re going to see continued expansion in the cannabis industry,” Callie said. “The growth is undeniable, it’s there and it’s only going to continue.”

The original application for their business included a grow operation along with the dispensary, but that part of the plan was scrapped based on feedback from the community, concern for potential “odor” and the elimination of Colorado’s marijuana vertical integration law.

“We buy everything wholesale,” Callie said. “The way the market has evolved over the last twelve months the rates for wholesale cannabis have dropped substantially. It gives us an opportunity to acquire products at a reasonable price and therefore pass on some of the savings to our retail customers.”

The shop is recreational only, customers must have valid government identification and be over the age of 21 to enter. Patients with a Colorado-issued medical card will get a discount on products in the store.

“We will carry a full range of products,” Callie said. “Flower of course, concentrates, a full line of edibles, topicals and various CBD products, all from different vendors.”

Selling a variety of products isn’t the only thing the new owners at Starbuds Niwot have in mind.

“We really want to focus on education,” Caitlin said. “There will be something for everyone, we don’t want to deter older customers from coming in. We encourage people who are tourists or newer to the market to stop by, learn about what we have to offer, and pick out some products suited to their needs.”

Callie added that the extra space that was originally slated for the grow operation has been fitted out to be utilized for seminars or classes.

“We’re located nearby the senior living facility in Niwot,” Callie said. “A lot of those people who use cannabis medicinally may not be able to travel to Boulder or Longmont or Gunbarrel. We’re going to have plenty of products to offer clients that have beneficial medicinal results and we’re hoping that we can introduce members of the community to the medical side of cannabis.”

There are products that have a higher concentration of Cannabidiol (CBD), in comparison to products with more Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the part of the plant that gives a user the “high” feeling. CBD does not have those effects on the user, therefore it is touted as the medicinal part of the plant.

Specific products at Starbuds Niwot will include everything from lotions to bath salts, balms, oils and even patches — none of which will give the user a “high” feeling, but will have the medicinal benefits of cannabis.

“Something that we’re very passionate about is potentially helping people with various medical problems. That’s what got us interested in the cannabis industry,” Caitlin said. “We would like to be on the front line when it comes to helping people find alternative treatments to medical issues and various side effects created by traditional treatments.”

Along with seminars about marijuana and its uses — both medical and recreational — the family hopes that people can gain a better understanding of the plant.

“We plan on having an education board,” Caitlin said. “There will be a constant source of literature that vendors leave about things like safe consumption, what topicals are used for, and how cannabis can help with pain. We want our customers to be educated. That’s an important part of the industry.”

Caitlin said that they will offer smaller doses of many of their products, so customers don’t have to make a large commitment trying to find something that fits their needs.

Starbuds Niwot plans to open on Nov. 17, their hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

Caitlin said that she is looking forward to the endeavor and hopes that the community will benefit from the new business.

“We are very family-oriented,” Caitlin said. “Starting a business together has been something we’ve always discussed, but what makes this opportunity exciting is that it allowed us to relocate to Colorado.”