Blüm, a dispensary chain with locations in Las Vegas and Oakland, California, opens its newest medical marijuana outlet at 9 a.m. on January 2 in Reno's Midtown neighborhood. The facility at 1085 S. Virginia Street, formerly the Scotland Yard Spy Shop, marks the tenth such dispensary in Northern Nevada and caters to patients with doctor's notes. This arrival fills a gap in the fast-developing area, where only four other dispensaries operate within Reno-Sparks city limits.
A Modern Setup for Medical Patients
The interior resembles a sleek doctor's office, complete with a sign-in area, lobby, and nine "bud bars" for purchases. Manager Bree Kasper describes the 25-person space as clean and professional, though DOPE magazines hint at its purpose. Hours run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, extending to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Assistant manager Michael Barton calls the products "nature's nontoxic medicine," emphasizing their medical role.
Expansion Amid Nevada's Evolving Cannabis Landscape
Blüm Reno operates under an LLC called MediFarm, co-owned by local developer Heidi Hegerich and Newport Beach-based Terra Tech, a publicly traded company. The dispensary sources high-end cannabis from four Nevada cultivators and seven production firms, adhering to state rules that require in-state purchases. Unlike others in Northern Nevada, Blüm holds authorization to package its own products in glass bottles that preserve potency, as spokesman Mikel Alvarez explains. Originally slated for April 2016 after a $1.2 million property purchase in 2015, delays arose as Terra Tech prioritized three Las Vegas openings. "We changed things to make sure Reno didn't have the same inefficiencies," Alvarez said. Nevada's early adoption of medical marijuana, with lenient regulations like non-resident business ownership and multi-state reciprocity for patients, has drawn chains like Blüm northward after Southern Nevada saturation.
Shifting Demographics and Regulatory Horizons
Assistant manager Lucas Farrell, with prior local experience, notes Northern Nevada's clientele differs sharply from Southern markets: about three-quarters are baby boomers. This contrasts with broader trends and underscores regional variations in medical cannabis use. Nevada voters recently approved recreational marijuana for adults over 21, allowing possession of up to one ounce of flower or one-eighth ounce of concentrate. Dispensaries cannot yet sell recreationally pending further state regulations, but the change signals growth potential for operations like Blüm, which plans Bay Area expansions. A grand opening event occurs January 12 at 1 p.m., though registration for services begins immediately.
