First dispensary in Brighton opens with plans to help community, bring tax money to Denver metro area
It's inside a marijuana dispensary in Brighton where Clint Temple and his team are bringing products closer to home.
"We're excited to be here a part of the community," said Clint Temple.
Starbuds is now the first dispensary to open in the city of Brighton, months after the council voted to have four dispensaries built within the city limits.
"It's a lot nicer. You don't have to drive all the way down to Denver," said customer Braedyne Myers. "It's a big deal. Should've been done a long time ago."
On Thursday, council members and Mayor Pro Tem Peter Padilla attended the dispensary's grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"They are not near parks, they're not near rehab facilities and the like," said Padilla. "So, I think every precaution has been taken to ensure that the community is safe, that the impact on the remainder of the community is as minimal as possible, but that these legitimate businesses are able to operate within the community."
Padilla says each dispensary is estimated to bring in roughly $200,000 in tax revenue a year, and the money will be used towards improvement across the city.
"The funds will go into the general fund, but they can be used for any kind of improvements in the community to absorb the impact of growth in general and to help us to provide additional services to people in Brighton," said Padilla.
"So, people don't have to drive 25-30 minutes away to go give their tax dollars to a city they don't live in," said Temple.
As the first dispensary to open in Brighton, workers at Starbuds also want to make sure they help break any stigma residents may have about the industry and have already started engaging with the community.
"We've gone around and preemptively surveyed the community and asked them various questions of how we can contribute to the community, what nonprofits and stuff we can donate to and help assist in that area," said Temple.
While Temple says some people may still be skeptical about having multiple dispensaries in Brighton, he hopes they can still cultivate a good relationship within their community.
"It's safe. It's secured. It's regulated. There's not a lot of riff-raff that hangs around," he said. "Change is painful to people sometimes, but again we're providing a service for a community and we're giving back to that community a lot."
The other three dispensaries are expected to open sometime by the end of November.
