By Leslie Kelly
lkelly@soundpublishing.com

SILVERDALE — In the almost two years that cannabis retailer Hwy 420 has been open, owner Annette Atkinson has learned a lot. And she’s still learning.

That, precisely, is why she’s in business.

“There’s a lot to be said for educating yourself about marijuana,” Atkinson said. “That’s really why we’re here. From the very beginning, we’ve approached this as a business where we want to know our products, know our customers and be able to help them with whatever they need.”

Hwy 420 opened in fall 2014. As the first cannabis shop in Bremerton, it quickly became known as the place to go. In its first year of operation, it was the store with the most sales in Kitsap County.

Soon, there will be a second location in Silverdale, near The Trails Shopping Center. It’s scheduled to open in August and will carry the same logo.

Since Hwy 420 first opened, more state licenses have been granted and more stores have opened. According to Atkinson, the average price of a gram of marijuana has gone from $35 to $12. Even with that, “business is good,” she said.

“There are now more stores and more producers,” she said. “And with medical marijuana folding in with recreation come July, it’s not certain what that will mean. But here at Highway 420, we’re focused on educating ourselves so that we can educate our customers.”

Her staff of 10 attends conferences all over the country to learn about cannabis products, and to truly “learn about the endocannabinoid system.”

“And now that we’re going to have medical marijuana patients coming in, we need to know how to help them,” Atkinson said. “So we’re going to a conference in Portland where doctors and naturopaths will help us connect the dots.”

The state Liquor and Cannabis Board is requiring cannabis shops to have employees get a medical certification through workshops such as this one, she said. She also is working with the University of Washington and Bastyr University in order to have resources for anyone who comes in with medical questions.

“I think [when medical is folded in with recreational], we’ll see many new and many older customers who will want to try medical marijuana,” she said. “We’re not doctors and we can’t prescribe. But we want to be able to direct them to a doctor who can give them care.”

As an entrepreneur, Atkinson was one of the first people in the state to get a license to open a retail cannabis business through a drawing held by the state. She’s started several businesses in her career, including a thrift store in Port Orchard named “Twice Around the Closet.”

She decided to give the cannabis business a try, even though she was not a user.

“I never had anything against it,” she said. “I’ve always had friends who smoked [pot]. I just saw this as an amazing opportunity to open a new business.”

As she’s gotten into the business, she’s tried some products so she can speak to customers about them.

She has one rule when she hires.

“Unlike most other businesses, here you have to fail a pee test,” she joked. “You have to be a smoker. You can’t truly understand [cannabis] without using the products.”

The store has all the items anyone might ask for, including cannabis by the gram, edibles, vape pens, papers, pipes and bongs. The store also has a “green light” special every day at 4:20 p.m.

Hwy 420 has sponsored events on April 20 each year, to mark 4-20, a number that is traditionally associated with marijuana.

“We cross-marketed with our neighbors,” she said. “We had a scavenger hunt where people could pick up clues at businesses in the area.”

The store hosted a pot trivia night and a “Build-a-Bong” contest, using recycled plumbing pipes, tin foil, rubber hoses and fruit.

“It’s part of our mission,” she said. “We want to be part of the local community. That’s why I joined the Bremerton Rotary and the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce.”

And each month, the store gives a percentage of its sales to charity through its “Karma Pot,” a glass jar that sits on the counter, into which customers can contribute. In September, the Bremerton Back to School Drive received $1,360.

Hwy 420 has helped nonprofits such as the Kitsap Humane Society shelter, toy drives, veterans and the Rotary. The store also sponsors mixed martial arts fighter Dustin Paddex.

The decriminalization of marijuana is something Atkinson devotes time to, and she works through Seattle Hempfest to free individuals who are in prison for life on marijuana convictions.

“I’m now a huge advocate and have a strong interest in the plant itself, especially hemp,” she said. “Hemp could change the world. I advocate the full use of the plant.”

As for the past year-and-a- half in the business, Atkinson said not much has surprised her — except, maybe, her clientele.

“People come in here from all different backgrounds,” she said. “I have been surprised by the diversity.”

She prides herself on the fact that her employees know most customers by name.

“We want to be that kind of place where everyone feels welcome,” she said. “And we want to be here for those people who just want to come in and ask questions.”

As the store’s logo reads: “We welcome all generations.”

Info: www.hwy420.xyz;  1110 Charleston Beach Road, Bremerton; 360-932-3182.