TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Last week, KGUN 9 reported how tax dollars tied to recreational marijuana sales are distributed. This week, we're taking a deeper look at how much is being brought into the county coffers.
In October of last year, Copperstate Farms, the parent company of marijuana dispensary chain Sol Flower, opened four locations in the Tucson area. Sol Flower is Arizona’s largest homegrown dispensary chain, in terms of sales and locations.
“When we opened up our four stores here in Tucson we created over 100 jobs and had a lengthy construction process to build out the four stores,” said Patrick Barrett, the Director of Public Affairs and Community Relations at Copperstate Farms.
Sol Flower already had five Phoenix-area locations open and operating before deciding to head south.
That was a calculated move, according to Barrett.
"We wanted to promote the brand as an Arizona-based brand," he said. “We’ve also been partnering with local charities and other businesses to help drive business to the area.”
The addition of the new shops has also been a boon to other businesses within the same shopping plazas.
"We've seen in the complexes that we've opened up traffic has increased and we've driven more traffic to nearby stores," Barrett said.
Sol Flower Foothills General Manager Aly Ennis echoed that point.
“In terms of sales, you’re seeing anywhere from, I would say, $70,000 a week to $80,000 a week at this particular location right now," Ennis said. "And that number does continue to grow."
That growth is encouraging for the company, nearby businesses and for Pima County and the greater Southern Arizona economy.
In 2022, Pima County collected nearly $2.5 million in cannabis excise tax dollars. Although official 2023 numbers aren’t finalized yet, Sol Flower and other brands have opened more shops in Pima County.
That's mostly due to Arizona Department of Health Services issuing 26 recreational licenses under the new "social equity" program.
Those extra locations should mean even more in the county’s pocket, and more choices for consumers.
“A lot of people are excited that we’re in this area, especially those that maybe live a little more north of here,” Ennis said. "Well I wouldn't call this a 'cannabis desert,' people definitely have more than one dispensary in the area to choose from."
For more information on Sol Flower dispensaries and its parent company Copperstate Farms, click here.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
