COMMUNITY NEWS
Need Calm? The Apothecarium Can Help
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By Jondi Gumz
he Apothecarium, which opened Nov. 11 on 41st Avenue in Capitola, brings a boutique style to shopping for cannabis for those 21 and over. With a wall of mirrors behind the quartz counter, it feels like a Sephora cosmetics shop. The look is based on Apothecarium’s flagship location in San Francisco, named best-designed dispensary in the U.S. by Architectural Digest. (Credit to Vincent Gonzaga.) Founded by three cousins and two friends in 2011, The Apothecarium was acquired in 2019 for $118 million by TerrAscend Corp., a Canadian company. The Capitola shop is the first California location outside the San Francisco Bay Area, but The Apothecarium also has stores in Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In two weeks of operation, store staff said, popular items include: State Flower brand for smoking, $55 for 35 grams; Valhalla chocolate, $18; and the CANN grapefruit-rosemary beverage, with a 6-pack of resealable cans selling for $26. Products from Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance are local favorites, too. Since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in mid-March, many businesses have been struggling — but not cannabis. “Cannabis has thrived during the pandemic … It makes sense,” said Sharon Daigle, assistant manager of The Apothecarium in Capitola. “We’re an essential service. People seek us out.” Manager Jason Astorio agrees, saying the shop helps “people who need calm.”
Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
Jim Bushneff awaits customers at The Apothecarium, a chain with stores in the San Francisco area, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
“The Apothecarium” page 23
Photo credit Jondi Gumz
The Apothecarium’s logo greets you as you walk into the store.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2020 / 21
