Portland’s First CBD Cafe Opens Tomorrow

Grön is able to skirt Oregon law forbidding the sale of pot products outside licensed dispensaries because its CBD products are derived from evergreen tree bark rather than hemp or cannabis.

IMAGE: Courtesy of Gron.
By Matthew Singer

Portland is getting its first CBD cafe.

Tomorrow, local edibles company Grön Chocolate is soft-opening a store at the site of its manufacturing center in Southeast Portland, modeled after other tasting rooms such as the Jacobsen Salt Co.'s showroom and Woodblock Chocolate's upcoming "manufactory." 

Grön is able to skirt Oregon law forbidding the sale of pot products outside licensed dispensaries because its CBD products are derived from evergreen tree bark rather than hemp or cannabis. Owner Christine Smith says the effect is different from regular CBD and "more in line with taking an aspirin."

"I find it energetic and uplifting but not sleepy-time," she says, adding, "It has absolutely zero head impact."

At GrönCAFE, Smith says customers will be able to sample and purchase all of the company's CBD products, including chocolate bars, teas and hot chocolate, and there will be long tables inviting patrons to hang out.

The idea, she says, is to indirectly demystify cannabis for consumers who are still wary of buying from a dispensary.

"In the cannabis world, we're not allowed to communicate directly to the customer because we sell through dispensaries," Smith says. "People can see how it's made, see what the kitchen looks like and ask questions."

According to the Portland Business Journal, Grön "rocketed to a leadership spot in Oregon's cannabis edibles market" when it launched two years ago. The company began making CBD edibles in February, and because it uses tree bark instead of cannabis, those products are not considered a Schedule 1 drug. Thus, they are legally able to ship across state lines—also, the store will not have age restrictions.

GrönCAFE opens tomorrow at 960 SE Madison St. It will be open Wednesday-Friday, 11 am-6 pm and Saturday 10 am-4 pm.

See Related: Six Awesome Edibles You've Got to Try.

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