As if cannabis lovers everywhere didn’t already get a bad enough rap for being lazy, a town in Colorado is really, eh, “driving” it home with the nation’s first-ever marijuana drive-through dispensary.
The Tumbleweed Express Drive-Thru recently opened its windows this past 4/20 (of course) in Parachute, Colorado, which at last count back in the local 2010 census was home to 1,085 residents. Sure, that number’s probably doubled, if not tripled, now that Colorado has gone legal, and the folks over at Tumbleweed are clearly happy to serve them—bud, not burgers. But unlike your local McDonald’s, the Tumbleweed Express is bound by certain laws that require it to operate a little bit differently.
The business is still required to ensure that everyone in the vehicle is 21 years of age or older to enter and must still check IDs to that effect at both the point of entrance and point of sale. They’re also required to provide security and surveillance and ensure no marijuana is visible to anyone outside the establishment. In other words, there’s no whacky marijuana mascot enticing you to drive on through. So what does? And how does it work?
Well, as Tumbleweed CEO Mark Smith told Reuters, “A door opens up and you drive the car into the building and then the door closes behind you. Like in a Jiffy Lube.”
Yes, like in a Jiffy Lube, except rather than changing your car’s oil, you’re changing your cartridge’s. And with 15 different strains to choose from, there’s certainly no shortage of options. From their “bronze shelf” that starts at $6 a gram (hey, it’s Colorado) all the way to their gold shelf at $10 a gram (yes, still Colorado), there’s clearly an affordable option for every budget. Whether they start throwing in late-night combos or even a happy meal every now and again is another story.
The Tumbleweed Express Drive-thru is currently open from 4pm to midnight Thursdays to Sundays. Where they go the rest of the week, we’re not quite sure. But then again, it is Colorado.
