Herbs House (716 NW 65th) is Ballard’s first recreational cannabis shop, and they held their grand opening over the weekend.

At noon on Saturday Feb. 7, Ballardites were not thronging the store waiting to get in like at the opening of Seattle’s fist recreational pot shop last year, but there was a solid showing of people eager to have a look at the new shop and take home a few treats.

One Ballardite showed up 15 minutes before the store opened and waited for the open sign to switch on. He joked that he had slept outside in order to be the first in the store. He asked not to use is real name, so for clarification the BNT will call him Larry. Larry said that he has visited shops in Colorado and is curious about the new local shops’ offerings. He said he had not yet visited a Washington State store and was excited to check out Herbs House.

“ I’ve been to the ones in Denver, and I was surprised to see how much they had to offer there, so I just want to see what it’s like here. It think -- like it is for everybody -- there’s a novelty to it, and it’s interesting to find out what you’re actually buying instead of some random stuff some dude dropped off in parking lot,” said Larry.

One Ballardite, Tim, said he heard about the opening and walked over from his home on 24th Avenue Northwest.

“I just wanted to come by and see what they have and welcome everyone to the community,” said Tim.

Tim said that he usually visits stores on Aurora and has used some of the delivery services like Winter Life. The new Herbs House will be a go-to spot for him.

“This opening has been a long time coming,” said Herbs House owner, Sharon Jacobson. “We are so happy to finally open. … As a lady entrepreneur, I’m thrilled to create an environment where even my mother can feel comfortable accessing cannabis. I’m grateful for my position in our community, and I look forward to giving back.”