Kevin Duggan

kevinduggan@coloradoan.com

Larimer County’s first retail recreational marijuana store will open for business Wednesday.

Choice Organics, 813 Smithfield Drive, has received clearance from county building inspectors to occupy the store’s newly constructed facilities just outside Fort Collins city limits, said co-owner Erica Freeman.

The recreational side of the business will be in the same building as Choice Organics’ medical marijuana center but will have a separate entrance.

Store hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Retail sales will be closed Monday and Tuesday, at least to start, Freeman said.

“We’re trying to give our medical customers some time when they don’t have to deal with recreational,” she said. “We’re also trying to keep our product supplies in check without raising our prices too much.”

The medical marijuana center will be open 9 a.m. to 6:50 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The earlier hours for the medical marijuana outlet are a “courtesy” to medical customers, Freeman said.

Anyone age 21 and older may visit the recreational pot store. A state-issued medical marijuana registry card is needed to access the medical side of the business, which has been open since January 2011.

Freeman said she is not sure what kind of turnout to expect for opening day.

The store is outside Fort Collins city limits, near the Interstate 25 Mulberry Street exit. Medical marijuana stores within the city must apply to the state for recreational marijuana licenses before receiving city-issued licenses.

Fort Collins has 11 licensed medical marijuana centers. As of last week, two stores had applied for state retail recreational pot licenses, officials said.

Licensing of recreational pot stores and growing facilities within city limits is likely to be a few months away, officials said.