SeaWeed Co. will open its doors in Portland on Friday, staking its claim as the first recreational marijuana shop to operate in Maine’s largest city.

It will be the second retail outlet for SeaWeed, whose South Portland location was among the first adult-use marijuana stores in the state to open when the market launched in October. 

“This moment has been a very long time coming,” owner Scott Howard said in a statement. “As the (holder of the) first retail license issued in the city, we are excited to set an example of how a cannabis store can be a net benefit to our Portland community.”

Portland spent more than two years crafting individualized marijuana zoning and licensing ordinances. While other municipalities held up-or-down votes on whether to allow marijuana businesses, Portland’s process has been considerably lengthier and more involved, resulting in the first two licenses being issued almost exactly five months after the market launched.

“We’ve always believed in being able to reach a broader audience,” SeaWeed co-owner Kaspar Heinrici said. “To finally have that moment arrive is very exciting for us.” 

With authorization from both Portland and the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy, Howard and Heinrici are getting ready to open at noon on Friday.

The new store, at 23 Marginal Way, Unit 7, will have all the same product assortment and ambiance as the South Portland flagship location, Heinrici said, just in a scaled-down form. 

While SeaWeed is the first, another adult use shop is close on its heels. 

Grass Roots Marijuana Shop also received local and state license approval on Wednesday but does not plan to open the shop at 377 St. John St. until sometime late next week. 

Owner Jim Hamilton, who has been a patient in the state’s medical marijuana program for years, said he hopes to provide a “no-gimmicks, good product that speaks for itself.”

Hamilton also runs a cultivation site, Grass Roots Marijuana in Auburn.

“Growing marijuana is my passion,” he said. “I’m really, really fired up about it and excited to finally open my doors after all this time and share that passion with the world.”

Portland is the perfect place to do that, he said, noting its “city amenities with the small-town feel.”

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