On March 7, 2015, The Cannabis Corner opened in North Bonneville, Washington, a Columbia River town of about 1,000 people, as the first government-owned recreational marijuana store in the United States. The town hoped profits would pay for police patrols and parks after the timber economy faded. The experiment drew national attention, struggled against its own projections and, by 2020, the town’s mayor said it had become a liability and would be sold.
The Weed Street Journal covered the opening in March 2015 and asked whether a city-run pot shop could rescue a struggling local economy. This rewrite answers the question with what actually happened.
What Happened
North Bonneville sits in Skamania County, about 40 miles east of Portland on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Rather than license a private retailer, the town created the North Bonneville Public Development Authority, a separate government entity with its own five-member board modeled on the one that runs Seattle’s Pike Place Market, to own and operate a store, the Seattle Times reported in a story republished by Governing.
The store, a renovated pole barn off State Route 14 at 420 Evergreen Drive, opened on Saturday, March 7, 2015. It was the first marijuana retailer in Skamania County. Build-out, supplies and starting wages, about $280,000, came from private investment rather than tax money, according to the same report. The town had extended a $15,000 startup loan, which the authority repaid with private financing, Cannabis Business Times reported.
Getting a license was not simple. The state Liquor Control Board first denied the application because the site appeared to be too close to a park. The “park” turned out to be an RV park, and the board issued the license after negotiation. A formal grand opening followed on the weekend of April 20, 2015.
Why It Mattered
Washington’s first licensed marijuana stores had opened in July 2014 under Initiative 502. The state collects marijuana excise tax, and towns in Washington depend heavily on retail sales tax. North Bonneville had little retail of its own. City leaders argued that owning the store, not just taxing it, would let the town keep the profits.
The plan was for profits to flow to community projects, with an emphasis on public health and safety. Ideas floated at the time included paying for more county sheriff’s patrols and upgrading a city park’s playground and tennis courts. Because the authority was a separate entity, it could not simply deposit profits in the town’s general fund. It would instead fund projects or contracts that eased the town’s costs.
The model raised obvious legal questions. Marijuana was illegal under federal law, and a government agency was now selling it.
What Happened Next
The early numbers fell short. By May 2015, The Columbian reported that the store was struggling to break even in its first two months, with leaders pinning hopes on the summer tourist season. Planners had forecast first-year profit of about $225,000.
Sales did grow. By September 2016 the store had generated about $2.2 million in total revenue, Men’s Journal reported. By 2019 its storefront was in Stevenson, the Skamania County seat a short drive upriver, according to Governing.
The bigger threat came from across the river. Oregon began legal recreational sales in October 2015, and Portland-area shops gave Gorge customers many more choices. In February 2020, Mayor Brian Sabo, who had succeeded Don Stevens, said the store had become a liability. He cited an inflated original business model, competition from Oregon and other retailers, and a loss of about $53,000 in 2019, and said it would be put up for sale before the end of 2020, Marijuana Venture reported.
We could not find reliable reporting on whether a sale closed. The store’s old website domain is now parked, and no store named The Cannabis Corner appears on the list of active Washington retail licensees we reviewed in 2026.
Where It Stands in 2026
Washington’s adult-use market runs on private, state-licensed retailers. Adults 21 and older can buy up to 1 ounce of flower, 7 grams of concentrate, 16 ounces of solid edibles and 72 ounces of infused liquids, and sales carry a 37% excise tax plus sales tax. Our Washington marijuana laws guide explains the full rules, and our Washington dispensary directory lists the licensed stores operating today, including in Skamania County.
North Bonneville’s experiment remains a reference point whenever a town considers owning a cannabis business. Its lesson was less about legality than economics: a small public store in a thin market, near a state with cheaper competition, faced the same pressures as any private shop. For more on the early years of legal cannabis, see our marijuana history section and the cannabis news archive.
City-Owned Marijuana Store FAQ
What was the first city-owned marijuana store?
The Cannabis Corner in North Bonneville, Washington, which opened March 7, 2015. It was run by the town’s public development authority.
Who paid for The Cannabis Corner?
Private investors funded about $280,000 in startup costs. A $15,000 loan from the town was repaid with private financing.
Did the city-owned pot shop make money?
It struggled at first, reached about $2.2 million in revenue by September 2016, and reported a loss of about $53,000 in 2019, when the mayor said it would be sold.
Is The Cannabis Corner still open?
It does not appear among Washington’s active licensed retailers in 2026, and its website is offline. We found no reliable report on the outcome of the planned 2020 sale.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.
