Blüm, a dispensary chain expanding from Las Vegas and Oakland, opens its newest location in Reno's Midtown neighborhood at 9 a.m. on January 2. The site at 1085 S. Virginia St., formerly the Scotland Yard Spy Shop, marks the 10th medical marijuana dispensary in Northern Nevada. This arrival fills a gap in the fast-developing area, where only four other dispensaries operate within Reno-Sparks city limits.
A Sleek Space for Patients
The interior resembles a modern doctor's office, with a sign-in area, lobby, and nine "bud bars" for purchases. Patients need a doctor's note to buy cannabis products. Hours run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, extending to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Assistant manager Michael Barton calls it "nature's nontoxic medicine." A grand opening follows on January 12 at 1 p.m., though registration started immediately for early patients.
Expansion Amid Regulatory Shifts
Blüm belongs to publicly traded Terra Tech, based in Newport Beach, California. Local developer Heidi Hegerich co-owns the Reno operation through MediFarm LLC. The dispensary sources high-end medical cannabis from four Nevada cultivators and seven production companies, adhering to state laws that require in-state purchases. Blüm stands out as the first in Northern Nevada authorized to package its own products in glass bottles that preserve the marijuana. Delays pushed the opening from April 2016, after MediFarm bought the $1.2 million property in 2015; Terra Tech prioritized three Las Vegas sites first but refined operations for Reno.
Demographics and Market Dynamics
Assistant manager Lucas Farrell, who worked at another local dispensary, observes that three-quarters of Northern Nevada clients are baby boomers—a contrast to other markets. Nevada pioneered medical marijuana with lenient rules: no residency requirement for businesses and multi-state reciprocity for cardholders. Voters recently approved recreational use for adults over 21, allowing possession of one ounce of marijuana or one-eighth ounce of concentrate. Dispensaries await further regulations before selling recreationally, promising growth for outlets like Blüm in a region with untapped potential.
