Theft is about to put Craig’s Apothecary out of business, the owner says.

A robbery at Craig’s Apothecary in October threatened to close the medical marijuana dispensary, but the owner says he wants to keep the store open so longtime customers don’t have to leave town to get their medical marijuana products.

Craig’s Apothecary on Breeze Street was robbed overnight on October 29, resulting in approximately $32,000 in property.

Shawn Hadley, who owned Evangelical Education 13 years ago, came into the store on Sunday, October 30th. Hadley found extensive damage to the apothecary, including broken exterior windows and interior display cases.

At least $32,000 worth of items were taken from the store, including packaged cannabis flower, food boxes and other cannabis products. As well as Hadley’s side business, Hoptoys, several 3D-printed, made-to-order kits were stolen..

On November 18, Preston Colvin was arrested on a warrant and charged with criminal damage to property and theft in connection with the incident. His bail was set at $10,000, and Colvin was released from the Moffat County Jail on Dec. 9 on a $5,000 bond.

“The Craig Police Department was great; they took it very seriously,” Hadley said, adding that officers even took the time to cover the broken exterior windows.

Hadley said that for some reason, the alarms didn’t go off when there was a burglary, and it was a learning curve for him about what security needs to be in the store. He added that insurance for cannabis businesses is expensive and often unaffordable for small businesses.

Hadley estimated that if he had paid for insurance during the year, the payout would have been greater than the value of the stolen goods.

Hadley learned from the police report that the robbery at the apothecary was one of a series of crimes committed that night, as Colvin was also accused of stealing and attempting to enter a vehicle off the highway next to a residential garage. A pawn shop before robbing a medical marijuana dispensary.

In addition to the stolen merchandise, approximately $2,400 in cash was taken from the apothecary the night of the robbery.

Colvin’s next appearance in Moffat County District Court is scheduled for Jan. 12. Reached by email, officials with the Craig Police Department declined to comment on the case.

After 13 years in business and dealing with many policy changes in the cannabis industry, Hadley said, the robbery is “the nail in the coffin for the apothecary.”

The way he describes it, running Apothecary is mostly a labor of love for Hadley, who owns HoneyBear Apothecary, a recreational marijuana dispensary in Craig at 227 E. Victory Way.

Hadley said his father died of cancer, and his death helped him understand the important role medical cannabis products can play in helping customers with chronic or terminal illnesses.

“I believe in what we’re doing here,” Hadley said. “The entertainment side is fun, but my heart is in the medical side.”

Hadley said the apothecary has a small following of medical customers he wants to continue serving. He said he doesn’t want those customers to have to go outside the county for products they’re used to finding locally.

Now that recreational cannabis sales are legal in Colorado, Hadley said he expects most medical facilities to sunset in the near future.

There are some significant differences between the sale of recreational and medical marijuana in Colorado. Recreational marijuana customers are allowed to purchase up to 1 ounce of flower per day, while the limit for medical customers is twice that.

Also, recreational products are subject to a 15% sales tax imposed by Colorado voters in 2013 in addition to the excise tax passed by Amendment 64 in 2012 to legalize the possession and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes.

In the year In 2019, Moffat County became one of the last Colorado counties to legalize sales of recreational cannabis, making Colorado Springs the only remaining location in the state to allow medical marijuana stores, but not recreational sales. As most states transition to recreational sales, regulations governing medical use and sales have changed and it has become more difficult for consumers to obtain a medical card.

According to Hadley, the biggest difference between medical and recreational guidelines may be regarding edibles. He said many local customers depend on the apothecary for medical products in the 1,000 mg range, which are around $65 to $75. Hadley said the same amount on the entertainment side costs more than $300 per fan.

This isn’t the first time Hadley’s work in the cannabis industry has faced challenges. When the apothecary first opened, cannabis was not accepted by the community. But over time, Hadley has seen people become more open-minded, and he thinks there is still room for growth in the local cannabis industry.