The Peace Pipe offers accessories to cannabis smokers

Published 3:17 am Wednesday, September 16, 2015

With the passing of Ballot Measure 91, which allows for the recreational use of marijuana, new business opportunities have emerged for those with an entrepreneurial frame of mind. The Peace Pipe recently opened its doors at 9b S. Main St. in Joseph, offering a wide variety of smoking accessories aimed at, but not limited to, marijuana smokers.

The store is owned by partners Sean Flanagan and Michelle Kramer. Flanagan has lived in the county for about a dozen years. Prior to opening the store, he worked for the Wallowa Lake Resort, where he continues to serve in a limited capacity.

The couple initially looked at a number of area business opportunities, including purchasing Mt. Emily Brewery in La Grande, before settling on the idea that a smoking accessories store would be a great draw for Joseph.

“We brainstormed it, found a building and distributors, started buying display cases and we just opened the doors. We knew there was a market here because our nearest competitor is well over an hour from here,” Flanagan said. “We always knew we’d be in some kind of business together,” Kramer added.

Despite Joseph City Council’s use of zoning laws to effectively eliminate the possibility of a marijuana dispensary of any kind within the city limits, Flanagan and Kramer said Joseph City Hall was very supportive of their business endeavors. Somewhat surprisingly, the couple is supportive of the city dispensary ban because of the small returns the city would get after the state takes its slice of the tax pie.

“There’s a 20 percent tax on the sales, and the state gets 17 percent, which leaves only 3 percent for the municipality. We feel that’s problematic, and if we could change that to where the local community gets more than the state, we could get behind it. Let us keep our own money so we can be self-supporting,” Kramer said.

The couple has received very little negative feedback from the community. One person actually complained because the couple doesn’t let anyone under 21 in the store, even though the law bans only those younger than 18. “We choose to serve only those over 21, because we don’t want someone 18 coming in here to buy accessories for their 15-year-old friends. We don’t want high school parents getting angry with us, so we eliminated that option,” Flanagan said.

The store mainly sells smoking accessories imported from other areas but the couple hopes products from local artisans will eventually make up a good portion of their wares. One local artist has already sold several pieces through the store. The couple is also working to establish a website to make their goods available for purchase in a broader market.

The store is very clean and well-lighted. The accessories, which include dozens of pipes and even a hookah, are artfully arranged in an appealing variety of colors in their display cases. Art from New Orleans, Flanagan’s native town, decorates the walls, giving the shop a down-home appeal.

The couple intends to eventually offer bulk boutique tobacco for discriminating smokers, as to expand current offerings. Kramer and Flanagan are currently gearing up for the Christmas season with orders for holiday-themed smoking accessories.

During the tourist season the store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week with the possibility of reducing the hours during the off season.

“We’ve always looked around for something we can do to better ourselves and our families. With this, we can say ‘Hey, we did this, and it’s ours,’” Flanagan said.

Gratitude was very much on Kramer’s mind as she described the couple’s Joseph experience. “We’re grateful to the city for allowing us here and grateful to our customers who support us being here and we’re grateful for the moral support that we’ve gotten from the community. It’s been amazing,” she said.