New year brings Redmond’s first marijuana dispensary; second coming soon
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Redmond’s first-ever marijuana dispensary has opened its doors.
Oregrown is a well-known dispensary with over a decade of history and five locations across Oregon. Its latest location is in Redmond. Recently, the city changed its municipal code to allow up to three dispensaries, after voters approved agreed to lift a ban in November 2024.
The second is coming soon. The Flower Room is set to open later this year on Northwest 4th Street.
For now, Oregrown has set up shop just off Highway 97. The space it occupies was formerly a temporary library and once an antique store. Oregrown invested a lot of money in remodeling the location they moved into. It added required ventilation, which eliminates the smell of weed from the area. Oregrown has also added security upgrades to the building.
When KTVZ visited on Monday, customers told us they were glad they didn’t have to make the trip to Bend anymore.
Staff said edibles and pre-rolled joints were fairly popular in Redmond, and they are already seeing people from Madras and Prineville visiting.
In an interview with Oregrown General Manager Dusty Newman, he said the new location was a big success.
“Oh, it's been great." said Newman. "I think people have been waiting a really long time for this. Like, we've been here (in Central Oregon) almost 11 years, and I know that (Redmond) has been something we've been interested in the whole time. It's exciting to see it actually come to fruition.”
Like any new business, it's added more jobs to the economy, but the city also benefits from the marijuana tax revenue.
Expanding into a new area always brings in business from nearby locations. Oregrown is looking at Crook and Jefferson counties and hoping they will show interest.
Earlier article:
REDMOND, Ore. (Jan. 5th 2026-KTVZ) — Oregrown Redmond — the city’s first licensed marijuana retailer — celebrated its grand opening over the weekend, becoming the first dispensary to operate within Redmond city limits after voters chose to overturn the city’s years-long ban on cannabis businesses. The shop offers a range of cannabis flower, edibles, concentrates, and topicals. A second approved retailer, The Flower Room, is also set to open sometime this year at 2245 Northwest Fourth Street.
Through voter-approved measures in late 2024 and follow-up legislative actions in 2025, marijuana dispensaries were officially given the green light to operate in Redmond, ending a prohibition that had forced local users to travel to Bend or Madras to buy legal cannabis. Measure 9-177, approved by voters, specifically allowed marijuana retailers within city limits, while a companion measure set the local tax rate on cannabis sales.
The decision followed years of debate at Redmond City Council meetings and public workshops, where supporters argued legal dispensaries would keep tax dollars in town and provide regulated access for medical and recreational users, while opponents raised concerns about youth access, public safety and the city’s image.
Oregrown’s role in Central Oregon’s cannabis market
Oregrown is a Bend-based cannabis company that has grown into a regional brand, with multiple Oregon retail locations and a product lineup that includes flower, edibles, vapes and topicals sourced from Central Oregon farms. Industry reports have noted that cannabis excise taxes generate millions in revenue annually for the region, with funds supporting public safety, criminal justice, public health and community programs.
Bringing Oregrown to Redmond means local customers no longer have to drive out of town for legal cannabis, a convenience advocates say was long overdue after the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2014.
Ongoing debate over cannabis in Redmond
Even as the first dispensary opens, marijuana remains a sensitive political topic in Redmond. City leaders and candidates have continued to discuss land-use rules, zoning for dispensaries, and how cannabis fits into Redmond’s broader economic and community identity.
Supporters point to state regulation, local control over where shops can locate, and the potential for new tax revenue; critics worry about the normalization of marijuana use and whether enforcement resources will be strained.
As Oregrown starts serving customers and The Flower Room prepares to open later this year, Redmond will begin to see how legal cannabis businesses actually operate in the community — and how residents respond.
