Green Goddess Remedies is a woman-owned, independently operated dispensary located in the Ashcreek neighborhood of southwest Portland. Initially opened as a medical club in 2013, Green Goddess Remedies has the reputation of being one of the first businesses in the state to apply for and obtain a recreational Cannabis license.
When the transition to legalization came, the goal was for Green Goddess Remedies to provide a model of care that continued to hold reverence for Cannabis as a medicine first and foremost. Over the last decade-plus, the enterprise has done just that, serving as both a neighborhood dispensary and a travel destination for medical patients seeking quality palliatives.
“Our focus has always been on classic strains and the more medical side of things, not chasing high numbers,” Elle Lune, general manager of Green Goddess Remedies, explained. “We try to carry all the cleanest products we possibly can, going through as few hands as possible.”
Selection goes beyond just sourcing popular brands or maximizing returns for the business. Most of the in-store products have been brought in based on factors like growing style, medicinal value or company ethics.
“We are looking for more of a mindset: How well do you take care of the Earth while taking care of this plant, and how well do you take care of your people?” Lune explained.
Old-school cultivars, such as Jack Herer, Acapulco Gold and Durban Poison, are all shelf staples here, as are OG Oregon growers like Oregon Roots, Millerville Farms and Kapricorn. Given the curation, it’s no surprise that flower is one of the more popular product categories, but Green Goddess Remedies also carries everything from edibles to traditional hashish. In line with their commitment to medicinal customers, the dispensary stocks a wide array of topicals, tinctures and oils from award-winning producers High Desert Pure, Canna Sooth and Farmer’s Friend Extracts.
The budtenders here possess a remarkable level of knowledge about the products sold in the store, catering to every population from connoisseurs to first-time users. Staff members give as much time as needed for transactions, with a goal of providing customers with an experience they will be happy with.
To support their community, Green Goddess Remedies offers discounts for veterans, seniors and customers who identify as LGBTQ+. They also donate annually to educational resources, like the Smith School, and owner Sally Bishop volunteers with the Trauma Intervention Program, which provides support to individuals in the wake of trauma and tragedy.
The retailer hosts education hours for guests to come and ask questions, as well as leisure activities like art days, where customers can hang out in nature behind the dispensary and enjoy the surrounding greenery.
Over the last year, the business has weathered some significant challenges, including a vehicle driving through the front of the building and a frightful armed robbery. Despite setbacks, the team here continues to model divine resilience in the face of adversity. Green Goddess Remedies has stayed authentic to what it is for over 13 years now: a destination for craft Cannabis that serves people in need.
“In a sea of corporate Cannabis, Green Goddess has got you,” Lune assured. “As everything becomes more corporatized, more and more churn and burn, we’re not that. We are independent, locally woman-owned and operated, and that’s not going to change.”
