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The story behind the Oakstedam gift shop |
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Written by Jaime Galindo
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Tuesday, 07 April 2009 |
Oaksterdam Gift shop provides the public a view into the cannabis community off ering books, accessories and locally designed and influenced apparel. - OaksterdamNews.Com photo by Jaime A. Galindo Jr.
Oakland -- If chess is a game of intense concentration, playing while
stoned usually wouldn't be considered an advantage. Ah, but using chess
pieces fashioned in the shape of marijuana leaves, bongs, fat reefers
and hookas; now that just might distract an opponent. Last month Jaime
Galindo and Richard Lee, the energetic owners of two medical cannabis
outlets in Oakland, opened Oaksterdam Gift Shop, a marijuana-themed
store that offers everything but the herb itself: board games,
marijuana leaf-shaped ice cube trays, how-to books, clothing, jewelry
and much, much more. The big seller is the green, gold and white
baseball style T-shirts emblazoned across the chest with "Oaksterdam,"
the nickname given to the small area of downtown Oakland where pot
clubs proliferated until the city shuttered all but four last year.
They look a lot like Oakland Athletics jerseys and have become hot
sellers, even among police officers, Lee said. "I bought an Oaksterdam
T-shirt for my husband, but he can't wear it to work because he's a
high school teacher," said Chris Ralls, an Oakland resident who visited
the store Wednesday. "He's Dutch, we've visited Amsterdam. ... He
doesn't need a new T-shirt but he'll wear this one, absolutely." Lee
and Galindo spent about $10,000 and a few months sprucing up the old
storefront at 405 15th St., between Broadway and Franklin Street in
Oaksterdam. They opened the gift shop to support the revitalization of
downtown Oakland and keep alive Oaksterdam and maybe even promote it as
a tourist attraction. They thought they'd have to spend a bundle on
advertising, but the bright airy shop is getting a lot of foot traffic
from downtown workers. "I walked by it on my way to the Post Office,"
said Grier, a book designer who did not want to divulge her last name,
for obvious reasons. She left with a couple of popular silicone rubber
wristbands, similar to ones that support causes such as breast cancer
research and tsunami relief. These have the number "420" framed by
marijuana leaves; 420 is a code for pot. "One's for me, and one's for a
friend, or one might be for my nephew, but I'm not sure if my brother
will go for it," she said, laughing. Oakland police Sgt. Serge Babka
has visited the shop and called it an "interesting addition" to the
neighborhood. "It looks like a nice clean store," he said. "It's good
when the store fronts get filled in. Vacancies are subject to
loitering and other problems, so as long as the business is not
detrimental to other businesses, it's good. And I don't think
(Oaksterdam Gift Shop) is a detriment." Babka would only say "no
comment" when asked whether he bought anything there. Others had no
qualms about showing off their purchases. The store carries the
expected paraphernalia such as rolling papers, pipes and how-to books
on cultivation and hydroponic farming. But shoppers can also select
from marijuana leaf-shaped antenna toppers, ale or shot glasses,
"Munchie" bag clips, mouse pads and holiday lights. There's an amazing
array of hats, feminine undergarments and tongue-in-cheek clothing:
"Who says money doesn't grow on trees?" or "UPS, United Pot Smokers."
Lee wrote Oakland Measure Z, the November 2004 ballot initiative that
seeks to legalize marijuana sales for adult use and allow cities to
collect sales taxes. It passed with 65 percent of the vote, and Lee is
revving up a campaign for a similar measure in San Francisco next year.
Note: Even the police find Oaksterdam 'interesting'
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Jaime Galindo |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 November 2009 )
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