Uncle Ike's Pot Shop

Last updated
Uncle Ike's Pot Shop
FormationSeptember 30, 2014;9 years ago (2014-09-30)
FounderIan Karl Eisenberg
TypeRetail
Location
Coordinates 47°36′48″N122°18′09″W / 47.6133°N 122.3025°W / 47.6133; -122.3025
ProductsCannabis and related glass products
Revenue
Over $1 million per month. [1]
Website ikes.com

Uncle Ike's Pot Shop is an establishment in Seattle, Washington, licensed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to sell cannabis to the public. [2]

Contents

History

The shop at the intersection of 15th Ave E and Republican Seattle - Uncle Ike's on 15th - 01.jpg
The shop at the intersection of 15th Ave E and Republican

Uncle Ike's Pot Shop opened on September 30, 2014, and was the second cannabis retailer in Seattle, after Cannabis City. [3] [4] As of 2016 it led the state of Washington in cannabis retail sales at over $1 million per month. [1] The proprietor is Ian Karl Eisenberg, aka "Uncle Ike". [5] [6]

The business is both praised for being the first to inform consumers about pesticides in their product, and criticized for contributing to gentrification of the neighborhood it is located in, Seattle's Central District. [5] When it opened, the shop was said to be "built like a fortress" with security provided by a company owned and staffed by ex-military service members. [3] As of 2022, Uncle Ike's has expanded to five shops in Seattle, [7] including an outlet store in the White Center neighborhood.

Controversy

Protests at the shop started a week after it opened in 2014. [8]

The Seattle chapter of Black Lives Matter, under the leadership of activist Marissa Johnson, was criticized for allowing anti-Semitic remarks at some 2015 rallies concerning Eisenberg's ownership. [9] [10] [11]

After a Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2016 protest outside his store, Eisenberg replied through social media that he had moved into vacant property and his several businesses do not contribute to gentrification. [12] Some protestors complained on 420 Day (April 20), 2016, that the business is located three feet (1 meter) from a church that sometimes has youth events. [13] [14] More anti-Semitic comments from a Seattle activist were recorded by Eisenberg and posted online in 2017. [15]

Eisenberg reported more vandalism during a July 22, 2020 riot which he considered unrelated to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone protests, but falsely labeling him as a former member of the Israel Defense Forces. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brixton</span> District in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London

Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century as communications with central London improved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">420 (cannabis culture)</span> Number referring to cannabis

420, 4:20 or 4/20 is cannabis culture slang for marijuana and hashish consumption, especially smoking around the time 4:20 p.m. (16:20). It also refers to cannabis-oriented celebrations that take place annually on April 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rideau Centre</span> Shopping mall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The Rideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street, the ByWard Market, the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street in Downtown Ottawa. Over 20 million people visit the mall annually. It is the largest shopping mall and the main transit hub in the National Capital Region and the sixth largest mall, by area, in Canada. The Rideau Centre complex has approximately 180 retailers and is connected to a rooftop park, a Westin Hotel, the Shaw Centre, the Freiman Mall and the Major-General George R Pearkes Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Emery</span> Canadian politician (born 1958)

Marc Scott Emery is a Canadian cannabis rights activist, entrepreneur and politician. Often described as the "Prince of Pot", Emery has been a notable advocate of international cannabis policy reform, and has been active in multiple Canadian political parties at the provincial and federal levels. Emery has been jailed several times for his cannabis activism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffeeshop (Netherlands)</span> Establishment where the sale of recreational cannabis is tolerated by local authorities

In the Netherlands, coffeeshops are a type of cannabis retail outlet, establishments where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Larsen</span> Canadian politician

Dana Albert Larsen is a Canadian author, businessman, philanthropist and activist for cannabis and drug policy reform. Larsen currently operates businesses and non-profit societies in Vancouver including The Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary, The Medicinal Mushroom Dispensary, The Coca Leaf Cafe, Pothead Books, and the Get Your Drugs Tested centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis political parties</span> Political parties advocating cannabis legalization

Cannabis political parties are generally single-issue parties that exist to oppose the laws against cannabis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Washington Initiative 502</span> 2012 ballot initiative in Washington, United States, concerning marijuana reform

Washington Initiative 502 (I-502) "on marijuana reform" was an initiative to the Washington State Legislature, which appeared on the November 2012 general ballot, passing by a margin of approximately 56 to 44 percent. Originally submitted to the Washington Secretary of State during the summer of 2011, enough signatures were collected and submitted by December to meet the required 241,153 signatures, sending it to the legislature. When the legislature adjourned without action in April, Initiative 502 automatically advanced to the November 2012 general ballot. It was approved by popular vote on November 6, and took effect over the course of a year, beginning with certification no later than December 6, 2012. Along with a similar Colorado measure, Initiative 502 was credited for encouraging voter turnout of 81%, the highest in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffeeshop Mellow Yellow</span> Former cannabis coffeeshop in Amsterdam

Mellow Yellow was the oldest cannabis coffeeshop in Amsterdam. It was squatted in 1972 then moved to a new building in 1978. It was forced to close at the start of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Massachusetts</span> Overview of the use and culture of cannabis in Massachusetts, U.S.

Cannabis in Massachusetts is legal for medical and recreational use. It also relates to the legal and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. A century after becoming the first U.S. state to criminalize recreational cannabis, Massachusetts voters elected to legalize it in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis on American Indian reservations</span>

Cannabis on American Indian reservations historically largely fell under the same regulations as cannabis nationwide in the United States. However, the August 2013 issuance of the Cole Memorandum opened discussion on tribal sovereignty as pertains to cannabis legalization, which was further explored as the states of Washington and Colorado legalized marijuana. A clarifying memo in December 2014 stated that the federal government's non-interference policies that applied to the 50 states, would also apply to the 326 recognized American Indian reservations. U.S. Attorney for Oregon, Amanda Marshall, stated that the clarification had been issued in response to legal questions from tribal nations, but that only three unnamed tribes, in California, Washington state, and "the Midwest" had stated explicit interest in legalizing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marissa Johnson</span> Black Lives Matter activist (born 1990/1991)

Marissa Johnson is an activist who attained notoriety when she interrupted U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at an August 2015 rally in Seattle. Her activism has been associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. She is a founder of a Seattle-based justice group called Outside Agitators 206, which was disbanded when she became a cofounder of the Seattle chapter of Black Lives Matter around September 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Washington (state)</span> Overview of cannabis use and culture in Washington state

Cannabis in Washington relates to a number of legislative, legal, and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. On December 6, 2012, Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana and the first to allow recreational marijuana sales, alongside Colorado. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and for any purpose by adults over 21.

Tokyo Smoke is a Canadian lifestyle brand owned by OEG Inc. that focuses on the legal recreational cannabis industry. The company was co-founded by father and son Lorne and Alan Gertner in 2015.

<i>Weed: The Users Guide</i> 2016 book by David Schmader

Weed: The User's Guide: A 21st Century Handbook for Enjoying Marijuana is a 2016 book about cannabis by Seattle writer David Schmader. Schmader is also a writer for The Stranger, a Seattle alt weekly newspaper, where he writes a cannabis column as of August 2016. The book is in part a cannabis cookbook, containing an edibles recipe section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Eye Shoppe</span> Defunct head shop in Portland, Oregon

Third Eye Shoppe, commonly known as The Third Eye, was a head shop in Portland, Oregon's Hawthorne district and Richmond neighborhood, in the United States. The shop was founded in 1987 and owned by cannabis and counterculture activist Jack Herer. His son, Mark Herer, took over as the shop's owner in 2001. The Third Eye closed on March 31, 2017, as a result of declining sales, development of the surrounding neighborhood, increasing health care costs, and increased competition. For nearly thirty years, the shop was associated with Portland's cannabis culture and recreational drug tourism, and was included in Willamette Week's annual "Best of Portland" reader's poll several times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis Corner</span> First city-owned cannabis shop in Washington, US

Cannabis Corner is the first city-owned cannabis shop with its first location at 420 Evergreen Drive, North Bonneville, Washington, USA. As of 2020, the main storefront is located in Stevenson, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis laws of Canada by province or territory</span>

On October 17, 2018, cannabis was legalized in Canada for recreational and medical purposes. It was already legal for medicinal purposes, under conditions outlined in the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations issued by Health Canada, and for seed, grain, and fibre production under licence by Health Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pike Street</span> Street in Seattle

Pike Street is an east-west street in Seattle. It extends from Pike Place above Seattle's saltwater waterfront at Elliott Bay through Downtown Seattle, across Capitol Hill to the freshwater shore of Lake Washington at Lake Washington Boulevard. A segment less than a block long exists at Alaskan Way on Elliott Bay, connected to the rest of the street only by the pedestrian Pike Street Hill Climb; the bottom of the hillclimb under the Alaskan Way Viaduct was the original shoreline of the city before major modification and construction of the Seattle Seawall. It is included in the south-to-north mnemonic "Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest" for the street layout of Seattle.

Draze is a Zimbabwean-American hip hop artist, songwriter, producer and social justice activist. He is known for blending traditional African sounds, marimba, and mbira with hip hop music. He won an Emmy Award in 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 Bob Young (February 25, 2016), "Seattle's brash king of pot raking in cash and raising hackles", The Virgin Islands Daily News via The Seattle Times
  2. Julie Weed (July 14, 2015), "At Uncle Ike's Pot Shop, The Clientele Is Evolving", Forbes , archived from the original on May 7, 2016, retrieved September 17, 2017
  3. 1 2 'Uncle Ike's' — Seattle's 2nd legal pot store — built like a fortress, to open Tuesday, Q13 FOX television, September 29, 2014, archived from the original on January 24, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  4. Evan Bush (September 30, 2014), Uncle Ike's becomes second licensed pot retailer in Seattle, archived from the original on September 11, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  5. 1 2 Bob Young (February 25, 2016), "Seattle's brash king of pot raking in cash and raising hackles", Alaska Dispatch News , Anchorage, archived from the original on May 27, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  6. Lucy Rock (May 22, 2016), "Marijuana millionaires cashing in on cannabis legalisation", The Guardian , archived from the original on December 11, 2016, retrieved December 18, 2016
  7. Farah Jadran (March 29, 2022). "'Keeps me awake at night': Seattle pot shop owners increase security after spike in robberies". KING-TV. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023. Ian Eisenberg, co-owner of the five Uncle Ike's locations in the Puget Sound region...
  8. Evan Bush (October 6, 2014), "Protest at Uncle Ike's Pot Shop; Will Oregon legalize?", The Seattle Times , archived from the original on September 11, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  9. Charles Mudede (September 2, 2015), "Anti-Semitic Remarks at a Black Lives Matter Event Appear to Go Unchallenged", The Stranger , archived from the original on June 9, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  10. Josh Feit (August 26, 2015), "Anti-Semitism Creeps into Recent Black Lives Matter March", Seattle Metropolitan , archived from the original on May 16, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  11. Bryan Cohen (September 3, 2015), "With Central District I-502 retail a $1M+ a month business, 15th Ave E pot shop maneuverings play out", Capitolhillseattle.com, CHS Capitol Hill Seattle, LLC, archived from the original on July 2, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  12. Josh Feit (January 19, 2016), "Protesters Confront Pot Shop Owner, Legislator Confronts Teens, and Council to Confront Mayor Pot, gentrification, virginity, and homelessness.", Seattle Met , archived from the original on May 18, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  13. Sara Bernard (April 21, 2016), "The 4/20 Protest at Ike's Took Over the Corner, But it Didn't Shut Down the Party", Seattle Weekly , archived from the original on March 22, 2018, retrieved May 28, 2016
  14. Dyer Oxley (April 22, 2016), Why this Seattle pot shop is allowed next to a youth center, KTTH/MyNorthwest.com, archived from the original on May 28, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2016
  15. Casey Jaywork (April 3, 2017), "Jewish Pot Store Owner Told to 'Go Back to Germany, Let Those Nazis Get On You'", Seattle Weekly, archived from the original on August 3, 2017, retrieved June 20, 2017
  16. "Uncle Ike's owner on riot damage, says city not letting police do their jobs". MYnorthwest.com. 23 July 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.