In 2016, Maine voters said yes to question one on the November ballot, allowing the retail sale and taxation of cannabis. As soon as the new law took effect, stores selling adult-use cannabis started popping up all over the state like weeds. Get it?

With the door open to sell cannabis in Maine, those who had a dream of owning a store were looking for that perfect location at the right price. Some entrepreneurs even set up shop in some very well-known landmarks in Portland.

Here are five cannabis stores currently in business in Portland, and what was in the buildings before they moved in.

Mobil Station - Washington Avenue

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This gas station closed in 2017. A few other businesses at this intersection are no more like Walgreens and Rite-Aid.

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Today, it's occupied by Local Leaf, and they even kept the gas pump canopy and turned where the pumps were into parking.

Wok-Inn - Forest Avenue

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The Wok-Inn closed after 30 years at Morril's Corner in Portland. Their sign with the flaming wok was iconic.

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Today, it's where Sweet Dirt does business. They kept the sign (including the flaming wok), which could be interpreted differently today.

Dunkin - St. John Street

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Dunkin built a new, modern building right next-door to where their old one had been for years on St. John Street. The old one was closed and sold.

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Today, it's Rose Mary Jane, but still shows signs of the old Dunkin'.

Stavros Pizzeria & Deli - Forest Avenue

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Stavros was the last tenant in the building on Forest Avenue before it became a cannabis store, but many may remember the Forest Avenue House of Pizza that was in this spot.

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Today, it is Vice Cannabis, and all I can hear in my head is the Miami Vice theme.

Emery Window Shade Company - St. John Street

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Emery Window Shade Company is now a relic of the past. The building is on the corner of St. John and Washburn Avenue, and looked straight out of the 1950s before it was renovated with a new modern look by Grass Roots Marijuana.

Grass Roots Marijuana via Google
Grass Roots Marijuana via Google
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