Is Another Iconic Portland, Maine, Business Being Replaced by Pot?

Not another cannabis place in Portland, Maine!

Photo Market on Forest Avenue in Portland was Maine’s last independent professional camera and darkroom shop. It had been on the corner of Forest and Walnut streets since the '80s. It was crowded, and the owner could come across as grumpy. But if you needed anything related to cameras and photography, it was the only place to go.

Peter Doe, the owner, passed away in 2020 at the age of 65. It was shortly after that, the store closed shop. Bangor Daily News reported on the passing of the 'quirky owner' who had a problem with clutter. That's according to Eric Berube, who worked at the store for 12 years. And he did appear to be in a bad mood a lot. Eric told the Bangor Daily News,

Yes, he could come across as too blunt or gruff a lot of the time, but I promise you, Peter genuinely very much cared about people and loved the photography community.

Not another cannabis shop in Portland, Maine!

I went down a tiny rabbit hole, showing that it is very likely that another cannabis shop will be opening in the former Photo Market location. The first rabbit hole leads you to the building being sold in March of 2023 to WNH Holdings, LLC for $835,000. When you look up WNH Holdings, LLC, it leads you to Grass Roots Marijuana. Their slogan is,

We're Happy When You're High

They have stores in South Portland and St. John Street in Portland, Maine. I am happy that marijuana is legal in Maine for recreational use. I am, but how many stores do we need?

Maybe my rabbit holes are wrong. I could not find anything else about Grass Roots opening on Forest Avenue. Time will tell.