Union Gap has made the list of one of the first cities in the first batch of 24 recreational pot shops in the state of Washington.

Instead of the July 8 statewide first day of marijuana sales, Adam Markus, owner of Station 420, will be ready just one day later.

Station 420, located at 4007 Main St. in Union Gap, near the Yakima Valley Mall, will be opening at 11 a.m. on July 9.

“Be Patient, the growers were just licensed a short time ago, were not going to see a lot of market stability until October, when all the outdoor grows are harvesting,” Markus said.

He is talking about price per gram and how they might not be exactly what the consumers want at first.  Markus said that in his shop he will have cannabis for sale between the prices of $17 and $25 a gram, depending on THC content.

He predicts lower prices as time progresses because there will be a greater number of producers with a lot more weed, forcing growers to sell their pot for cheaper.

When asked how he got his foot in the door, in the marijuana world, Markus had a very tragic story.

Ever since his sister passed away from respiratory failure due to an accidental prescription overdose Markus has been somewhat turned onto marijuana.

“You know maybe, just maybe, if she was using medical marijuana that could have cut back on her usage of prescription medication,” Markus said, describing what one of his friends said to him after his sister’s unexpected death.

“I can tell you straight forward, I have not had any marijuana since 1980,” Markus said.

Markus obtained a medical marijuana card not to be an active user, but to study the medical markets to assist the learning process.

Prior to July 8, 2014, if you wanted to see the Washington cannabis market in person, you needed a medical marijuana license.