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Third Eye Shoppe

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.

Third Eye Shoppe
Company typeHead shop
FoundedJuly 1, 1987; 37 years ago (1987-07-01) in Portland, Oregon, U.S.
DefunctMarch 31, 2017 (2017-03-31)
Headquarters3950 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard,
Portland, Oregon
,
U.S.
OwnerJack Herer (1987–2001); Mark Herer (2001–2017)

Description

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The Third Eye was a head shop on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, near its intersection with Southeast Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly Southeast 39th Avenue), in southeast Portland's Richmond neighborhood. The store sold common head shop paraphernalia, including: bongs, books, bumper stickers, clothing, crystals, Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia memorabilia, hookahs, incense, posters, rolling papers, tie-dyed shirts, and vaporizers.[1][2][3]

According to The Oregonian, The Third Eye was also a "link to the city's lively and long history with marijuana activism".[1] The store was owned by cannabis and counterculture activist Jack Herer (1939–2010).[4] Herer's son, Mark, who later owned the shop, described The Third Eye as "a hippie, Grateful Dead department store".[1] Cannabis activist Russ Belville compared the establishment to a "Prohibition-era speakeasy".[1] Images of Garcia and Herer were displayed to "keep watch over the shop".[1]

History

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Photograph of a bearded man; he is wearing glasses and a watch, and holds in his hands a colorful poster depicting the comic character Freewheelin' Franklin 
Cannabis activist Jack Herer (pictured in 1989) owned The Third Eye until his son, Mark, took over in 2001.

In the late 1980s, Jack Herer and his friend "Captain" Ed Adair purchased the "funky" building that would house The Third Eye, which formerly served as a two-story house, for around $100,000 (~$230,134 in 2023).[1] The shop opened on July 1, 1987,[5] and became known for its "eye-catching" exterior.[6][7]

Madeline Martinez recalls drafting Oregon Ballot Measure 67—which modified state law to allow the cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis by doctor recommendation for patients with certain medical conditions, after passing in 1998—on the shop's second floor, alongside other cannabis activists. She has said, "A lot of the beginnings of the movement itself took place in that building."[1]

In 2001, Mark Herer, took over as owner of The Third Eye.[5] The store thrived during the 2000s, and employed as many as a dozen employees, each of whom received health insurance benefits. However, business declined sharply in 2016, and Herer estimates a loss of $500,000 in sales compared to 2015 because of competition from local cannabis stores and head shops, as well as online retail outlets.[1][6]

In March 2017, The Third Eye announced its closing at the end of the month (March 31). Herer said the decision to close the shop was difficult, but "necessary as sales have steeply declined in recent years".[1] In addition to lower sales, road construction,[6] the development of the surrounding neighborhood, increasing health care costs,[8] and "changing tastes and preferences of the modern cannabis consumer" were cited as reasons for the closure.[1][7][9] Russ Belville called the closure "a natural evolution" of the cannabis movement which, according to The Oregonian, "in recent years has tried to shed its counterculture associations to appeal to a more mainstream audience". Belville said, "[The store is] just a relic from another era where those of us in the cannabis community were always outlaws."[1]

The Third Eye hosted a farewell party during its last days to show its gratitude to customers.[1][6][10] The business was one of Portland's oldest head shops before its closure, operating for nearly thirty years.[1] According to Herer, the building which housed The Third Eye was sold to a commercial developer for $1 million cash,[6][9][10] two hours after being listed.[7] He anticipated the building's demolition, and told The Oregonian that he left the business $60,000 in debt.[1]

Reception

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Photograph of a building's exterior, which is covered in colorful murals and has a sign displaying "The Third Eye Shoppe" in the center 
Front exterior, 2017

The Third Eye was associated with Portland's cannabis culture and recreational drug tourism. The shop was included in Pedal Bike Tours' popular Pot Tour,[11] an educational and recreational tour of the city's marijuana-friendly sites, established in 2015.[2][12][13] Zoe Wilder described the shop as a "funky counterculture boutique" in her Merry Jane article, "5 Stoner-Friendly Things to Do When Visiting Portland, Oregon".[14] The shop was included in Willamette Week's annual "Best of Portland" reader's poll several times. In 2005, The Third Eye won in the Best Head Shop category.[15] In 2015 readers named it Best Head Shop, Best Vape Shop, and runner-up for Best Smoke Shop,[16] and in 2016 Best Head Shop and runner-up for Best Smoke Shop.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Crombie, Noelle (March 22, 2017). "The Third Eye, one of Portland's oldest head shops, to close". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Anderson, John Gottberg (August 28, 2016). "Portland offers pedal-powered pot tour". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon: Western Communications. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  3. ^ Krenzler, Brandon (August 14, 2014). "420 Weird Portland: A Pot-Friendly Guided Tour". Ladybud. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  4. ^ Hoeffel, John (April 24, 2010). "Jack Herer dies at 70; author and advocate for marijuana legalization". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Wolfe, Amy (June 30, 2015). "Vintage Portland Head Shops: Celebrate marijuana legalization with a tour the classic head shops in Portland". Willamette Week. Portland, Oregon: City of Roses Newspapers. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e Graves, Lincoln (March 14, 2017). "Iconic Portland head shop Third Eye Shoppe will soon close its doors". Portland, Oregon: KATU. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c June, Sophia (March 13, 2017). "30-Year-Old Head Shop Third Eye Is Closing on Hawthorne". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  8. ^ Wolfe, Amy (September 13, 2016). "How Is Legalization Affecting Old-School Head Shops?". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Cizmar, Martin (March 21, 2017). "After 30 Years, the Legendary Third Eye Shoppe Will Close. We Talked to Owner Mark Herer About Its History". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Jardine, Josh (March 24, 2017). "Say Goodbye to the Third Eye During the Portland Head Shop's Final Blowout". The Portland Mercury. Portland, Oregon: Index Publishing. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  11. ^ LaMontagne, Lota (October 12, 2015). "Pedal Rolls Out Portland Pot Tour". Pedal Bike Tours. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  12. ^ Hide, Will (November 27, 2015). "Port Tour of Portland, Oregon: A Cycling Trip with a Difference". The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  13. ^ Maurer, Leah (May 25, 2016). "Portland Pot Tour: Sustainability, History, & Cannabis". Dope. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  14. ^ Wilder, Zoe (November 4, 2016). "5 Stoner-Friendly Things to Do When Visiting Portland, Oregon". Merry Jane. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  15. ^ Shinn, Laura (August 9, 2005). "Reader's Poll – You Voted. We Tallied". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  16. ^ "Best of Portland Readers' Poll". Willamette Week. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  17. ^ "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
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45°30′42.4″N 122°37′18.6″W / 45.511778°N 122.621833°W / 45.511778; -122.621833

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