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The Model Pharmacy for decades had a sign that read, “We have no common scents,” referring to the store’s variety of perfumes and topicals. The store closed a few years ago after more than three decades of offering drinks, snacks and a variety of medicines. Now, after the space sitting mostly empty since the pharmacy’s closure, a new type of medicine will be sold from behind the counter.
Verdes Cannabis plans to open the doors once again, but this time it will be a “modern day pharmacy,” says Veredes’ marketing manager Celeste Melchor.
“Given the rich history that this building has—and we know how much it means to the community—we felt that we were best equipped to take on this location and serve this community, given that we really value giving back to our community and providing a space for people to come to get safe access to medicine,” Melchor tells The Paper.
About the clever phrase that the classic marquee donned, Melchor says the company hasn’t nailed down exactly what will replace it, but that they want to continue that theme and “have some fun, cheeky sayings on the board.”
Verdes, which had been around years before recreational-use cannabis was legalized in New Mexico, has long prided itself for staying grounded in its business model of prioritizing the therapeutic uses of cannabis over its potential to be overused as a vice. Melchor says a majority of Verdes’ customers keep coming back for a “medicinal, natural remedy,” instead of seeking the highest octane products that many new dispensaries push these days.
“Our goal is to help people get the most out of life naturally, not to just check out of life and get so stoned they can’t do anything,” she says.
Verdes plans to open the doors of its latest location by Dec. 22, assuming all of the city zoning requirements are met by then.
In an age where new dispensaries are popping up, seemingly by the minute, and established companies are rapidly expanding, this will be the third Verdes store in Albuquerque since before recreational-use cannabis sales began in 2022.
Melchor says prior to Verdes buying the building and after the previous business closed, the space was owned by Skarsgard Farms, a local food delivery company. Skarsgard had plans to use the building for a retail spot where customers could come in and buy items similar to a farmer’s market. After scrapping that idea, Skarsgard Farms—which has an offshoot cannabis delivery company that primarily sells Verdes products—offered to sell the building to the long-time cannabis company.
“As time went on, we started thinking, “Oh, Model Pharmacy turns modern-day pharmacy,” she says. “Because that’s how we view ourselves. We’re providing medicine to people, whether they’re a medical patient, or they’re a recreational user, everyone goes to cannabis for a reason.”