PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is investigating burglaries at two cannabis dispensaries that took place just hours apart early Monday morning. No arrests have been made and PPB is unable to confirm if the two incidents are connected.

“We are the oldest dispensary still alive, so we would like to stay alive,” said Shayne Tudela, a budtender at Brothers Cannabis Dispensary on Southeast Morrison Street.

Like Tudela said, Brothers is the oldest cannabis dispensary in Portland, and it was the first target of a burglary Monday morning.

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“They pulled open the screen door, and then hammered in the front door, ran in and grabbed all the stuff, broke some glass,” Tudela said.

Tudela said that 10 to 12 people were seen breaking into the store around 1:30 a.m. Monday. In addition to damaging the door, glass display cases, and security cameras, Tudela said the group stole a significant amount of product.

Hours later, just after 4:15 a.m., PPB responded to reports of a second burglary at Lemonade Cannabis on Northeast Columbia Boulevard.

Employees there did not want to comment on the burglary, but PPB confirmed there was damage to the property and that product was stolen.

Cannabis dispensaries are cash-forward businesses, and Tudela said that only makes them more of a target for crime.

“Cash is King anywhere, especially if it’s untraceable,” Tudela said. “A lot of these products… you can make cash on the streets.”

While burglaries hurt all businesses, they are even worse for dispensaries, according to the Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon (CIAO).

“…Because cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance at the federal level, we cannot deduct normal operating expenses; any money spent on repairs is still taxed as revenue, magnifying every dollar lost,” Jesse Bontecou with CIAO said in a statement. “Second, limited access to traditional insurance, bank loans, or bankruptcy protections makes it extremely difficult to recover from significant losses or financial shocks.”

As both stores work to pick up the pieces, Tudela said the cannabis industry is tight-knit and she’s glad they’ll be able to lean on the community while the store recovers.

“The industry is a great industry to be in, honestly‚ aside from the risks…” Tudela said. “… There is a community. People help each other out, so hopefully there’s some help from everybody else.”

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