The first marijuana dispensary on Douglas Island got one step closer to opening its doors after a retail license for the budding company was approved by the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Monday night.

[First marijuana dispensary in Douglas clears early hurdle]

Treadwell Herb Co. — set to be opened at 824 Front St. on South Douglas — has been in the works since at least last June when the proposed shop was unanimously approved by the city planning commission despite neighbors expressing opposition during the public meeting.

The action approving the license Monday night was sent to the city by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, and included in the Assembly’s consent agenda.

The city has the ability to protest applications sent by the state, according to City Manager Rorie Watt, but that was not the case Monday night as the consent agenda passed unanimously.

Kent Hart, one of the owners of Treadwell Herb Co. and applicant for the license, told the Empire the approval is another step in what he expects to be a long process before the shop is opened.

“We’ve been a long time coming, it’s been over a year since we started the process,” he said. “It’s another step, it’s not the last one, but it’s something.”

Hart said he could not give an update on the time frame of when the business will open, but said he feels they are getting ”mostly ready.”

• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807.