News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Lindsey Randall weighs some marijuana on one of the scales at the new Meds Cafe that opened in Alpena on Friday. It is the second adult-use marijuana shop to open in the city this year.

ALPENA — The opening of the second adult-use marijuana store in Alpena on Friday was met with plenty of excitement.

Dozens of people camped out in line before the store — located on Campbell Street, just off Ripley Boulevard — opened so they could get a look at the new business, score some swag, and maybe make a purchase or two.

Meds Cafe, which has four stores in Michigan, welcomed their customers and basked in the excitement of helping to expand the marijuana industry locally.

Co-founder Scott Schroeder said it’s been a long road getting the store to this point, but everything is ready to go and employees are happy to service the people in the Alpena area.

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“This has been a work in progress and it’s just super exciting and we’re excited for the people in Alpena to come in and see what we can offer them,” he said. “We had people waiting in the parking lot at 8:15 a.m. and we opened for sales at 9 a.m. We had 50 people come through the doors very quickly that took advantage of our giveaways and everything has been just great.”

The store offers more than just pre-rolled joints and buds. It also sells vape pens, edibles, and topical creams, which are applied on skin.

Schroeder said because there are multiple Meds Cafe locations around the state, the company is able to purchase large quantities of product at lower rates, which he said should keep prices affordable and create more competition between existing shops and future stores.

“We’ll pass all of our savings onto the consumer,” Schroeder said. “We take pride in being able to offer some really good deals. Competition is good because the customer gets more for their money.”

Before it was allowed to open, the company needed to receive a special-use permit from the city. The process was full of challenges after many people in the residential neighborhood near the store voiced opposition to the permit and store,

The opposition voiced by residents caused the Alpena Planning Commission to deny the needed permit twice.

Meds Cafe challenged the denial in court, claiming it had met all the criteria. In early May, the Alpena Municipal Council voted to approve a settlement, which cleared the way for the needed permit.

Schroeder said the store intends to show nearby residents that the store, its staff, and customers won’t impact their way of life.

“We have been actively involved in every community we have come into and work with the communities, not against them,” he said. “We’re very community minded and want to be a good steward to the community.”

The grand opening celebration will continue at Meds Cafe today. Schroeder said there will be vendors, games, prizes, and grilled hotdogs and hamburgers.