Durango Organics and Wellness Center is poised to be Durango’s first retail marijuana shop to open.

The retail store at 72 Suttle St. in Bodo Industrial Park is set to open at 10 a.m. Friday.

It comes nearly nine months after retail marijuana stores opened in Denver, Telluride and other Colorado cities, and nearly two years after voters approved Amendment 64 to allow for retail sales.

The city of Durango had a lengthy regulatory process for Durango Organics and other retail marijuana applicants.

“This has been a long road for us, and we definitely feel a sense of accomplishment with this,” said Jonny Radding, who owns Durango Organics with Aaron Miles. “We’re really excited.”

Durango Organics was among a group of marijuana businesses to apply July 1 for a retail license. Its license was approved Tuesday by the city’s Local Licensing Authority.

Animas Herbal Wellness Center also was licensed, but the store won’t open for retail sales until mid-October, when construction on the building is expected to be finished.

Radding’s business had to add on to its existing medical marijuana dispensary, which opened in 2010. Security cameras and other features required by state regulators were installed.

A city of Durango code-enforcement officer, Steve Barkley, signed off on an inspection Wednesday.

“We grow our product locally,” Radding said. “We live here, and we’re happy that it’s us.”

cslothower@durangoherald.com