Old Town, Same Story: Why Tourism and Cannabis Don’t Always Mix
Flowers and Herb Market, a boutique dispensary near Albuquerque’s Old Town, is calling it quits. Known for its unique blend of cannabis, art, and live plants, the shop has announced it is closing. But in a neighborhood rich with tourism, bustling with art galleries and historical landmarks, the closing of Flowers and Herb raises a perplexing question: Does tourism automatically equal sales?
Tucked away on San Pasquale Ave SW, Flower and Herb Market wasn’t just about cannabis, It was as much an experience as it was a dispensary. For a while, they seemed to ride the wave—Starting in April 2022, they quickly climbed to over $24,000 by October 2022, peaking with the tourist season. But that kind of buzz doesn’t always last. As the seasons shifted, so did their fortunes. Earnings stabilized around $16,000 to $22,000 before dropping dramatically by September 2024, hitting a low of $10,865.
The Old Town Dreams
Old Town Albuquerque is a tourist mecca, with visitors drawn to its charm, historic allure, and vibrant local culture. You’d think this would make it a prime spot for a dispensary. But Flowers and Herb is not the only store in the area feeling the squeeze. Purlife, a well-known chain with 15 locations across New Mexico, operates a store on Mountain Road, right in the heart of Old Town. Despite its prime location and Purlife’s reputation, this store is one of the chain’s lowest performers. Earnings at Purlife’s Mountain Road location ranged from $54,807 to $80,751 in 2024—solid numbers, but not what you’d expect from a high-traffic area.
Compare this to Score 420, located further away from the tourist-heavy plaza. Score 420 pulled in massive numbers, consistently earning over $200,000 per month in 2024. It seems that being closer to the main plaza doesn’t always translate to higher sales for cannabis stores. Meanwhile, Weedsnacks, located across the bridge on Rio Grande Blvd, saw a breakout year in 2024, with earnings surging to $69,766 in September, far outperforming expectations for a shop off the beaten path.
Grams per SQFT.
Flowers and Herb had a different approach from these other dispensaries. They devoted significant floor space to art, live plants, and non-cannabis wellness products. While this created a unique shopping experience, it also meant less room for cannabis products—the real moneymakers in this industry. The numbers reflect this: by September 2024, the store’s earnings had dropped to $10,865, down from a peak of $24,205 in October 2022.
But focusing solely on cannabis isn’t always the key to success, either. Take Mama and the Girls, a similarly styled store that mixes art and ambiance with cannabis products. Unlike Flowers and Herb, Mama and the Girls has thrived in this model and recently announced the opening of a second location. It shows that a blend of products can work—but only if the community engages with it.
Consumers Define Quality
The closure of Flowers and Herb may reflect a deeper issue: trying to be too much for too many. The store’s eclectic mix of art, plants, and cannabis was ambitious, but perhaps it lacked focus. In a competitive market like Albuquerque, with dispensaries on every corner, success often comes down to doing one thing exceptionally well. Flowers and Herb had heart, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to keep the doors open.
In contrast, stores like Score 420 or even the more niche Weedsnacks have found their lane and stuck to it, allowing them to connect with their customer base in a more focused way. Maybe the lesson here is simple: a store is only as strong as the community it engages. For Flowers and Herb, that connection wasn’t strong enough to keep them afloat, but their story—of bold ideas and creative ambition—won’t soon be forgotten.
