http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/marijuana_kaya_shack_chain.html

Craig Frank hopes to create a chain of Starbucks-like Marijuana dispensaries nationwide, and decided Portland is the place to start.

Kaya Shack, a retail subsidiary of Alternative Fuels America Inc., opened its doors Thursday on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. It offers 17 different flavors of buds, a variety of edibles, concentrated oils and glass blown pipes.

Alternative Fuels America is a Florida-based penny stock that closed Thursday at 14 cents a share.

Kaya Shack will try to differentiate itself from others medical Marijuana dispensaries in Portland by branding itself as a more premier coffee shop type of experience where customers will feel at home and confident in the product they’re getting.

Frank said Portland makes sense to give the concept its first trial run.

“Portland, and more broadly Oregon, has clear and fair processes to obtain a license and there is an existing community of patients. These combined to make Oregon an attractive state within which to launch our chain.”

Beginning with Portland, Frank said the company wants to open as many as eight outlets in Oregon and 50 nationwide within five years.

— Mark Graves