VANCOUVER, Wash. – Legal pot means tourists are going to get to know “The Couv” a little better.

Mayor Tim Leavitt cut a green ribbon outside Main Street Marijuana on Wednesday, opening the doors to the first recreational marijuana store in Vancouver, Washington.

The southwest Washington city is just a 10-mile drive from downtown Portland, Oregon. Culturally, however, it is many miles apart, and Portlanders give little thought to crossing the Interstate 5 bridge to visit their suburban neighbours.

Leavitt says he expects legal pot to boost tourism, and he welcomes an influx of Portlanders to downtown Vancouver.

Main Street Marijuana general manager Ramsey Hamide says putting the business near Portland was a strategic decision to attract both Oregonians and tourists visiting Oregon.