One of Oregon's oldest licensed pot shops -- ensconced in the heart of Portland's Pearl District -- is in danger of losing its posh retail digs after its landlord received complaints about a telltale smell permeating the area.

The store, Oregon's Finest, is fighting back.

The owners are suing the landlord, claiming they weren’t aware the odor poses an ongoing problem. They also contend their kerfuffle with the landlord over upgrading the ventilation system might have contributed to the marching orders.

In the lawsuit filed last month in Multnomah County Circuit Court, the owners are asking a judge to intervene by declaring that the landlord has no just reason to expel them from the property they've leased since December 2013.

On Friday, an ever-so faint scent of pot was detectable directly in front of the business at 1327 N.W. Kearney St. Oregon’s Finest is within steps of the Title Nine women’s athletic wear company, furniture seller Design Within Reach, outdoor retailer REI and a man-cave-esque barber shop, Throne.

Several employees of neighboring businesses told The Oregonian/OregonLive that they haven’t noticed any smell. One worker said it has most often come from people puffing a joint out in public as they walk by, not from the store. Another worker said he used to detect the marijuana smell blowing through the building’s ventilation system, but the aroma stopped long ago.

Inside the wood-paneled lobby of Oregon's Finest, the smell was slightly stronger. An employee said most of the customers seem to like the aroma and many of them live in nearby high-rises.

The stink over the smell is far from the first example of the odiferous product drawing ire as marijuana has gained a legal foothold in Oregon over the past 20 years. In 1998, voters legalized marijuana for medicinal use. In 2013, the Legislature gave medical marijuana dispensaries the OK to operate with the state's blessing. In 2015, cannabis shops began selling recreational weed to anyone 21 and older.

That same year, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed the conviction of a Philomath man who was convicted of criminal mischief after his neighbors complained about the constant stench of his pot smoke wafting over to their apartments. The Appeals Court said marijuana isn't a "physically offensive" smell to everyone and creating it didn't constitute a crime.

In 2017, a Yamhill County winery sued to stop the marijuana farm next door from processing weed on site because the vintners believe the skunk-like smell could taint the delicate flavors of their wines. That suit is ongoing.

The lawsuit filed by Oregon's Finest doesn't stay how many alleged complaints the landlords have received about the smell. The suit says only that the landlords didn't disclose who was making the complaints.

In addition for the right to stay put, Oregon’s Finest also is asking a judge to force its landlord to negotiate a rental rate that’s not exorbitant.

Under its original lease, the store has been paying a base rent of about $4,200 per month for its 2,400-square-foot space. The store has since renewed its lease, according to the suit, but hasn’t been able to agree with its landlord on a fair price.

The building’s landlord -- Lovejoy Square LLC, which is managed by Brix Law Service Co. -- declined comment.

Lawyers for Oregon’s Finest didn’t respond to a request for comment and more information about the dispute.

The store is owned by a collaboration of marijuana growers, according to its website. Oregon’s Finest is one of two marijuana retailers in the Pearl District. More than 500 pot shops are licensed statewide.

Read the lawsuit here.

-- Aimee Green