Smokie Pineaple could be Trail’s fifth non medical cannabis retail store. City council approved their application for 1205 Bay Avenue on Monday. There are no conflicting landed uses within 100 meters and no letters of opposition were received. Council chose not to impose a cap on the number of stores allowed and the market will determine how many are viable. The Province must still grant its approval based on any feedback from the community and input from the City and ultimately issue the license.
Castlegar City Council also recently approved three non-medical cannabis retail store applications. One of the those is from Jeff Thompson who is looking to operate the Higher Path at 2023 Columbia Avenue and in Trail at 1320 Cedar Ave. Thompson says the Trail location is expected to be open first.
“Well, our store in Trail we’re hoping to be open in a couple weeks. Just waiting for our go ahead to order product. In Castlegar, we’re just not too sure, hopefully within a month.”
Overall, Thompson says he found the licensing process wasn’t too difficult; however, there was a lot of uncertainties around when things would progress. There’s many rules the new shops have to follow and, Thompson explains, such as covered windows.
“Your signage does have to be approved to pass, your windows have to be fully covered so no one can see into the store. You do have to have secure storage and record keeping, you know, there is audits.”
Shops will also have to have locking cabinets in their sales area for storage as well as security requirements for the camera and alarms systems. The government also goes back through 20 years of employment history for each applicant.
Thompson formerly operated Green Cannabis Consulting before legalization on October 17. He’s only heard of four other private non-medical cannabis retail stores open across the Province at this point, including two in Kimberly and two in Vancouver.