COMOX, B.C. – Comox’s first ever non-medical cannabis store is almost ready to roll.
City Cannabis had their building permit approved late last week.
The company will be hiring staff and starting their build-out at the Comox Mall over the next few weeks.
Acquiring a building permit is a key step for City Cannabis, which received provincial and municipal blessing in March, to open a non-medical cannabis retail store at the mall at 215 Port Augusta Street.
CEO Krystian Wetulani said they have received roughly 175 applications for the new Comox location.
“We’re going to come down there, set up a couple days of interviews and start interviewing,” Wetulani said.
While there is no firm opening date, Wetulani hopes to see the doors open early next month.
“Once we decide which company we’re going with, to do our build-out, then they’ll give us an ETA, and then we could schedule our final inspection with the province. Then I’ll have a better idea for a firm date,” Wetulani said.
“But our goal is… early July, for sure.”
Wetulani said the application for the building permit took a little longer than expected “but every municipality has different regulations and different items they need for their application.”
In the lead-up to the store’s opening, Wetulani said he has received positive feedback from the community.
“I think everybody is really excited” he said. “I think just with the amount of applicants we had to work there, it shows that people are excited to have the store opening in… their neighbourhood.”
The negative stigma surrounding cannabis is slowly fading away, Wetulani believes: “People are realizing the health benefits and trying it for the first time, not being scared to try it anymore because of the stigma.”
Once open, City Cannabis’s Comox location will offer limited CBD products as well as cannabis flower and pre-rolls.
He said by the fall, edibles, vape pens, and concentrates will likely be sold at the store as well.
