A cannabis retailer has finally decided to set up shop in Happy Valley-Goose Bay when recreational use is legalized in October.
Up to now, no other companies had applied to set up in central Labrador.
The Canopy Growth Corporation has now planted its seeds there after establishing itself across the island portion of the province as a supplier of recreational marijuana.
“The Happy Valley-Goose Bay store will be one of eight that we’ll have total across the province,” said Jordan Sinclair, vice-president of Canopy Growth.
“The first four of those came as part of a supply agreement with the province to supply cannabis, and then we picked up another four through the RFP processes.”
Sinclair is excited about the opportunity to be one of the first legal weed shops in Labrador.
“For us it’s just about making sure that we’re getting into the community and introducing ourselves and making sure that we’re putting a good foot forward,” he told CBC Radio’s Labrador Morning.
One Canopy store will be located at the cannabis production site outside of St. John’s when operations begin. The rest will have a similar theme, and feel more like a franchise.
“We’ve got a real focus on customer service at Tweed,” Sinclair said.
Tweed is the storefront brand of parent company Canopy Growth.
“A lot of people may know cannabis already, but for those who don’t and might want to try it for the first time it’s a bit of a daunting process,” he said.
“There’s all these different strains, there’s all these different ways to ingest it, so we’re just there to be friendly … and help people choose the right product for the use that they are envisioning.”
Community matters
Sinclair said being a part of the community is important for Canopy Growth. It helps the company get known to their potential customers, but he adds it also helps break the stigma surrounding marijuana use.
“It’s been illegal for an incredibly long time in Canada and we find that if you’re just out there, friendly, engaging in conversation with people it’s a great way to de-stigmatize and introduce people to a new product.”
Canopy Growth has seven other production sites in seven other provinces across the country.
“It is true that we weren’t founded in Newfoundland, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t do our part to be an actual part of the community, and give back and provide employment and make a real investment in the province,” Sinclair said.
“The way we look at it is that we’re a national business and this is the part that operates in Newfoundland.”
The move will mean retail jobs for the region, and employees will get more than a paycheque. Every employee of Canopy also gets stock options in the company.
Sinclair says the store in Happy Valley-Goose Bay will be ready for opening day.
“The challenge really for this is just setting up the physical store,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure that we get all the design work done, and the hiring and training work.
“So it is a lot to do, but we’ve been going at warp speed for about 18 months as a business so it feels like it is achievable.”
Credit: www.cbc.ca