SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - Walking into Summerside’s new cannabis store is not unlike walking into on upscale restaurant – someplace one might feel under-dressed just walking into off the street.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by an employee behind a small desk; government photo ID is mandatory, no exceptions.
The whole experience feels chic and modern – which is exactly what the vision behind all of P.E.I.’s cannabis stores is, said Zach Currie, director of cannabis operations with the P.E.I. Cannabis Management Corporation.
“It’s a blend of that consultative offering, with the option to do more of the discreet self-directed shopping experience. The customer experience that we’re going to offer … we feel will be second to none.”
Marijuana becomes legal in P.E.I. and Canada on Wednesday, Oct. 17.
The government-run stores have a strict four-to-one customer to staff ratio. If needed, guests are asked to wait in the ID area until a space opens up.
Once in, everything is clean and brightly lit. There is a lot of glass and soft colours everywhere. Tablets and stylish display cases abound.
It’s also open-concept, with the only restrictions being the tall sales counters along one side.
All the cannabis is behind the display cases. Buyers can either ask a staff person to help them pick out something to meet their tastes or they can spend some time choosing what they like.
Samples of various strains are available in small containers, which buyers can examine under a microscope or lift a small plug to take a whiff of the product.
One wall is dedicated to the sale of items to help buyers consume their cannabis.
There are paper and pencils available allowing buyers to mark down what they’ve purchased. The idea is that they will keep notes when they use the product, so they’ll know if they want to try something different at their next visit.
The Summerside store, located at 425 Granville St., will have the same hours as the P.E.I. Liquor store hours, opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Islanders can buy anytime at peicannabiscorp.com and their purchases will be mailed to them.
To start out, Islanders will have the option to buy products from 12 producers who have contracts with P.E.I. Cannabis Management Corporation.
Currie said staff at all four cannabis retail stores in Summerside, O’Leary, Montague and Charlottetown have been training hard. He expects day one of legalization to go well, though there will undoubtedly be a learning curve for both the corporation and consumers.
“We hope folks are engaged and excited and want to come shop with us. We’re ready for a lineup down to A&W and we’re ready for more of a slow-going affair to begin. But we’re really excited to welcome whatever comes on Oct. 17,” said Currie.
It’s not just the publicly-owned Crown corporation that is excited for Wednesday. At Summerside’s Island ReLeaf Glass, which sells tools and accessories to consume cannabis, the advent of legalization is being welcomed as a big moment in Canadian business history.
“I’d say it’s pivotal,” said Megan Patey, co-owner of the store.
“There’s already a green rush of people trying to get their feet in business before legalization. The unfortunate part is that some provinces have made it so other businesses, like ours, won’t be able to reap all of the benefits because of the legislation. But I’d say it’s the biggest cultural change we will probably see in our lifetime. The last time something this big happened was prohibition. I think it’s going to create new opportunities as long as they’ll allow it.”
For more information about cannabis, the P.E.I. government has prepared a website with safety tips, information about health concerns and more at justthefactspei.ca.
Other local cannabis stories:
Summerside cannabis store taking extra measures to compensate for O’Leary location delay
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Cannabis products available from Cannabis P.E.I. stores as of Oct. 17:
Bottled oils
Tinctures
Jell capsules
Dried cannabis flower
Pre-rolled joints
Seeds and seedlings will not be available on Oct. 17 but will be added later
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