West Kelowna residents won’t have to drive out of their city anymore to purchase cannabis products.
Spiritleaf has become the first private cannabis retailer to open in the city at 104, 1195 Industrial Road.
The store opened its doors last Saturday to the public and features cannabis oils, pre-rolls and edibles.
READ MORE: Work not close to done for West Kelowna pot shop application
Store owner Mike Adams said they have received positive feedback from the West Kelowna community so far.
“So far, it’s been great. We weren’t too sure of how things were gonna work out,” said Adams. “We were well received and we’ve had steady traffic since we’ve opened.”
So far, Adams said six employees have been hired to work in the 1200 square-foot space.
Leading up to the moment they opened their doors, Adams admitted they had to overcome some major hurdles.
“It was a long process and getting approved was definitely a challenge,” he said.
“Navigating through the building process was one challenge. We also still have employees waiting to have their licensing approved (to work at the store).”
While first to open, Spiritleaf could soon be competing with the public sector in the city.
Earlier this month, West Kelowna city councillors narrowly voted in favour 4-3 to move ahead with a government-run cannabis store.
If a bylaw is adopted in 2020 to give the project the green light, the regional BC Cannabis store and distribution centre would be located at 2475 Dobbin Road. Approximately 20 staff members would be employed in the space.
Spiritleaf in West Kelowna is currently open 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily.
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