Two cannabis retail stores are a little closer to opening their doors to the public in Penticton.

According to Anthony Haddad, director of development services with the city, Cannabis Cottage (385 Martin St.) and Spiritleaf (2695 Skaha Lake Rd.) have received approval with conditions from the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB). This means the two stores must now undergo a final inspection by the LCRB before they can be issued their licence.

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“Conditional approval is granted when the province determines that an applicant is eligible for the licence…,” states the LCRB website. “Once conditional approval is granted, an applicant can buy, lease or finalize any alternative arrangements for the store location and make renovations to ensure the store’s layout and exterior matches the information submitted in the application.”

Haddad said before this can be done, the stores may be subject to a development permit from the city in order to undergo renovations or development.

Once the applicant is ready, they can contact the province to request a final inspection of the cannabis retail location from the LCRB which will “make sure the floor plan and licensed area the applicant submitted is accurate and complies with location requirements,” among other things. The inspector will also confirm the store’s address and signage, and take pictures of the store.

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But once this inspection is done and the licences are issued, pending the results, the stores are not through with the red tape yet. Haddad said the store also requires a business licence, issued by the city.

The city originally referred four approved applications back to the LCRB in April, but only two have been approved with conditions. In total, the city has referred eight approved applications back to the LCRB, which the province would not comment on as they “are considered private until a licence is issued.” The LCRB website states as of June 25 that 10 applications have been approved with conditions in the Interior and North, and 20 licences have been issued in total.

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