And then there were two.
Last week, Penticton got its very first legal non-medicinal cannabis store when Spiritleaf finally opened its doors at 2695 Skaha Lake Road. And now, with the Tuesday launch of Indigenous Bloom at 107 Green Mountain Road - in the same spot where Relvis once crooned his tunes for Penticton Channel floaters - local cannabis fans actually have options.
What a concept. All that waiting, and suddenly the flood doors seem to have opened.
PentictonNow visited both shops yesterday. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week and with a half-dozen shoppers inside when we dropped by midday, Indigenous Bloom has a classy look reminiscent of a boutique shop on the Vegas strip.
At this time though, the shop manager officially declined to comment and didn't want us taking interior photos or discussing it at length. He was nice enough about it and did promise more media availability in the next week or two, so we'll certainly abide by his wishes.
We did, however, run into a customer who was leaving the store just as we were. His name is David Brooks, and he said he's thrilled he can now legally purchase quality cannabis.
And then it was on to the original - the shop that made history when it opened August 10th.
Like Indigenous Bloom, Spiritleaf is part of a chain and it looks distinctly upscale. Products are harmoniously arranged throughout the store - some on counters where customers slide aside covers to sniff what's inside, and some locked away in wall-mounted, glass-fronted display cases.
It's a spacious place where everyone has plenty of room to browse and chat. And there's lots of the latter. The interaction at Spiritleaf is civil and cordial...and happy. Customers talk casually amongst themselves and get generous, low-pressure assistance from the knowledgeable Spiritleaf staff.
We spent an hour in the store and can honestly say it was the nicest part of our day. Odour-free, relaxed, and nicely appointed, Spiritleaf felt like a spa. Except, of course, for all that cannabis.
Arguably most eye-opening was the makeup of the clientele. There were young professionals, athletic types, elderly folks, an equal mix of male and female, guys and gals who looked like they'd never seen cannabis, and other guys and gals who looked like they'd seen a bit too much. It was, in short, a cross-section of society.
Born and raised in Penticton and now living in Okanagan Falls, Dean Olivier was one such customer. We asked him what the legalization and now the local availability of cannabis means to him.
"It means freedom," he said. "It means there's somewhere safe I can go. I know what I'm going to get. They're not going to sell to kids, and I appreciate that too."
Olivier said he has severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and that cannabis is a big help when his condition flares up. "And it's so much better to do this than to buy stuff off the street, because it's all garbage. There's a lot of bad product out there."
And he enjoys the Spiritleaf experience. "This is convenient. It's very professional, very clean, and they're extremely helpful. And I know that when I smoke it, I'll feel great."
He had just one complaint - the price. He calls it "far too inflated," but said it's a hurdle he's willing to jump for the benefits.
Matt Bolton owns the Penticton Spiritleaf location with his brother Jason, and we had to wait nearly a half hour just to chat with him. And that's no reflection on Bolton. He's a friendly, outgoing guy. The delay came purely from the big crowd in the store and Bolton's responsibility to service it.
"It's been a roller coaster ride," he said when summing up the past few months. "It's all fun, but there's definitely been some ups and some downs."
Bolton talks about the pizza store he owned with his brother in Ontario and how it needed to be relocated. And how they sat down one evening to discuss the future. And that's when Jason said, "Well, marijuana will be legal soon."
The idea stuck, as did the concept of moving to Penticton, one of Bolton's favourite spots in all of Canada. That was in October of 2017.
"Because of the way the process is, the government required us to have a lease before we submitted an application," he said. So the Boltons went on the prowl for an appropriate spot.
"We came here looking at this plaza, but at a 1200-square foot unit. The landlord said he really liked our look and told us that of all the cannabis shops that had approached him, we were the ones he wanted to go with."
But the landlord had a 2500-square foot space earmarked for cannabis. It was almost too pricey for the Boltons, but they both liked the parking arrangement and the handicap access. So they ultimately signed the deal.
They then submitted their application in October of 2018, and have been paying rent for the nine months since as they waited for approval.
With the exception of edibles, which won't be legalized until this fall, Spiritleaf is seemingly well-stocked.
"We have the traditional bud, the flowers, dried cannabis, whatever you want to call it," said Bolton. "We've also got the capsules, as well as tincture drop oils and oral sprays that are a lot more manageable for people who are new to it."
"Edibles are in the second phase of legalization. They're the biggest thing that people are coming in and asking for, and we'll have them soon."
And, he said, business has been as steady as they'd envisioned. "We usually have a gap around dinner time, but it's been good otherwise. There are new faces coming in now saying they've just heard of us. And we've had returning customers for the second and third times already."
And he likes the attitudes. "People walk in here and they don't have their head down, they're not being secretive. They're smiling and chatting with each other and giving recommendations to each other."
Bolton agreed that the price seems high. "But," he said, "all product comes from the Liquor Distribution Branch. They do all the vetting. You know exactly what you're getting, it's clean, everything is marked. You know it's been monitored."
Spiritleaf is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven day a week. For more information, hit the website here. For more information on Indigenous Bloom, check out its Facebook page here.
