Cheeba Cheebas has proved to be a popular place to shop in Kelowna, and now residents on the other side of the bridge can check out the dispensary.
Chris Gayford, co-owner and operator of Cheeba Cheebas and Mary Jane Headquarters, says that the West Kelowna location will have its grand opening today at 9 am.
Gayford says the West Kelowna Cheeba Cheebas, which is in the old Mary Jane Headquarters, will be very similar to the Kelowna store, except it’s a little more spacious.
And, if you can make it in before work today, the first 30 people through the doors will get some swag to take home.
Gayford says the store almost didn’t come to fruition in West Kelowna, much like the Kelowna shop.
To get his license to open up in Kelowna, he had to go through an application lottery. In West Kelowna, he also had to go through a competitive application process.
West Kelowna put a cap on the number of stores that would be allowed to operate, originally set at four. Cheeba Cheebas lost the contest in their area and had to either get a partial refund for their application fees, or fight for the license in front of city council.
“I went in front of city council and argued that Mary Jane Headquarters had been in business in West Kelowna for almost nine years, and that by not getting a license it puts that business in peril and that all the other stores are going to be selling accessories as well as cannabis,” Gayford explained.
Four out of seven councillors agreed with his argument and granted municipal approval for the store.
You’ll also be able to check out the new Mary Jane Headquarters store, which was moved into the space right beside Cheeba Cheebas. It was fully renovated, with back lit walls, giving it the feeling of an art gallery.
“It has made me so happy to see the synergy in the businesses. I have so many people buying cannabis from me at Cheeba Cheebas who have a Mary Jane Headquarters retail bag in their hand, or vice versa,” says Gayford.
“On paper, you plan these things and you think this makes sense to me, but is it actually going to work and the results have been overwhelming.”
The West Kelowna Cheeba Cheebas has dried flower, pre-rolls, oils and more. Edibles are also available, although Gayford warns that they will sell out quickly – probably within two days.
Other cannabis 2.0 products are also on the way, including different concentrates such as rosin, and topicals.
Cheeba Cheebas in West Kelowna is located at 1-1812 Byland Road.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.
