When Tecumseh last month became the last Essex County town to approve the installation of retail pot stores in its town – almost three years after weed was legalized in Canada – it was a a sure sign that cannabis had reached the general public.
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Another big step towards normalization of marijuana comes on Saturday when one of southwestern Ontario’s largest malls welcomes a company to its halls tony whose goal is to get customers to use a substance psychotropic.
“This is a very exciting time for the Devonshire Mall and we are delighted to add Tokyo Smoke to our wide range of retail offerings,” said Chris Savard, General Manager of Windsor Mall, in a press release.
A spokesperson for Tokyo Smoke said her company was equally thrilled to locate in one of the first Canadian malls to host such an outlet, “bringing the Tokyo Smoke experience to this community.” It is the 23rd private retail outlet provincially approved to sell recreational marijuana to adults from a commercial location in Windsor.
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Tokyo Smoke, a growing chain with dozens of retail outlets across Canada, boasts of its premium offerings, aesthetics, and premium shopping experience. Its parent company is multi-billion dollar Canopy Growth, the largest licensed pot producer in Canada based in Smiths Falls, Ontario.
“We are excited to be able to play a role in how Canadians continue to learn more about cannabis and provide them with access to our carefully selected accessories and products, as well as our premier customer experience,” said said Melissa Gallagher, Canopy Growth’s director of corporate and franchise stores.
With 11 first “team members” operating out of the Windsor location, customers will be able to visit or shop and order online for curbside pickup. The opening hours of the store will correspond to those of the shopping center. Like all cannabis retail businesses, it is for adult customers only.
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In addition to the 23 retail pottery stores now licensed to operate in Windsor, there are 18 other Windsor applications currently under consideration by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Adult recreational potty legalization day was October 17, 2018, but Windsor didn’t have its first retail store – J. Supply Co. – until March 2020.
In Essex County, there are currently six businesses in four municipalities licensed to sell recreational cannabis to adults. It was only last month that Tecumseh put an end to its ‘wait and see’ approach and gave the green light to such a retail business, and there are already two demands before AGCO to settle there. . LaSalle, whose board did not decide until March, currently has three private sector applications before the AGCO.
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Opened last October, Tony’s Joint in Essex has grown into the county’s premier jar retail outlet.
The use of cannabis – which until three years ago was a criminal offense in Canada for generations – was not everyone’s cup of tea when it was first legalized. LaSalle, for example, rejected a first proposal to opt for the retail trade, its mayor having warned the city just two years ago to be “careful”. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, who has reported problems in other jurisdictions, also opposed Windsor’s decision to allow jar retail stores to set up in his town.
dschmidt@postmedia.com
