Bradford will soon have a cannabis shop in the downtown core.
Star Buds Cannabis Co. will be taking over the heritage building at 22 Barrie St., the old Canada Post Office.
Company president Chris Jones expects the new store to be open by the end of June, once licensing is fully in place.
Star Buds originated in Colorado and has one of the best reputations in the marijuana market.
Jones has one store currently open in Barrie, located at 181 Livingstone St. E, Unit 3, and has two stores in queue to be licensed (including the Bradford location and a location in Alliston) as well as another location under construction in Barrie, located at 500 Huronia Rd.
“I’ve worked in the industry for years,” shared Jones. “I’ve been a part of production, cultivation, distribution, and I’m familiar with the licensing process.”
Jones adds that the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s (AGCO) licensing process only issues approximately five licenses a week across the province, but he remains confident the store will be open by the end of the month.
“It’s a slower process to open up due to COVID,” explains Jones. “We’ve had to do virtual inspections which takes time."
The unique 2,300 square foot location is already complete inside and will offer an array of products including cannabis flower, extracts, pre-rolls, edibles (beverages, chocolates, gummies), tinctures, oils, topicals, and of course, vape pens.
“We just finished installing security cameras,” said Jones. “We want to hire locally and support the community!”
Originally, the Ontario Government deemed all cannabis retail stores non-essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. But rules were quickly changed to allow curbside pick-up and deliveries from cannabis dispensaries.
“We will still be offering curbside pick-up but, as well, a limited number of customers will be allowed into the store now,” notes Jones. “Our vision is to create convenient and memorable retail experiences for consumers.”
Since lockdown, dispensaries such as the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) saw a significant increase in online orders in April, at 5,000 per day.
Jones hopes to “aggressively” expand the Star Buds chain across Ontario.
“Our team is committed to building relationships within local communities while providing a wide assortment of high-quality cannabis products and accessories that can be consumed responsibly,” said Jones.
Anyone looking for job opportunities with Star Buds can submit their resume directly through their website here.
