First Mississauga Cannabis Retailer Opens

After almost five years without legal cannabis outlets, the first Mississauga cannabis retailer finally opened in the city on May 26, 2023. Pop’s Cannabis opened its 26th store in the large Ontario city bordering Toronto at the Clarkson Crossing Mall. The company has applications in for at least two other stores.

Ryan Dymond, President of Pop’s Cannabis, said that those extra years of waiting mean that first Mississauga cannabis store opening will go smoothly.

“I think it’s actually advantageous,” Dymond said. “I think we’re better now than where we were (in 2018). We know how to sort of resonate with the communities; we understand the stigmas.”

Mississauga cannabis stores were voted down several times previously by city council. At the time, councillors cited lack of control at the municipal level.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie was a vocal supporter of Mississauga cannabis retailers. According to a statement released by her office:

“In addition to supporting jobs and growing our economy, retail cannabis stores will progressively help stamp out the illegal market and ensure that residents can easily access safe, regulated products.”

During a council debate, Crombie said, “We are not addressing the black market whatsoever. In fact, I have to believe we are promoting the black market by not allowing legal shops to open.”

At least one illegal cannabis store kept opening in downtown Mississauga, confusing residents who assumed it was a legal store since cannabis sales are legal.

“I think we would just encourage everyone to look for the authorized Ontario decal. That’s really what dictates legalization so people understand that it is legalized recreational cannabis,” Dymond said.

Mississauga city council voted 8-4 on April 19, 2023 – four years, six months, and one day after cannabis legalization – to allow legal cannabis stores within city limits.

Is the First Mississauga Cannabis Retailer a Sign of New Times Ahead? – LPC

The early days of cannabis legalization in Canada led to a wild west gold rush of store openings. Many of those first stores, especially in larger cities such as Toronto, struggled to survive. Rymond said that there have been “lessons learned”, which will guide future openings in a large city like Mississauga (population 700,000+).

“The market in itself is vast enough that I think it can support multiple locations… and it doesn’t seem to be saturated,” he said. “When legalization first occurred, it was just a mad dash to open as many shops as we possibly could.”

So perhaps the rollout of Mississauga cannabis retailers will signal a more measured – and sustainable – approach to the retail cannabis market.

Either way, one thing is for certain: lifting the cannabis ban in Mississauga has been a long time coming.

Read the full story on Global News

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