Ontario’s First (Legal?) Cannabis Consumption Café
What’s believed to be Ontario’s first possibly legal, semi-permanent cannabis consumption café opened up in Grand Bend, Ontario for the July 1 weekend. Behind the Bend, the out-of-the-way area in one of Canada’s most popular summer beach towns, seems to be well received by customers and municipal leaders alike.
“They were supportive right away,” said owner Laura Bradley of town officials. Smoking is not allowed on the beaches or even the town’s streets, so this is a welcome area for many.
Bradley said she got the idea when she decided to grow her cannabis business, The Bend Cannabis Co.
“Instead of expanding the retail brand, I thought I’m going to get ahead of the curve on the next wave,” Bradley said of her reason for opening the business. “And I think the next wave will be consumption lounges.”
Many Enjoying Behind the Bend Cannabis Consumption Café – LPC
It seems Behind the Bend’s 50-seat patio space is a big hit so far. The space sounds like one of those tucked-away courtyards you’d find in Europe with a fountain, a firepit, and greenery. The tables sport vintage games such as Jenga, and people sit and relax. Many – but not all – consume cannabis. One couple in their 70s was sitting enjoying the day.
“It’s a 50-50 split,” Bradley said of her customers. “You don’t have to be immersed in the (cannabis) culture to want to be here.”
Bradley, who said she used to go to cannabis lounges in Kensington Market in Toronto, wanted to bring that same inclusive feel to Grand Bend. Welcoming both cannabis users and non-users was important to her. That’s why her cannabis consumption café serves locally sourced food, fresh pastries, and non-alcoholic drinks along with brunch three days per week.
But Is This Cannabis Consumption Café Really Legal? – LPC
However, this cannabis consumption café might be skirting the Cannabis Act. Current federal and provincial laws prohibit businesses such as cannabis edible restaurants. This is because cannabis cannot be sold in the same location as it’s processed (cooking with cannabis falls under that definition).
Bradley mentions that Behind the Bend cannot legally sell cannabis products. But as the name suggests, the café sits behind The Bend Cannabis Co. Presumably they are two separate businesses, but their proximity to one another with the same owner might raise eyebrows.
Based on the London Free Press article (please see link below), it’s unclear how Behind the Bend is not breaking another law: the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Behind the Bend is a restaurant – one of the few in town to serve breakfast (brunch three days per week), according to the article. Under the Smoke Free Ontario Act, “You cannot smoke or vape on a patio of any bar or restaurant including public areas within nine metres of the patio.” Canadian Legions that applied before the November 2013 cut-off date are the only exception. Perhaps there is a quirk to the layout that the article does not describe.
If so, kudos to her for finding a path through the often-maze-like legislation and regulations. Bradley stated that she wants to keep Behind the Bend opened through the fall, but she’ll have to close for winter at some point.
Ontario has officially said no to cannabis lounges – for the moment, at least. There have been creative ways around the ban. The Wiarton “Bongspiel” set up a trailer off the curling club’s property that allowed cannabis consumption. Elsewhere in the country, others are also pushing for cannabis cafés and cannabis tourism experiences.
It will be interesting to find out how Bradley’s cannabis consumption café turns out. As is so often the case, it may be a matter of pushing the boundaries to make change in this country – and the Province of Ontario. With the non-progressive nature of the current Progressive Conservative government when it comes to cannabis, hopefully the will of the people can help shape new cannabis laws.
Read the Original Story in the London Free Press
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