On December 4th, the 100 Mile & District Chamber office had many attend the open meeting on the location of two retail cannabis stores that have applied to open on Birch Avenue. One location is Cariboo Bud Cannabis at 245 Birch Avenue and the second one, Central Cariboo Cannabis Supply Ltd. at 355 Birch Avenue.
99% of the feedback was positive and in favor of the dispensaries and their locations. Most of the people that attended were 40+ with many in their 60’s. Without mentioning any names, a retired law enforcement officer with 3 decades of service said that he was against drugs most of his life but can now see the how cannabis products are making a difference in the health and well-being of many. He went on to say that it’s not the 70’s anymore and cannabis is legal, location doesn’t really matter, and we need to move with the times.
Another attendee said, why would we let more business leave our town and travel to Williams Lake, Prince George, Kamloops or Vancouver, when two businesses are willing to set up the stores and create new jobs? Another said that 100 Mile is a 5 minute town, meaning no matter where you put a dispensaries it will be a 5 minutes walk or less if driving and concluded that there are many places in town that you can sit down for a beer such as restaurants and pubs with kids. The liquor store beside Save On Foods is a high traffic area with kids passing by all day long from the elementary school.
Many suggested that a highly visible area would be the best for a dispensaries and that the ones that are already open don’t display paraphernalia in windows for the public to view. The stores don’t smell like cannabis and people that work in the stores are very professional and have the knowledge to help you find what you’re looking for.
The meeting only lasted about 40 minutes as it was only about the locations of the stores. 100 Mile District will be making their decision on the dispensaries and their location in January of 2020.
