Jimmy’s Cannabis shop opens Saturday
Opening set for 4/20
April 17, 2019, 10:27 am
Kevin Weedmark
4/20 was for many years a day when marijuana activists across Canada protested against marijuana laws. This year Moosomin’s cannabis store—Jimmy’s Cannabis—will open for business on 4/20, this Saturday, April 20.
Kevin Weedmark interviewed John Thomas, one of the owners of Jimmy’s Cannabis, last week about the opening of the new shop.
How are things coming along in your shop in Moosomin?
Pretty good in the Moosomin location. All we have left is the building inspection and then the SLGA inspection and we anticipate being open Saturday, April 20.
You must have always been planning the Moosomin opening for 4/20.
Ha ha! We had the opening pegged for mid-April and then we thought it would make sense to open it on 4/20. It will be the first 4/20 since cannabis has been legalized in Canada.
It’s pretty exciting and it’s a date on the calendar that cannabis enthusiasts have marked. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t open the Moosomin store October 17 (the day cannabis was legalized) but I think 4/20 is a pretty neat, exciting day to open it.
What has been your experience so far in your other locations, in Martensville, Battleford and Estevan?
We had major supply issues but we’ve got those under control now. We opened Martensville on October 17 and it sold out of cannabis on October 18, then it was closed down for a month because there was no supply. When we opened Estevan we didn’t have any CBD oil or pre rolls and now we are kind of able to offer a full assortment which is exciting.
What have been the main challenges in getting those others up and running efficiently?
The main problem was supply, and then second was probably that it’s a new industry and things as simple as software for the legal cannabis industry just don’t exist.
Dealing with financial institutions, whether it be banking or insurance, it was difficult.
A lot of American companies won’t work with you because you’re a cannabis company, even though it’s legal in Canada. That was more a problem setting up the company, when cannabis was still illegal. That has really improved now.
The promotion regulations are very strict and restrictive. We had our Facebook page taken down because it’s an American company and they had different concerns. It’s definitely been a challenge.
It’s been a challenge just to get the information out there that we’re a legal business, we’re a licenced business. The product we’re selling has those safety measures and checks and balances, and it’s from a licensed producer. A lot of education goes into that.
What surprises you about the businesses that you have opened so far? Are you getting the range of customers you expected?
The range of customers shocked everybody. I think often people have in mind who they would think of as the stereotypical cannabis user. We’ve found that it’s a segment of every population, young or old, male or female, and all walks of life.
You had an ad in the paper a couple of weeks ago looking for employees. Are you fully staffed in Moosomin now?
We’re fully staffed now. The manager, Jina Creighton, has been with us for a few months now, and the rest of the staff is on their way to Estevan for some live in-store training, and preparation to get the store open for Saturday.
What is the plan for Saturday?
We’ll open at noon on Saturday, we’ll have a ribbon cutting and a barbecue for anyone who wants to come down.
I think it’s the neighborly thing to do. We want people to come down and see the store and meet the staff, and we’ll put on a barbecue and show off the store to anyone who would like to come down.
How does Moosomin fit into your plans? This is the smallest community where you’re operating a store.
Yes, the town of Battleford is close to the size of Moosomin, but it has North Battleford just across the River.
But we love Moosomin. It’s the most happening town of its size in Canada. We really enjoy going to Moosomin and we’re really excited to be part of the community.
The business community has been incredibly welcoming. We just really enjoy our time in Moosomin.
We’re happy we were able to purchase a building on Main Street in Moosomin, and we’re really looking forward to opening the store and being part of the business community in Moosomin.
What hours are you planning to be open to start?
We’ll be open 12-8 Monday to Thursday, 12-9 Friday and Saturday and 12-5 or 6 on Sunday.
