VINTAGE VINYL FAMILY
Dylan Baumet is one of the owners of the family owned Vintage Vinyl in Regina. The store is the longest-running hemp store in Canada and its business is continuing to grow.
Vintage Vinyl and Hemp Emporium is known for a lot of things, notably its history with marijuana.
Dylan and Janelle Baumet’s father Pat opened Vintage Vinyl and Hemp Emporium 25 years ago in downtown Regina. The store has remained a family business over the years and sells everything from records to marijuana smoking accessories.
The store has continued to sell accessories for smoking marijuana and has seen society’s thoughts toward marijuana change.
“Every year there’s just more and more smokers and people are starting to realize that marijuana’s good and not bad,” Dylan said.
Dylan has noticed more people coming into the store over the years for accessories as they have turned to marijuana to help with cancer treatments and other pains. Dylan and Janelle’s father and mother both had cancer and died from it.
“That’s always in the back our minds when we’re working here, too, with new patients,” Janelle said.
The Liberal government is on the path to legalizing marijuana, which Dylan believes is for the best and is long overdue.
Vintage Vinyl is the longest-running hemp store in Canada so Dylan believes that legalization will just help the store to grow.
“There’s going to definitely be more stores popping up. There already has been over the last bit, but a lot of them come and go and don’t last,” he said.
He isn’t concerned for any future competition since Vintage Vinyl is such an established store.
The store has not been without controversy since its opening and in 2013 the store was raided after police found out Pat’s medical marijuana growing licence had expired. In Sept, 2014 Pat pleaded guilty to production and possession of marijuana and was sentenced to a sixmonth conditional sentence to be served in the community. Fourteen other charges against him were stayed. Janelle was charged with possession of marijuana but that was withdrawn after she completed an alternate measures program and Dylan faced eight drug charges, including possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, but those were eventually stayed as well.
This weekend will see Vintage Vinyl celebrating its 25th anniversary. Pat started out renting a smaller space at the current location. As the years went on and neighbouring businesses closed, the store took on more space in the building until he had bought the entire place.
“We sell definitely a variety of stuff. We have anyone from kids that are just starting out with records to older people that have been shopping here since we opened,” Janelle said.
This weekend’s festivities will see Vintage Vinyl host a variety of events, including face painting and live music at the store. On Friday evening it will be at the Exchange and Saturday night at Durty Nelly’s, both nights will include live music and raffles. All proceeds from the weekend will go toward the Allan Blair Cancer Centre and Prairie Sky Dog Rescue.
The Allan Blair Cancer Centre worked with both of their parents toward the end their lives and Prairie Sky was founded by one of Pat’s nurses, so he always had a soft spot for it.