Eager customers in high spirits on Day 1 of legal pot
Crowd lines up outside only outlet in Saskatoon area ready to open
When Jimmy’s Cannabis in Martensville opened its doors for the first time at 11 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2018 — the day cannabis became legal in Canada — Allan Kennedy had already been waiting outside the door for more than an hour to be one of the first inside.
“Definitely worth waiting in line,” Kennedy said.
Jimmy’s Cannabis was the only new shop in the Saskatoon area that was ready to open on the day pot became legal. The biggest issue for stores in Saskatoon was supply and inventory, but Jimmy’s Cannabis received its shipment in time for its grand opening.
The shop drew a crowd for the big day. Kennedy was near the front of a line of more than 100 people that trailed along the sidewalk in front of the storefronts next to the cannabis shop.
When co-owner David Thomas stuck his head out the door to announce to the crowd that the store was officially open, he was met by cheers and laughter.
Chief marketing officer Natasha Perkins said staff had planned and hoped for the possibility of a huge crowd.
She said their shipment of products arrived safely, securely, and in enough time to be well-prepared.
“What a cool day in Canada,” Perkins said. “Humbled to be part of the first sort of regime of folks putting forth a regulated approach to the sale of cannabis.”
When asked if she thought they would sell out on Wednesday, Perkins said it was “fully possible,” since the demand for cannabis was hard to gauge without any competitors ready to open. The flow of customers was working as planned — staff allowed a limited number of customers into the store at a time, giving everyone plenty of space to shop.
Dominic Louis, 23, walked out of the store with product in hand after waiting in line for about half an hour. He said he uses cannabis to help with his anxiety, and being able to come to a bright and wellkept store to get it was a good step.
“I paid with Mastercard,” he laughed. “The dispensaries in town that the cops keep shutting down ... feel like a drug dealer with a physical address. They always have. This feels like a store.”
Kennedy, who was about the third customer to make a purchase at Jimmy’s Cannabis, said he thought he’d be able to examine the product more closely before he bought it — the cannabis he purchased came in a special prepackaged container. Overall, he was pleased with his shopping experience, though it still felt weird going into a retail store to buy marijuana, he said.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. It feels like there’s something wrong with it.”