No weed — yet — at Cannabis Supply Co.
Fort Erie store sells CBD and accessories; will apply for licence
You cannot buy cannabis at Cannabis Supply Co. in Fort Erie. That’s the first thing manager Amy Carroll says people need to understand.
“We are not a dispensary,” says Carroll, who joked about putting that statement on a big flashing sign in front of the new store.
Only 25 legal cannabis dispensaries exist in Ontario. But more are coming, and as the rollout continues, Cannabis Supply Co. does have an eye toward acquiring a licence and operating a dispensary.
According to Carroll, there are 11 other Cannabis Supply Co. stores that have all recently popped up in communities across the province, and the long-term goal is to convert them to dispensaries as the province rolls out more dispensary licences.
“The plan is to convert this site to a dispensary once certain requirements have changed, like the population requirement,” said Carroll.
The first round of cannabis dispensary licences were required to set up shop in a city with a population of at least 50,000 people, so Fort Erie currently doesn’t qualify. Once those restrictions are relaxed, the Cannabis Supply Co. on Niagara Boulevard will apply for a licence to sell cannabis. Earlier this year, councillors already voted in favour of allowing a cannabis dispensary to open within Fort Erie, so the licence is the final piece of the puzzle.
Until then, Carroll said the store is already doing well as a telemedicine clinic. They sell cannabis accessories, offer cannabis education and information, and sell the popular cannabidiol (more commonly known as CBD) which is a non-intoxicating extract typically sold as an oil.
“The CBD has a nice calming effect,” said Carroll. “It works great for pain, anxiety, insomnia and arthritis.”
Since opening the doors in July, plenty of people have been stopping in, many looking for cannabis, while others are simply looking for information about cannabis or CBD.
“I feel like I’ve really been informing the community,” said Carroll, who noted the store has had a strong amount of foot traffic, largely Americans.
Cannabis Supply Co. (opened inside a former Chinese restaurant) is located in the heart of what is known as Fort Erie’s Chinatown, which is a strip of Chinese restaurants along the Niagara River near the Peace Bridge. The restaurants have long been a hot spot for Buffalo residents who trek across the river for some authentic Chinese food.
“We’re definitely seeing a lot of Americans stopping in here after they go to the Chinese restaurants,” said Carroll.
Cannabis Supply Co. is located at 111 Niagara Blvd. in Fort Erie.