A pair of cannabis stores are setting up shop in Muskoka.
Last week, Cannabis retailer Hello Cannabis announced that it is expanding into Huntsville and Gravenhurst, with the Muskoka Cannabis Store, where residents and visitors can shop comfortably and learn about cannabis products.
The new stores stem from a partnership the company formed with Muskoka entrepreneurs Danielle Morgan and Shane Copegog.
In an interview with MyMuskokaNow, COO of Hello Cannabis Ryan Caruso says once the stores open – customers can expect a friendly and knowledgeable experience.
“We can transfer our knowledge to our staff, and that’s what we look for is sta
ff who are enthusiasts of the product themselves and want to educate. That’s what really separates you from other stores is – if you’re all selling the same product right now – how do you differentiate? And that comes down to the staff. So, staff education is the top priority on our list, and then we transfer that to the public.”
Caruso says the guiding principle at all their stores has been to integrate the local community and to hire local – for everything from construction crews to in-store staff.
Partner Danielle Morgan says they’re excited to create and provide a local environment where Muskoka residents and visitors can safe.
“I think it’s an evolving industry. It’s a really exciting industry to be a part of, and I think there are a lot of traditional and non-traditional benefits to the cannabis plant – CBD, THC, all of it. So, I’m excited to be a part of the industry and see where it grows and goes.”
Employees will have to undergo an extensive AGCO Board approved cannabis retail employee training program and receive training under the CANNSELL Certificate Program – which is the equivalent to the SmartServe Certificate for serving alcohol in Ontario.
Caruso says because many retail cannabis shops carry similar brand products, he hopes in the future – the province allows more opportunity for smaller, craft-growers so that local shops can source their own products.
“What I’d like to see is retailers have the ability to sole-source that product from these manufacturers, and that way, you can differentiate your product line from store-to-store. So, I can carry a certain strain that no one else has. That would be a differentiating factor for us, and I’d like to see the province go in that direction.”
While nothing is set in stone, Caruso says they hope to have the doors open at both Muskoka locations by the end of 2020.
To find out more about the company, head here.