Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati has announced plans to open a combined coffee shop and marijuana dispensary in Whistler called Ross’s Gold.
Rebagliati told CTV News the store will open next fall with an all-ages café out front and an adults-only head shop and dispensary in the back.
The snowboarder said the concept fit him perfectly, given the reputation he’s had ever since testing positive for pot at the Nagano Olympics.
“The fact that ever since the ’98 Olympics 15 years ago I’ve been synonymous with marijuana has been a big part of it,” Rebagliati said.
The test saw Rebagliati briefly stripped of his medal, but the decision was ultimately overturned.
Rebagliati said he intends to operate Ross’s Gold under the federal government’s new medical marijuana policy announced last month, which puts production and distribution into the hands of private vendor companies.
The store will feature a doctor’s office to write prescription-like documents for pot, and sell paraphernalia like vaporizers and rolling papers.
Asked whether he’s a current pot smoker, Rebagliati said his personal habits have never been a secret.
“Yeah. The answer is yes,” he said.
