Dec. 28 update: Evergreen Cannabis said in a tweet Friday that it has delayed its opening date until Saturday, Jan. 5.
Despite its liberal attitude towards cannabis, Vancouver still doesn't have a legal marijuana dispensary, more than two months after recreational use of the drug was legalized across Canada.
But this weekend, that all changes.
Mike Babins and Maria Petrucci, who own Evergreen Cannabis in the city's Kitsilano neighbourhood, will be reopening their business as the city's first legal pot shop on Saturday.
"I'm not really calling it a Christmas present because we worked really, really hard for it," Babins said.
Babins and Petrucci—who are partners in life and in business—ran the dispensary on West 4th Avenue near Macdonald Street for three years on the black market before deciding to shut down while applying for a license from the province.
Babins said the couple first applied in August. They had initially intended to remain open in the meantime, but decided out of an abundance of caution to liquidate their product and close their doors on Oct. 16, a day before legalization.
Now, they say they can't wait to welcome their customers back.
"Everyone's very excited," Babins said. "I've got to tell you, I ran into at least five of our old members at the junior hockey game yesterday and they were more excited to see me than the 14 goals."
But meeting the province's strict requirements hasn't been an easy process.
Babins said they've had to install several security cameras and even perform a last minute, do-it-yourself job of frosting their windows as per the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch's requirements.
Now that they're a licensed operation, the owners must keep all of their products locked up, including accessories like rolling papers and lighters. That means they had to rearrange their shop and buy new cabinets.
But now that they've been approved, Petrucci said they are proud to be able to run a legitimate pot shop.
"We're just so happy to be able to finally have a legal shop where people can feel dignified and walk in and it's all in the open," she said. "It's a great feeling."
Unlicensed recreational dispensaries in Vancouver have been fighting in court for months for the right to stay open.
Staff at one such business—located less than a 10-minute walk from Evergreen Cannabis—told CTV News Thursday that the City of Vancouver has given them until Dec. 31 to shut their doors.
"I never understood why we've been going through so much with the city, paying our licensing fees, paying so many legal fees, winning our variance hearings… and then still seeing the other guys open just selling untested, unsafe product," Babins said.
The city says it has issued recommendations for five other pot shops that have applied for licenses. Two of them are just waiting for their financial inspections from the province.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure
