Londoners now have another option to fulfill their recreational marijuana needs.
J. London officially opened its doors to the public at 691 Richmond St. on Wednesday. The outlet is the city's second legal, brick-and-mortar pot shop, and the first to open downtown.
The 185-square-metre retail space resembles a hip art gallery with upbeat music playing and a custom-designed video projected on a white wall. The marble looking walls are lined with shelves, some of which are stocked with glass containers filled with cannabis for customers to visually inspect and smell. Other shelves and glass cases in the middle of the retail area are stocked with a variety of marijuana accessories, including grinders, pipes, and bongs.
"We actually have a curated collection of very exclusive product that we brought in," said David Craig, a consultant hired by J. London owner Ranjit Basra. "One of our suppliers, Nish Glass, is a world-renowned glass blower and he creates these one-of-a-kind dab rigs for those who are a little more seasoned to experience cannabis... We are so pleased he has chosen to feature his products with us."
Craig proudly notes from the moment an individual walks into the age-screening area, where staff verify everyone entering is 19 or older, customers are made to feel welcome.
"Our whole company culture, what we are portraying as J. London is to be inclusive, to have integrity, to be authentic. Everybody has different levels of experience when it comes to cannabis and we want everybody to just have an individualized, unique experience with it," said Craig. "So far, we have had a really good response to that position and I think people will really enjoy themselves."
Customers will be given a J. London newspaper that outlines how to use the digital menu, place an order and self-checkout using the store's tablet system. Cannabis facts, a list of the store's growers, and product menu are also included in the paper.
"We aren't allowed to recommend anything, but we do have tools in place that will help based on the needs or desires of an individual from a recreational cannabis standpoint to choose the right products for them," reassured Craig.
J. London was granted its operator's licence and retail store authorization by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) a week ago. However, design plans and work to secure a permit from the City of London began well before that with Craig describing it as "all hands on deck" to get the store up and running.
The store employs 25 people who are well educated in everything cannabis and cannabis related.
Until last Monday, recreational marijuana could only be purchased legally in the province through the government-run Ontario Cannabis Store website. Basra was one of only 25 operators to be selected through an AGCO lottery process to open a retail storefront in Ontario. Those selected were to open to the public on April 1, but only 10 stores, including Central Cannabis at 666 Wonderland Rd., were able to meet that deadline.
A third legal marijuana storefront is still in the works for London at 1025 Wellington Rd., a south-end plaza that is home to Chapters, the Beer Store, and Farm Boy. The outlet will operate under Canadian cannabis retailer Canopy Growth's Tweed brand. While it's application has moved past the public review period, the AGCO has yet to issue it a licence.
