INNISFAIL – More and more cannabis retail stores have been opening across the province since Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis began lifting the moratorium on licences in May.
Two of those retail stores are here in Innisfail.
The Green Box opened on Sept. 5 and Revive Cannabis is set for its grand opening on Oct. 4.
“We put a lot of thought into coming up with that (store name). It had to have meaning for us because everything we did in this has personal meaning for us,” said Nathan Harrington, co-owner of Revive Cannabis, a locally owned and operated retail store.
Harrington and his co-owners, which include his wife, his parents and two close friends, have been preparing the store on Main Street, near the corner of 49th Avenue, for its grand opening.
Harrington approached family and friends about opening a retail store after cannabis helped him in his personal life.
“What it has done is revived my mind, my body and my soul. In turn, it’s revived everyone’s lives with me recovering and getting better,” said Harrington, noting the reason behind the name Revive Cannabis.
“I came up with the idea for the business and we moved forward with it. We decided if this can do this for me, imagine what it can do for the rest of the community,” he added. “We felt that it was very important that we did it legally, morally and ethically and that we really focused on education.”
Educating the public on cannabis, its uses and benefits, will come through informative displays in store and an education table with software for customers to use, noted Harrington. In addition to information, Revive Cannabis will also have display cases and showcases for products and accessories designed to create a welcoming environment.
“We also wanted to revive spaces in the community so this is the space we chose that needed a bit of work,” said Harrington. “We took that upon ourselves and revived this space in order to make it comfortable for people to come here.”
Innisfail’s other cannabis store, The Green Box, opened in early September.
“We opened (our Innisfail store) on September 5,” said Krystal Miller, regional manager, adding they have four stores in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan. “Things have been very good. Everybody in Innisfail is so friendly and it’s going really good.”
The Green Box is located just off Main Street at the corner of 47th Avenue.
“We went to quite a few different towns (in the area), and just picked the ones we thought we liked the most and Innisfail was one of them,” said Miller. “It’s been steady. We’re starting to realize what people want and as we learn (that) we’re bringing in a new product if it’s available from the AGLC.”
All of their retail stores are consistent, she noted, pointing out the square green buildings, and hence the name The Green Box.
Both The Green Box and Revive Cannabis will have a variety of cannabis products, including dried cannabis, capsules or soft gels, pre-rolled, sprays and oils, and will also sell accessories at competitive prices.
As with other cannabis stores in the province, Revive Cannabis and The Green Box in Innisfail will be open seven days a week.
