Fridays

County’s first cannabis store has apothecary feel

It was during a brainstorming session over two nights, a few glasses of wine to help the process along, a little product for inspiration, that resulted in around 50 different names before they settled on one. Forming part of the Picton streetscape, Fridays Cannabis opened its doors last October. Bloomfield residents Jason Alexander and wife Kelly Sinclair, both lawyers in the cannabis field, and Christine and Niall Flynn, who live in Picton, are co-owners. “Fridays are probably the most exciting day of the week; it is an anticipation of what is about to come for the weekend,” says Alexander. “When you think of the County and the tourist industry, everyone comes on a Friday and is very excited for the weekend to come. We want to be able to give that to everyone on a daily basis and every day could be Friday. You get that experience of Fridays, whether it is a Monday, a Sunday or any other day of the week,” he says.

While some may recognize the distinctive heritage facade from its previous incarnation as Ten Thousand Villages, step inside and it’s unrecognizable. “When we took over the place it was just a rectangular box.” Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry made by a local contractor graces the space making this a dispensary with the difference. It’s a little like stepping back in time with its oldfashioned apothecary feel, yet there is nothing old-fashioned about it, or what these folks are doing. It’s an impressive space with its deep wooden counters and low mood lighting. “Luckily, one of the business partners, Christine, is designer artist and she came in here with a vision,” explains Alexander. Christine also has retail experience, and Niall is a web developer and a tech guy.

While Alexander describes getting a store off the ground during a pandemic as a “very fun Covid project”, he also sheds light on the process it took to get to this point and the immense governmental regulations that pertain to the cannabis industry, even for someone very familiar. “We wanted to make this very County-friendly and we wanted to make this really fit in here, and so we were going for the old apothecary look, but also post-prohibition when bars actually started to open up: we were paying homage to that because now it’s the same sort of thing, prohibition has been lifted for cannabis.” He says the idea behind it is a non-judgemental safe space for everyone to come in and learn about cannabis.

As soon as the regulations allowed, Alexander said they knew they wanted to open a cannabis shop in their home town and that’s when they teamed up with their good friends, the Flynns. They had purchased the store beforehand in anticipation. “We had our fingers crossed hoping we would be able to open; it was certainly risky, but well worth it.” While they looked at a number of locations in Prince Edward County, they knew they wanted Picton, but also something central. “This was the dream location in that sense and it was a really good fit for us.” Once the legislation was announced that would allow for a cannabis shop in an area like Prince Edward County, they put together a business plan and waited. At precisely the very hour they were allowed to apply in the first-come, first-serve system, at one minute after midnight, they did. “Because we applied so quickly, we were at the front of the queue, so we were able to open our doors as the first shop in Prince Edward County,” explains Alexander.

Not for the faint of heart, cannabis is a highlyregulated industry that comes with extensive background and financial checks. “They have to trace the source of funds because they have to know nothing is coming from illegal market,” says Alexander. “Then you go through an interview process, it’s pretty intense.” Next came a temporary licence allowing them to begin construction. “Every phase of construction has to be approved by the AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) and that includes very extensive security.” Fridays have 10 cameras, alarm systems, a lockable room where product is stored, and a wall where people have ID checked before they can even see into the store. “There are a lot of regulations that you have to work with in order to open a store, so we spent six months building this out.”

(L-R) Fridays Cannabis co-owners, Jason Alexander and Kelly Sinclair, and Christine Flynn and Niall Flynn

All cannabis products in Ontario have to be purchased through the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), something Alexander describes as a provincial wholesaler. “The OCS buys from federally legalized cannabis companies, so Health Canada is the government body that oversees the production of cannabis and it’s governed by the Cannabis Act,” he explains. From there, those cannabis companies sell to the OSC and they in turn sell to the retailers. Fridays is trying to curate products that go with the aesthetic of the store, so higher end products in terms of price point. “We have prices that can compete with the grey and black markets, which are as low as $4.50 a gram, and then we have really premium products that are almost $20 a gram,” says Alexander. “We carry products for whatever you are looking for, whether it’s the most premium product in Canada, or you are looking for something that is a valued product that you can consume a lot of. We do both and we have every kind of product you could possible imagine in terms of product performance.“

He explains how most people think of the products as just being flower products, and while they carry an extensive selection, they also have are a host of other products. Products range from THC-dominant products (THC is the cannabinoid compound that gets you high) and there are some products that are CBDdominant (a component of cannabis that won’t get you high, but has many other benefits). “There are products that will get you very mildly buzzed, like if you had a few glasses of wine, and some that will get you very high, and there’s everything in between, and some that won’t get you high at all: they will just give you a body relaxation.” To comply with the Cannabis Act, they are not permitted to talk about any health benefits a particular product may offer.

Fridays cater to a broad demographic of the local population—their oldest customer is 92 years old. “You get the full spectrum, which is awesome and very fun.” Some customers are very cannabis-knowledgeable and know exactly what they want, says Alexander. “Then you get others who come in and it’s their first time in a cannabis shop and they have no idea and need help to guide them,” he says. “We are catering to all, but we want this to be an experience for people who have never tried cannabis before. We absolutely want to educate them and welcome them in and there is zero judgement in the store.” He says some think it’s your typical downtown Toronto pot shop. “This is not that,” he says. “We are trying to be very welcoming and we want this to be a destination in of itself.”

Alexander says they have been most happy with the reception they have received from the community. “We assumed the clientele would be a lot of tourists, but really the heart of what we have experienced so far is the local community.” And the stigma they anticipated isn’t there anymore either. “We are extremely happy with how we have been received and how everything’s unfolding for us, it’s been great.” Fridays Cannabis is located at 190 Picton Main Street. While they are temporarily closed during lockdown restrictions, orders can be made online or by phone for curbside pick-up. Visit fridayscannabis.com or call 613-476-8028.