First legal cannabis store in Kelowna opens its doors

The first legal cannabis store in Kelowna opened its doors on Thursday morning.

A lineup had assembled outside Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store in anticipation of being able to lawfully purchase marijuana, nine months after it was nationally legalized last October.

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Located at 2121 Springfield Rd., Hobo Recreational is one of eight cannabis stores that have received zoning approval by the City of Kelowna. The city said another seven stores are in the approval process.

The store employs 20 people. The parent company of Hobo Rec is the Donnelly Group.

Hobo Rec has a“grown here, sold here” outlook.

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“We’ve been hearing certainly in the Kelowna area that people want a legal outlet to buy their cannabis,” said Lyle Oberg, chief policy and medical officer for Flowr.

“I think they are tired of buying from the illegal market.”

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Hobo’s Kelowna location is the company’s fourth store across Canada and third in British Columbia. The other two B.C. stores are both located in Vancouver, on Main Street and Granville Street. The remaining store is in Ottawa.