London’s third pot shop, Tweed, opens nearly two months after provincial deadline

05/18/2019

Tweed, London’s third pot shop, is now up and running — nearly two months after a provincial deadline.

The retail store at 1025 Wellington Rd. has been given authorization from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to open its doors.

The green light from Ontario’s regulator was soon followed by Tweed’s opening at 5 p.m. Friday.

Prior to Tweed’s opening, the retail store faced $50,000 in penalties for failing to be in business by provincial deadlines.

The AGCO, which held a lottery to determine who could apply for store licences, had previously announced a system of escalating penalties for the province’s 25 pot shops if they weren’t able to start serving customers by April 1.

Only one store in London, Central Cannabis, was able to open its doors on day one.

In early May, the AGCO revealed it had penalized nine more outlets for not serving customers by April 30, penalties that affected Tweed.

Shega Youngson is senior manager of events and community engagement for Canopy Growth, a Canadian cannabis company which shares a licensing agreement with the Tweed retail store in London.

Youngson said the store owners were prepared for the financial consequences of a late opening.

“When you embark on something new, there are always unforeseen circumstances,” Youngson said.

“It’s critical that everything happens accordingly, so that… consumers can come through and have a consistent supply and a consistent customer experience.”

Youngson said the store wanted to open just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend. Tweed plans to be very last-minute shopper friendly, with doors staying open between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. on the holiday Monday.

London currently has two other cannabis retail shops: Central Cannabis in the city’s west end and J London in downtown London.

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