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First legal cannabis storefront opens in Orangeville

December 23, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Orangeville residents no longer need to rely on OCS to get their cannabis.

The first legal marijuana storefront in Orangeville, Satica Cannabis, celebrated its grand opening last Friday (Dec. 18).

Local residents were lined up outside of the store, located on 121 Broadway, from open to close, waiting to get their first taste of legally purchased cannabis in town.

“It was very busy, we were steady all day. There was no point during the day that there wasn’t someone in here, so the community seemed very happy and we’re happy to be here,” said Amy Patton, store manager.

“We feel very honoured that we are the first [dispensary] to open here. We want to set a standard and we really want to try to eliminate the stigma around cannabis dispensaries.”

Patton told the Citizen her number one message to the community is that it’s okay to come in the store, there’s no reason to feel scared or uncomfortable.

“We pride ourselves on being clean and professional, but we’re also very much warm and we want you to feel at home when you come in as well, because we’re very big on having good customer service and knowledgeable staff,” she explained.

“There’s no reason to be scared to come into a cannabis dispensary.”

The number one benefit of opting for the legal market is knowing what you’re getting, according to Patton.

“There are regulations in place, it’s definitely much more safe,” she noted.

“Our budtenders are also super knowledgeable, so if you have questions they can answer them for you and I don’t believe that’s something that you’d be able to do in a grey market.”

Opening a business under COVID-19 comes with its challenges, but Patton noted that Satica Cannabis is grateful to have been able to make it happen.

Only four customers are allowed in the store at a time and all of the Public Health protocols for COVID-19 are being adhered to.

“Safety of our customers as well as our staff is very important to us, so we’re very grateful that we can bring people into the store. We’re not in total lockdown yet, but we don’t want to overdo it, and we don’t want anyone to get sick, so we definitely will keep following the rules,” Patton noted.

She said curbside pickup will be available as COVID-19 restrictions tighten, if it’s permitted.

While Satica Cannabis is the first legal dispensary in Orangeville, it looks like they certainly won’t be the last, since five others have applications currently under review.

Hempire House (59 First Street) has completed its consultation process with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in April and an opening day is anticipated in March, 2021.

Broadway Cannabis (71 Broadway) completed its consultation with AGCO in May and the application remains in the review process.

There are two additional applications for 218 Broadway and 324 Broadway, both of which are in process and no consultation has occurred.

Patton told the Citizen that Satica Cannabis chose to build their facility in Orangeville since it has a smaller town feel, with a strong sense of community.

She said she looks forward to serving local residents in 2021 and beyond.

“All the support we got yesterday really does warm my heart and we’re just so happy to be here and it’s all because of the community in Orangeville that we’re here,” Patton smiled.

The Satica Cannabis team welcomed its first round of customers on Friday (Dec. 18) for its grand opening. The dispensary is the first to open in Orangeville but likely won’t be the last, with four cannabis applications currently being processed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.


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