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Sudbury's second cannabis store still waiting on green light from province

Owner Anton Lucic says High Life is ready to open
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Anton Lucic, the owner of the Highlife cannabis store set to open on Marcus Drive in Greater Sudbury says he's optimistic the wait is nearly over and that he'll soon be open for business. (Heather Green-Oliver / Sudbury.com)

Business is, to put it mildly, brisk at the Canna Cabana, Greater Sudbury's retail cannabis store in the South End.

Since opening April 20, lineups outside the store at the Four Corners have become the norm, with legal weed buyers facing long waits to make their purchase.

It's something Anton Lucic knows well. The owner of the city's second cannabis store – located on Marcus Drive – said Tuesday he's as impatient as anyone to start serving customers. Lucic is still waiting for his license to operate from the province and is keenly aware he is losing money every day his store is closed.

“I'm patiently waiting for the license,” Lucic said. “I can't wait to open the store. I'm thankful to my team of 42 people for their support and understanding.”

While allowed to open April 1, retail cannabis stores had to wait for their operating license before they can place an order with the Ontario Cannabis Store. A total of 25 stores were approved for the initial series of openings, and as the calendar turns to May, just three of them haven't opened – Lucic's High Life store in Greater Sudbury, the Tweed store in Wellington and the Fabulous Leaf store in Oshawa.

Raymond Kahnert, a senior communications adviser with the AGCO, said in an email earlier this month he couldn't comment on the situation of any one store, but the province is not to blame for the delays.

“I can’t speak to specific applications, but ... some applicants provided all the necessary information in a timely way,” Kahnert said. “For others, the information was incomplete, changing or slow to be provided. For others, highly involved business arrangements were entered into with third parties requiring in-depth analysis.” 

The AGCO can't make a decision on a license without all the necessary information, he said, so the onus is on the operators.

“If applicants have not yet been issued (a licence to open), it is not because of delays in processing their applications. It is due to the diligence required in assessing the eligibility of applicants, partners, interested parties and their stores.”

Lucic said Tuesday he sent all the information required three weeks ago, but hasn't been able to get any more information.

“I'm still waiting for the AGCO to finalize their due diligence,” he said. “I sent them the last information three weeks ago and I haven't got any feedback or anything. They just keep saying it's under review.

“They keep giving me the same reply — it's under review. We will let you know.”

The haven't indicated anything about why it's taking so long, or whether they want more information, he added. But once the green light comes, the store will open quickly. 

"Everything is ready,” Lucic said. “The only thing missing is the most crucial part — the license. As soon as I get it, I can place my order. And as soon as the delivery is made to the store, we can open up, right away."

The AGCO said stores still not open by the end of the month could end up forfeiting the full $50,000 deposit they had to give the province. Stores could be fined increasing amounts for not opening by April 1, April 15 and April 30 if they are responsible for the delays. 

- Sudbury.com



Darren MacDonald

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