After nearly two months of delays, Durham region finally has its own pot shop.
The store, appropriately named Smok Cannabis, opened its doors Tuesday. Inside, the business gives the appearance of a high-end retail store — a nice surprise to customers in the area.
“It’s a beautiful store,” says Russell Bugg of Ajax. “It’s nice they are starting to make it a lot more accessible anyways, because before you had to go downtown.”
The shop is the first to open its doors in Durham region, meaning customers can now access cannabis in a legal storefront outside of the GTA. It’s a great feeling to customers like Rob Phillips, who says it’s a relief to be able to buy from a legal source.
“I’ve always felt like something of a criminal for smoking, when really I shouldn’t have,” says Phillips.
“Being so long for it to become legal, this is surreal. But this is absolutely wonderful to have something legal,”
It’s really exciting, says Smok owner Alex Altman. “It’s been five months since the initial lottery,” Altman said, “and seeing it from the beginning until now, we finally have the customers coming.”