Residents who frequent the retail plaza at 70 Victoria St. E. in downtown Alliston to get their laundry done, or to chow down on burgers and cannolis, will also have the option of purchasing legal cannabis products in the near future.
Alliston resident Michael Spaziani is the head manager for Green Grove, the new cannabis store that’s under construction at the plaza across from Shoppers Drug Mart. The plaza is also home to Rocco’s Sisters Bakery & Deli, Champ Burger and Tender Touch Laundry Service.
The store is currently working its way through the licensing process with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
Spaziani, who will operate the store with his friend Nick Panacci, the owner of the business, said they hope to have the store ready for the final inspection by the end of the month and get the licence in July or August.
“The illicit market has been targeting our children for years, and if we can do anything to take it out of the youths’ hands and make sure sales are regulated only to adults, we want to play our part and do that,” he said.
He said they are taking “a community-first approach” and will be hiring local residents to work at the store.
He expects to hire four salespeople to start, but this could change depending on business demand, along with two managers.
Spaziani said they are looking forward to providing these opportunities, especially at such a difficult time when many businesses have been forced to temporarily or permanently close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are seeing small businesses close down because they can’t stay afloat in a time like this,” he said. “It’s really tragic because a lot of these people are friends of mine who have lived here for years and years. So we would love to provide some jobs to people who are looking, and to also generate tax dollars for the community in an emerging market.”
He said security will be of utmost importance, noting how the storage room has been fortified. There will also be several cameras, motion detectors and an alarm system, and they will also be hiring a security guard.
