It was announced last year a cannabis store would be opening in Boissevain and the owner of Border Town Buds says that opening is only weeks away.

The 800 square foot retail cannabis outlet is going to operate out of the former Red Coat Inn located along Mill Road in Boissevain.

Owner Leanne Smith looks forward to opening the doors. “We will probably open within the month. We’ll say the end of April, but you just never know. We’ll have a couple of part time employees, and my partner is going to work there three-quarter time or maybe even full time.”

As of late there have been reports of a struggling cannabis retail industry and Smith agrees. “There are struggles for everyone in the cannabis world because there are back door deals for more space into the biggest outlets. In Manitoba they used to have a social responsibility fee and that has been passed down the cannabis retail stores. That’s changing this year and I know I’ve talked with a number of licensed producers, and they say the tax of six per cent will be passed onto producers and that will hit them hard and could shut down some of the smaller producers,” said Smith.

 

Smith owns and operates two other cannabis stores including on in Carnduff, Saskatchewan and another in Melita. “Business has been really good. Saskatchewan has been really busy, and the Melita store has been great, but we have competition a little closer to Melita than we do Carnduff.”

Leanne Smith says before the Boissevain store opens they need to organize one more inspection, place their orders and wait for product to arrive so they can stock their shelves and then open up the doors.