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A Hobo Cannabis Company store will open on Bank Street near Nepean Street, the B.C.-based retail chain says.

It will take over two storefronts, including one now occupied by Compact Music.

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The announcement comes as the province opens up the market for privately run marijuana stores. The Ontario agency in charge of regulating them says it expects to issue as many as 20 licences a month starting in April.

A Hobo branded store further south at 391 Bank St. near Gladstone that opened in April 2019 recently changed its name to Stash & Co.

The initial wave of stores in Ontario are operated by winners of provincial lotteries held to award the coveted licences. Many of the lottery winners signed licensing deals with cannabis retail chains.

That store at 391 Bank was rebranded by its owner, lottery winner Karan Someshwar, after the Hobo licensing deal expired. Someshwar said there have been minor renovations at Stash & Co., including adding staff artwork. He plans to introduce live music at the store from Thursday through Saturday starting next week.