Steven Fry, who co-founded Sessions Cannabis, will have two stores, one in Toronto and the other in Collingwood

Collingwood’s first legal pot shop will open by Christmas.

That’s the plan, according to Louis Laskovski, the man who won the local licence in the last government lottery.

Laskovski has partnered with Sessions Cannabis as his retailer and will open a store at 312 Hurontario St.

“After an intensive government approval process, we strive to become a reliable and trusted source of information about cannabis along with being a leading retailer of the product," Laskovski said in a press release.

The space was formerly a hair salon and is in a red brick home in Collingwood’s heritage district.

Steven Fry, president and co-founder of Sessions Cannabis, says the space will be bright, clean and welcoming.

“We know there is still a stigma and some uncertainty surrounding cannabis culture,” he said in a release.

Fry’s story on the Sessions.ca website states he grew up in Barrie and fell into cannabis stores because he won a licence in the first lottery in January.

He partnered with Canna Cabana to open a store in Hamilton where he learned a lot about the rushed and difficult process of meeting the government’s rules for opening a cannabis store in Ontario.

Since then, Fry co-founded Sessions Cannabis and will have two stores, one in Toronto and on in Collingwood.

“Our focus is to help educate the community while offering access to cannabis that is legal and Health Canada quality controlled,” he stated in the press release.

Provincial regulations stipulate that cannabis stores are not permitted to be located within 150 meters from any school and are required to have security and controls in place to keep products out of the hands of minors.

Sessions Cannabis' Collingwood store is looking to hire 15 staff, including full-time, permanent positions.

Construction is underway with a grand opening event scheduled to take place before Christmas.

According to the website, Sessions Collingwood will be open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The following is full text of a news release issued by Sessions Cannabis:



Holiday shoppers can add a new local product to their lists this season with the opening of downtown Collingwood’s first legal pot shop. Louis Laskovski, the licensed retailer has chosen Sessions Cannabis as his retail partner to open its doors at 312 Hurontario St. in December.

“After an intensive government approval process, we strive to become a reliable and trusted source of information about cannabis along with being a leading retailer of the product,” says Louis Laskovski, the retail store owner.

“The space will be a bright, clean and welcoming environment where customers can ask questions and receive hands-on assistance from knowledgeable staff,” says Steven Fry, president and co-founder of Sessions Cannabis. “We know there is still a stigma and some uncertainty surrounding cannabis culture. That’s why our focus is to help educate the community while offering access to cannabis that is legal and Health Canada quality controlled.”

Provincial regulations stipulate that cannabis stores are not permitted to be located within 150 meters from any school and are required to have security and controls in place to keep products out of the hands of minors. For Fry, these measures are intensive but very familiar after opening Hamilton’s first ever legal cannabis store earlier this year.

“We know there is demand in Collingwood and the surrounding area. In our experience, customers are becoming more sophisticated and want an alternative to the black market,” notes Laskovski. “We partnered with Sessions Cannabis to be the safe alternative for consumers and to become a positive part of Collingwood and the surrounding community.”

Sessions Cannabis Collingwood Store is looking to hire 15 staff including full-time, permanent positions. Construction is underway with a grand opening event scheduled to take place before Christmas.

More information and updates about Sessions Cannabis can be found online.