The wait is over: Whistler's first cannabis retail shop is open in Function Junction.
A Little Bud opened its doors at 1-1050 Millar Creek Road on Oct. 11, and saw nearly 100 customers by about 3 p.m. on its first day.
"I'm going to be honest with you, it's been even better than what we expected," said Randy Tingskou, who owns A Little Bud with his wife.
"And we had high hopes for this, so it's wonderful to see. But Whistler certainly seems like a cannabis-friendly community."
Whistler's mayor and council approved Temporary Use Permits for four cannabis retail stores on June 20. But there's no denying cannabis has long had a presence in Whistler, even before federal legalization in 2018—and it hasn't exactly been hard to find for those in the know.
"It's been one of those towns where you could sometimes smell it if you go to the right places, but you couldn't buy it, and we're really glad to be filling that gap now," Tingskou said.
"I've been coming to this community for almost my entire life, and a very long time ago we stated that we would get this accomplished and we would get it done—that was about three-and-a-half years ago, we started working with the [Resort Municipality of Whistler].
"And to be the first, to be open here, I really don't even have words. We're just so grateful and so excited."
While its doors are already open, A Little Bud is planning an official grand opening celebration for Saturday, Oct. 21, complete with a ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. and events taking place throughout the evening.
