My visit to Collective Growers on Somerset St.

Bob Meldrum

There is a new business on Somerset Street East at Chapel. Collective Growers has set up shop to provide our area with recreational cannabis. Always curious, I had to go in and check it out. Walking through the door I was confronted with a solid wall. Hmmm, I had not come across one of these since bars had a similar barrier to keep you from seeing patrons enjoying alcohol.

There was a sign that said “Stop and show ID.” Okay, but I had already put on my mask. A clerk arrived just as I got my driver’s license out. “Pull down your mask,” she said. And I thought she was just checking that I was over 18!

Next, we got to the counter. Wow, it was just like the old LCBO stores. All products hidden away in the back, but at least you didn’t have to fill in a coded piece of paper by hand.

I explained that I was cheap but wanted to try an edible. I was sent home with THC cookies and cream white chocolate. Before consuming my purchase, I checked with experts. It turned out this product had much more THC than CBD and would have sent me on an LSD-type trip. Not what I was expecting.

Next time I returned to the store, I requested an edible with mostly CBD — the calming, pain-removing drug — or so I had been led to believe. This time I got peach serene gummies with 50 mg of CBD.

So far, I have not consumed anything, but feel good about supporting a local business.