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It's been a long road to opening day for Surrey's very first cannabis retail store.

The door of Imagine Cannabis opened to customers Friday morning (Aug. 29) in Newton, first of a dozen such retailers OK'd by Surrey city council earlier this year , long after most other cities in the region.

Company operator Harp Hoonjan first secured the retail space three years ago, in September 2022, then went through the approval process with city hall and B.C.'s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.

"There was as hairdresser in here and they stayed and paid the rent for a bit," he recalled. "The city wasn't accepting (applications) at the time but in 2023 we actually were the first ones to make that application."

Hoonjan said it's about time Surrey is now hom

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