British Columbia’s Prince George Airport could become home to the world’s first airport cannabis store. Earlier this year, Prince George Airport Authority (YXS) announced that Copilot, a retail brand wanting to provide a convenient cannabis purchasing experience for all travellers, had applied for a business license to operate at the airport.
Copilot had to obtain a business license from the City of Prince George as one of the last steps to their approval. On February 8, Prince George City Council voted unanimously in favour of Copilot’s application. The project has passed through its public hearing stage but still requires final approval from the city, likely this spring.
Copilot has also been working with federal and provincial regulators throughout the license application process, including Transport Canada and the Province of British Columbia. If they are successful, Copilot will be the first cannabis retail store in an airport terminal worldwide.
Copilot Co-Founders Reed Horton and Owen Ritz said: “We see YXS as the perfect location to launch our initial store and fulfill our mission of making travel a less stressful and more enjoyable experience for our customers.”
They hope this will be the first of many cannabis retail stores in airport terminals worldwide. “YXS is large enough to introduce our innovative retail concept but small enough to build a close-knit relationship with our customers and the community.”
Copilot plans to open in summer 2022 pending further government approvals and construction. The store will be located in the Departures Hall, accessible to domestic passengers and community members. The Prince George Airport is a non-smoking airport, but smoking or vaping cannabis is allowed in designated areas.
While it is legal to fly with cannabis in Canada (up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or the equivalent) on any domestic flight, it is still illegal to transport cannabis and all products containing cannabis across the Canadian border.