Little Collins CBD Dispensary: Putting down roots in a budding industry

Husband and wife team, JP O’Brien and Íde Clancy, moved from Australia to Ireland in 2018 with an entrepreneurial spirit. Set in their mission to normalise cannabis and bring it into the home. Five years later, they are confident their goals are in sight.

Opening stores in Galway in 2018, Kilkenny in August 2020, and with a third on the way this April/May in Dublin. JP and Íde have seen it all, including raids and seizures on both their stores and home, yet despite all adversities, their aim remains the same. JP says, “our mission was to come here and open a plant-based business that offered high-quality coffee, beautiful hemp tea and the best full-spectrum CBD products we could source or create - that’s what we’re still doing today.”

With regards to the near future, their focus lies very much with the new Dublin location. “The thing we’re most excited about at the moment is bringing this product to Dublin.” JP says, “having a family-friendly, positive and energetic space where people can come and get a taste for what the next step in the evolution of the CBD and cannabis industry in Ireland looks like.”

While they await the High Court’s decision on the future of the industry, JP and Íde remain confident in its success, as JP explains, “it hasn’t been easy and it continues to be challenging, however we’re hopeful that things are going to end up in the right place.”

Their customer’s loyal support and gratitude are a testament to all the difficulties the couple have overcome along the way. Íde explains, “if it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t be here. We’re extremely grateful for the trust the Irish public has put in us to dispense these products to them.” JP continues, “We’ve heard amazing things about people using our house-made products, our buds, the CBD oil and that they are genuinely helping them.” Welcoming an increase in customers over 55 years old, it gives both JP and Íde hope for the future, “to see that demographic coming in with a curious, open outlook, that is the best thing for us. We have a lot of young people come through, but to see the older demographic embrace what is essentially 'cannabis lite', to us that says change is coming.”

Visit Little Collins’ stores at 25 Abbeygate St Upper, Galway, 49 Kiernan St, Kilkenny & 15 Lombard St East, Dublin 2. More here; https://littlecollinscbd.com/.

photos by Ciarán MacChoncarraige