Rants And Riffs (Vol. 2) – Cindy Pendergast from Truth + Alibi
Guest Column No. 002 – Feb 2026
Just five questions. Real answers. No pressure.
For our second edition of Rants & Riffs, we’re heading to Sidney, B.C. — to a prohibition-inspired storefront with deep family roots and strong convictions: Truth + Alibi Cannabis.
Family-owned and operated by Cindy Pendergast, her husband Brad Styles, and her son Zach, Truth + Alibi blends old-world character with modern cannabis culture. They were also the first legal cannabis store in B.C. to complete a home delivery under the province’s updated rules — arriving in style via a 1938 BMW motorcycle and sidecar.
In this edition, Cindy talks about change, risk, loyalty to B.C. growers, and why some hills are worth standing on.
📍 Catch Cindy at Truth + Alibi Cannabis
Truth + Alibi Cannabis 2410 Beacon Ave, Sidney, B.C.
🌞 What’s lighting you up lately?
Forward movement.
Working together as a family business is a huge part of that. The three of us each bring something different and important to the table, and that dynamic keeps things alive. We’ve built this speakeasy vibe at Truth + Alibi, and oddly enough, it keeps getting better with time.
Looking back, anytime we were just slugging it out and not loving the daily grind, we eventually made a big change. Sometimes it took longer than it should have — but we learned from it. Now we try to get there faster. Change lights us up.
😤 What’s grinding your gears (obligatory rant)?
The geopolitical situation. It’s tough globally, and it’s getting tougher here in B.C. too. That uncertainty trickles down to everyone.
We’ve got a lot of love for this country, and we don’t mind showing it. We communicate that every day through our front windows. Right now it’s the Winter Olympics, and we’re updating Canada’s medal count daily.
Pride and community matter — especially when things feel unstable.
💘 What made you fall in love with what you do?
We love the people around us, and we love cannabis.
I like to call us the “back-of-the-class kids,” because that’s honestly what it feels like sometimes. All three of us spent years working in or around Corporate Canada, and we wanted to move toward something that felt true — something that felt like us.
We’re die-hard weed nerds. When legalization opened the door, running a shop felt natural. Cannabis is natural. It makes people feel good. It brings folks together in a way that feels genuine.
The community around it is something special, and we feel lucky to be part of it.
🌀 What don’t people get about your world?
Just how much risk is involved — for everyone.
Regulations still make it incredibly difficult to do basic things, like secure a business bank account. Smaller outfits don’t have easy access to the Big Five without huge fees and no guarantees. Excise taxes are heavy. Unregulated online retailers are still everywhere.
Growers, producers, retailers, consumers — everyone wants meaningful regulatory change.
There’s still a lot of illegal cannabis out there, and not enough enforcement behind it.
This industry is resilient — but it’s not easy.
⛰️ What’s a hill you’ll die on (even if it’s weird)?
We support the 1 km distance requirement between stores.
We don’t want the weed-store-on-every-corner vibe you see in some other provinces. When markets get oversaturated, stores survive by moving massive volumes of SKUs from big corporate producers — and smaller growers get squeezed out.
Big corporate wins again.
Our B.C. growers have our full loyalty. They grow this plant with expertise and care. We’re proud to support pioneers who built this industry and are growing their companies without losing their cannabis roots or integrity. And to those of you who call us from far and wide because you know we carry the best weed grown here — we see you, and we don’t take that lightly. In BC it’s a pleasure to sample new grows and it’s easy to keep top-shelf weed in store.
Cindy Pendergast
Big thanks to Cindy for the honesty, the conviction, and the clear love for B.C. cannabis culture. Truth + Alibi’s prohibition influence runs deeper than the walls — it’s a nod to the Pendergast family’s layered history, carried forward today through a thoughtful, legal, and distinctly B.C. approach to cannabis.
You can find Truth + Alibi Cannabis in Sidney, proudly independent and family-run, rooted in community and unapologetically supportive of B.C. craft producers.
If you’re a grower, retailer, or weed-loving human with something to say, we want to hear from you.
💌 Hit us up at [email protected] to be featured in a future edition.
Stay tuned for more riffs.
