Cannabis products are seen on the shelves at a new Societe Quebecoise du Cannabis (SQDC) store during a media preview Tuesday, October 16, 2018 in Montreal. The legal sale of cannabis begins in Canada on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan RemiorzRyan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
Authorities offered a sneak peek of one of the three Montreal cannabis outlets that will open to the public on Wednesday, revealing a shop that looks like a cross between a pharmacy and a health-food store and will sell products starting at $5.25 a gram.
They said their mission is clear: They are there to educate customers, not sell the merits of their products. The Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) will begin with 12 outlets across the province offering a range of 110 products; that number is expected to increase to 180 products in the coming weeks.
“What the (SQDC) won’t do is the promotion of cannabis. It won’t do marketing,” said Alain Brunet, president of the SQDC. It has a “social mission” and its role is public education, he told reporters.
Mr. Brunet referred to Wednesday’s roll-out as a historic day as Canada becomes the first G7 nation to legalize cannabis “from coast to coast.”
Canada’s launch is drawing world attention. The SQDC press event was covered by media including German public television and a Fox News team from New York.
As far as location, the cannabis shop shown to reporters on Tuesday is wedged between a set of bridal accessories stores on St Hubert St., a busy retail strip. It currently offers a typically Montreal setting: the street is completely torn up, under construction, and closed to traffic.
The cannabis for sale inside is not visible from the street. Customers have to enter through a vestibule where their ID will be checked before they can access the store. Quebec’s current minimum consumption age is 18, but the new Coalition Avenir Québec government wants to increase the age to 21.
The products are neatly lined on shelves or shown beneath glass showcases, and labelled with bright yellow health warnings such as “Cannabis can be addictive” and “Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding.”
Quebec cannabis outlets, which are being run by the province’s liquor corporation (SAQ), are offering products in forms including dried, ground, pre-rolled, as well as oils, oral sprays, pills or gel caps. Authorities described prices as competitive – Quebec’s are the lowest in the country -- and expected to eat into a portion of the black market. Online sales also launch on Wednesday and orders are anticipated to reach 4,000 a day.
The SQDC expects the number of outlets to expand to up to 150 in the next three years.