Buying Cannabis: Province by Province

Hey folks! Welcome back to another blog post where I attempt to educate you and inevitably end up learning a thing or two myself. Just like that time I tried to teach my son how to throw a knuckle ball and learned that apparently doing that now triggers a chain reaction that causes my arm to roll right out of its socket, except hopefully this blog post will be less embarrassing for me. This week we’re going to be talking about the nuances of purchasing cannabis as it applies to each of the provinces and territories in the Great White North. Every province has a bit of a different take on how they’ve rolled out regulated cannabis, so it’s important to know what you’re getting into if you’re ever travelling out of province.

Ontario

We’ll start with an easy one. Here in Ontario, all cannabis is brought to the market through a single wholesaler: The Ontario Cannabis Store or OCS. The cannabis is grown by privately owned licensed producers who then sell it using the OCS and licensed retailers (like us) to you, the weed loving customer. This was not always the plan, as originally the OCS was going to roll out a series of government owned retail locations. This plan was eventually scrapped when the government of Ontario changed hands in favour of rolling out retail licenses for privately owned storefronts. You have to be over the age of 19 to purchase cannabis in a retail location.

Quebec

Next up, our Francophone buddies to the east! All cannabis sold in Quebec is sold through the Societe Quebecois du Cannabis otherwise known as the SQDC. This means that any stores you go into in Quebec are going to be government owned and operated. There are also a slew of additional restrictions preventing the sales of certain edibles like candies and chocolates and other cannabis products. Also, in order to purchase cannabis in Quebec one has to be 21years of age or older. So, there’s a pretty restrictive situation going on over there compared to the rest of Canada.

Nova Scotia

In Nova Scotia the cannabis sale situation is similar to Quebec in the sense that all cannabis is sold through a government entity, in this case the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation or NSLC. The legal purchasing age is 19, like the majority of Canada.

New Brunswick

In keeping with the trend of government managed stores, New Brunswick’s cannabis sales are all made through the New Brunswick Liquor Corporation or NBLC. They operate a couple dozen stores across the province and the legal age to purchase the green stuff is 19.

Newfoundland & Labrador

Unlike their immediate neighbors, all retail cannabis sales in Newfoundland & Labrador are handled by private retailers, while distribution is handled by the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation. So, pretty similar to what we’ve got going on in Ontario, just on a much smaller scale due to their substantially smaller population size. Once again, 19 is the age one must be to procure yourself some sticky icky in this province.

Prince Edward Island

The lovely PEI features a very small number of cannabis stores that operate on the government owned store model, with a whopping 4 stores serving the entire province. You must be…you guessed it, over the age of 19 to enjoy some ganja on the island. Fun fact, the first few months of legalization PEI topped per-capita spending on cannabis nationwide. Those Islanders love weed.

Manitoba

Let’s shift things into a westerly direction and take a look at Manitoba. Retails cannabis sales are through privately owned, government licensed retailers (much like here), who can sell to anyone aged 19 or older. The biggest difference between our laws and Manitoba is that one cannot grow their own cannabis at home in Manitoba, thus making retail cannabis the only available option for procuring legal cannabis.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is rocking a setup that is again similar to the retail sales situation we have in Ontario, where private retailers sell cannabis purchased through a government owned wholesaler, in this case the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. I like to imagine that Hank from Corner Gas is running a dispensary in Dog River. It just feels right. Again, make sure you’re over 19 before trying to buy some mary jane here.

Alberta

On to Alberta, where cannabis sales are again being facilitated by the government while being carried out by private retailers who sell to those aged 19 years or older. Online sales are only allowed through the government owned and operated wholesaler website.

British Columbia

British Columbia, the Canadian promised land of Ganja, is using the same method of cannabis retail sales as Alberta and Ontario, utilizing a government run wholesaler and privately owned retail stores to get weed into BC stoners hands who happen to be 19 years of age or older. Since a ton of the growers of Canadian cannabis hail from BC, they tend to be on the cutting edge of cannabis law reform.

Yukon Territories

Up in the Yukon, the cannabis situation is…well sparse. However, that’s appropriate given that the population density in that part of Canada is incredibly low. As of my latest check, they’ve started to put forth retail licenses and there are now six privately owned retail stores serving the Yukon. You must be 19 years of age or older to purchase cannabis in the Yukon.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories have followed the trend set by most of Canada and set up their Liquor and Cannabis Commissions to act as the wholesaler while private retailers set up shop to do the sales. There are only a handful of stores, with limited availability when it comes to brand options. One must once again be 19 years of age or older to purchase cannabis legally in this territory.

Nunavut

Finally, that brings us to Nunavut. Nunavut has a population of around forty-thousand people, which is like if they gave everyone in Northumberland two million square kilometers to live in. So, in terms of population density, they don’t have much. As such, there is literally one store servicing the entire territory. Like with the Northwest Territories, there are limited options for the products you can get up there, making for a less diverse selection of weed than what we southerners are used to. Again, be 19 or get no green. And that’s that! I’m 82 percent sure I haven’t forgotten any provinces or territories, thus making my grade 3 teacher proud. So, that’s the present situation when it comes to purchasing cannabis in Canada based on the different provinces you’re in. Just remember that availability of certain products can vary depending on the laws of each province and the supply lines available.