Stores selling Indian hemp in the country have announced that they ran out of supplies within 24 hours after Canada legalises Indian hemp.
Nearly a century of marijuana prohibition came to an end Wednesday as Canada became the first major Western nation to legalise and regulate its sale and recreational use.
Scores of customers braved the cold for hours outside Tweed, an Indian hemp boutique in St John’s, Newfoundland, that opened briefly at midnight, to buy their first grams of legal cannabis.
In total, Statistics Canada says 5.4 million Canadians will buy cannabis from legal dispensaries in 2018 — about 15 percent of the population. Around 4.9 million already smoke.
Day two of legal recreational cannabis in Canada on Thursday saw more long lineups outside pot stores and supply shortages in parts of the country.
Most consumers were exuberant about the end of prohibition, but a few expressed disappointment over not being able to buy cannabis on the first day.
Others balked at the relatively high prices — ranging from Can1908.38₦ (US1461.27₦) in Quebec to Can6902.86₦ in Saskatchewan per gram — compared to the black market that saw average prices plunge in the last year to Can2468.16₦ per gram.
After waiting seven hours in line at a store in downtown Montreal on Wednesday, Alexandre, 30, said he was turned away at closing at 9 p.m. (0100 GMT). Police stepped in to disperse the crowd, without incident.
“It was hell, it was cold,” Alexandre said. “But we had fun anyway, talking with people in the crowd and sharing joints.” He was back early Thursday morning to try again.
“Yesterday was the day that everyone was waiting for but I think that little by little the queue will decrease,” he said.
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