Starting next year anyone 19 or over will be able to use, purchase and possess cannabis products in Nova Scotia, which will be legally sold online and through existing NSLC stores.
The much-anticipated details were released Thursday by the province. According to the government, the number of liquor stores that will stock pot is yet to be determined.
In a press release, Justice minister Mark Furey said the top priority for Nova Scotia remains the health and safety of children. According to the minister, NSLC has “the experience and expertise” to sell restricted products in a socially responsible way.
“We believe the NSLC is best positioned to sell cannabis, keeping it out of the hands of young people and making it legally available in a safe, regulated way,” writes Furey.
An online survey from the province—which was completed 31,000 times over the past several weeks—strongly implied Nova Scotia was looking at selling pot through its existing NSLC stores. But the idea has been met with a mixed response.
Over half of respondents supported the recreational drug being available in new standalone stores, rather than next to alcohol products. Only 49 percent either somewhat or completely agreed with the provincial Crown corporation taking over sales of cannabis.
The idea of handing NSLC a cannabis monopoly has also been criticized by former NDP minister Graham Steele, who tells Andrea Gunn at the Chronicle Herald it would be a mistake.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to take an organization that does what it does, and does in my opinion really well, and just say, ‘Here, and here’s a brand new thing with which you have no previous experience, now you go ahead and do it.’”
No word yet where this leaves the private dispensaries who’ve been operating with the hopes their businesses would become legitimate (and avoid further police raids).
Federal legislation to legalize recreational cannabis will take effect July 2018.
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This article appears in Dec 7-13, 2017.
There was no option in the survey to choose private run stores as a sales point.
The question asking if you agree with the NSLC as a sales point had a response stating 29% completely agree – and 30% strongly disagree.
The survey leaned towards a crown corporation sales model and therefore was clearly bias.
This doesn’t surprise me; the NSLC has long enjoyed the benefits of being a monopoly. They can argue systems but it will be price and access that governs the trade. If the price is too high, street-level sales will flourish. Access will dictate price as well. If you can’t get it after 11pm, someone will sell it to you and at a better price; they want your business and price will prevail.
And depending on how other provinces manage their sales, online purchases will cut into sales. There is already an extensive online market with excellent pricing. I wonder if they consulted Weedmaps?
I’m making my popcorn and rolling up now; can’t wait to see the sparks fly.
And there you have it, the government will suck all the money out of this industry leaving nothing for the people they claim to represent. In all likelihood, the lion’s share of the weed sold in the NSLC will be imported from out of province, sending more of our money to other provinces. Another fumble at a key moment by a premier who doesn’t even want the stuff legalized. Pathetic!!!
This decision is terrible. So, on one hand, the government swears that the backbone of the economy is private small business and the people they employ. Then turns around and puts in place monopolies that are run by union-paid employees. Not only that, pot is not like wine, or any other alcoholic beverage, the people that KNOW this plant, strains, etc, are the people running private business. So, the black market will still flourish due to restricted NSLC hours and the profits will be smaller due to some people not comfortable buying weed in a department store environment. This is very short-sighted and a quick fix yet again from this gov’t. It’s wrong and driven by greed in a province that’s already a financial basket case.
What about,….the real, truthful wrong?? Promoting mixing substances? Seriously!?
no one want the NSLC selling marijuana. it should be sold by private business and not the government. just another way of the government making a huge profit off the people and will supply an inferior product at a higher prove and drive people to the underworld like they are now.. heck may as well legalize prostitution and make a fortune off that..
I say let them stock up at very high cost… then boycott, leaving them depressed and broke.