THUNDER BAY – Though cannabis is now legal in Canada, local head shop owners believe a more significant change will come when they are allowed to operate their own dispensaries.
Though Wednesday marked the long-awaited Day One for cannabis legalization across the country, Ontario’s selling regulations mean people in Thunder Bay won’t necessarily be able to obtain pot through legal channels right away.
Recreational marijuana can only be legally purchased in the province online through The Ontario Cannabis Store, after the website launched at midnight. Premier Doug Ford has signalled that private businesses will eventually be allowed to sell pot beginning next April, though municipalities have been given the ability to opt out of allowing storefronts.
Not being able to buy and instantly have weed seems to have tempered some of the enthusiasm for the beginning of legalization.
“I find a lot of customers coming in are disappointed in Ontario not having storefronts,” said Brii Williams, who works at Trixxx on May Street. “Everyone seems pretty happy and in good spirits. I think it’s going to be interesting the next couple of years. I think we have some bumps to iron out.”
Darren Gravelle, the assistant manager at Rainbow on May, said people that were already smoking marijuana will continue, while many people that didn’t want to start just because it’s legal.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a complete game changer. I think that people will essentially experiment, maybe people that are currently not using marijuana may tend to try it now,” Gravelle said. “I don’t think there’s going to be an overwhelming, lasting outcome to this. I think eventually it will become part of day-to-day, kind of like alcohol. Eventually, but it will take time.”
Gravelle said private dispensaries can provide a different level of service compared to a government-run enterprise.
“People will want selection. They’ll want educated staff,” Gravelle said. “Marijuana itself is a little more complex than it might appear to be people on the surface. There are different strains, different effects to different strains.”
