Barely two days after becoming the first industrialised nation to legalise marijuana, Canadian stores are already running low on stock.
According to the Daily Mail, Canadians seeking out legal recreational marijuana on Thursday not only had to contend with long lines, but also supply shortages in the wake of the historic change. One man called Alexandre was apparently turned away from a store when it closed at 9pm, having been waiting in line for a painful seven hours.
“It was hell, it was cold. But we had fun anyway, talking with people in the crowd and sharing joints” Alexandre said. Supply shortages were also reported in the provinces of Newfoundland and Saskatchewan, and also in the Arctic territory of Nunavut.
Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief who has led the government’s legalisation programme, told public broadcaster CBC the country was unable to supply enough to meet demand.
“We expected, you know, certain strains might run out and there would be a bit of a run on supply. But, you know, they’ve got a pretty good infrastructure in place and I’m confident it will work” he said.
Under the new law, citizens will be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of cannabis in public and each household will be able to grow up to four marijuana plants.