Tokers rejoice with legal buys
Medicine Hat’s retail pot stores line up out the door, with Albertans travelling, skipping work to be part of history
Rob Griffiths woke up bright and early Wednesday, driving more than an hour from Foremost to become the first person to buy legal cannabis at Waldo’s 420 in Medicine Hat.
“I’d probably drop in to one of the stores sooner or later, so I may as well come and check it out,” he said. “Of course, the first day it’s going to be a novelty and busy, but we’ll see how the prices stay or change.”
Griffiths, who purchased about an ounce — two grams less than the legal limit of 30 — said he may put some away as memorabilia.
“Throw it in a frame on the wall,” he said. “You never know.”
Robert Wallace, who coowns Waldo’s with his son, Patrick, said although they initially opposed legalization, they ultimately decided it was a good business opportunity.
“After considerable thought, we figured, ‘What the heck? It’s going to be legal and we have the facility. We might as well get in the game,’” said Wallace, who described the approval process as “quite rigorous.”
He and his son were required to submit criminal background checks, in addition to travelling to Calgary to meet with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis officials.
“It’s a safer environment all around,” Wallace said, comparing legal cannabis to the black market.
He said he has no plans to try his product, “but you never know. I might sample it some time.”
There was much excitement for legalization day in the lineup outside.
“I’m going to buy loads of it,” said J.P. Wright, 40, adding he may not purchase the full 30 grams, but “a few grams for sure.”
“It’s a long time coming,” said 41-year-old Troy Thibodeau, who’s been a cannabis user since he was 13.
He said he wants to be extra cautious to avoid a $575 fine for driving while having cannabis within reach.
“Everything goes in the trunk,” Thibodeau said.
There was similar jubilation outside the Green Exchange downtown, where people came from as far as Calgary and Lethbridge to purchase product.
There are currently two stores in Calgary and none in Lethbridge.
“I wanted to be part of history,” said “Dave” who didn’t provide a last name, saying he called in sick from work in Calgary to take part.
He says he’s smoked pot for about 45 years, more in younger days but now only partakes “about once a year” when he’s on vacation.
“I like to go fishing and listen to George Thorogood,” he said. “But it will be years before it’s socially acceptable.”
Another man who stood in line at the Green Exchange early on Wednesday was Cecil Sparrow.
“I think it’s great — it’s the way it should have been done 20 years ago,” he said. “I really want to smoke legal weed. That’s the honest answer.”
Owner and operator Jay Hern shared his customers’ enthusiasm.
“Legalization day — unbelievable. It’s so overwhelming today,” said Hern, adding that turnout has exceeded his expectation.
He said he had “no idea” how many people to expect coming in and out of the store Wednesday.
“There seems to be a bigger demand today than I ever thought there would be,” Hern said.
He said he hopes to help remove marijuana’s stigma after 95 years of prohibition.
“We’re a very high-end, boutique store, kind of like a jewelry store,” Hern said, describing his store as an “experience.”
“I think they’re very surprised how things went, checking out the store and the quality. It’s exciting times.”