First cannabis stores open across Quebec today

Twelve stores and a transactional website for The Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) open their doors today as part of the first stage to make cannabis available through a secure sales network with the aim to attract customers from the illicit market and to protect public health.

All branches of the SQDC have storefront locations which are situated in areas easily accessible by customers. They must be located away from primary and secondary schools by at least 250 meters (150 meters for the City of Montreal). Online sales at www.sqdc.ca will also be operational as of October 17 in order to cover the entire province of Québec.

There is currently no store in Sherbrooke. The locations are in and around Montreal and Quebec City, as well as one store in Drummondville, one in Rimouski, Trois-rivières and Mascouche.

The products are offered according to three types of cannabis: Indica, Sativa and Hybrid and come in several varieties that each have different effects, aromas and levels of THC and CBD. The products are available in the form of dried flower, ground cannabis, pre-rolled, oil, oral spray and pill or gel cap. No edible products will be available.

The stores are designed to promote the safety of clients and advisors as well as to provide information, education and guidance. The stores are designed in three sections. The first is the reception zone where the age of customers is validated. Products are not visible from this section. Secondly, there is the advice zone, the heart of the store and the area where information and advisory services are offered from a health and education perspective. The products are presented behind the counter and will not be directly accessible to customers. The easy to use and educational content displayed makes it simple to get all the product information at a glance. Posters and documentation also outline the risks associated with cannabis use, warnings and help resources available as needed. The third zone, whose access is restricted and secure, is intended for storage only.

To provide assistance in the purchase of cannabis and from a health protection perspective, the SQDC store advisors received a solid training before taking up their duties today.

Developed jointly by the SQDC and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), this training allowed employees to acquire all the expertise necessary to understand the laws and regulations on cannabis as well as the SQDC’S mission.