‘Bright, open, inviting’

Nova Scotia’s legal marijuana stores will be “bright, open, and inviting” — but the product itself will be sold in secure containers and then sealed in a paper bag.

Conceptual drawings released by the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation show what customers can expect once Ottawa legalizes recreational marijuana.

It will be sold in clearly demarcated areas of 11 NSLC stores that also sell alcohol, while one downtown Halifax store will be the province’s lone pot-only retail outlet.

“There will be a section of the store that has a frosted glass area, because you are not allowed under federal regulations to be able to see the product,” corporation spokeswoman Beverly Ware said Monday.

“The key for us is to keep the area bright and open and inviting and in keeping with the NSLC stores that people are accustomed to.”

The drawings show a well lit area where various strains of marijuana are displayed in glass jars inside glass cases. The cash register area is flanked by a station where customers can get information about the marijuana they are buying on computer tablets.

Bright posters outline the various categories of product according to levels of THC or medicinal CBD.

The categories are Relax, Unwind, Centre, and Enhance, Ware said.

With the exception of the pot-only Halifax location, customers will not be allowed to smell the product on the premises so the odour doesn’t permeate into areas where alcohol is sold.