A man shows cannabis products bought at the government-owned SQDC store in downtown Montreal on Oct. 17, 2018. (Levon Sevunts/RCI)

Cannabis retailers warn of supply shortage

Cannabis retailers across Canada warned of lingering shortages Thursday, saying demand for newly legal pot outstrips their retail projections and limited supply.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries said Thursday that it is expecting product shortages in both brick-and-mortar and online stores could last “up to at least six months.”

Quebec’s government-owned Societe quebecoise du cannabis (SQDC) said it processed 12,500 purchases in its 12 brick-and-mortar stores and 30,000 online transactions.

“This volume of demand surpasses the sales projections of the SQDC but at the same time shows the robustness of our online systems,” the cannabis board said in a press release.

A man shows dried cannabis bought at the government-own cannabis store in downtown Montreal on Oct. 17, 2018. Cannabis retailers warned of short-term shortages for cannabis products due to high demand and limited supply. (Levon Sevunts/RCI)

The SQDC also warned consumers that it faces serious short-term challenges in meeting the demand, particularly for oil, capsules, atomizers and pre-rolled joints.

“Given the craze created by the legalization of cannabis and the scarcity of products across Canada, the (corporation) expects significant short-term supply challenges,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

Alberta and Prince Edward Island also said Thursday certain products have sold out online, and Nova Scotia said it ran out of certain strains.

Retailers saw long lineups and a wave of online purchases yesterday as Canadians rushed to make their first-ever purchase of legal recreational pot and witness the historic moment.

With files from The Canadian Press

Categories: Society
Tags: , ,

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.