Shoppers Say Cannabis NB Stores Are Dope, But Prices Could Be Lower
MONCTON – Half an hour before Cannabis NB at 165 Main St., Moncton, opened its doors at 10 am Wednesday, more than 50 people were already lining up outside the door. One man had been there since 5.30 am and was the first customer to enter the store. Others just came out to see what the experience will be like.
Mike Arsenault was there an hour before opening time, because he wanted to be at the front of the line and because he thought the store opened at 9. He’s expecting more social acceptance for cannabis now that it’s legal.
“I’m just a casual pot smoker and I like to smoke a few joints when I play some tunes, so I’m just kind of here to check out and see what all the buzz is about,” he said. “I guess I’m just expecting to see a lot more people just kind of be open and free with their use of cannabis.”
Mark Barbour, the Manager of Communications and Public Relations for NB Liquor and Cannabis NB, said the 3,000-square-foot store can only fit 40 people at a time, including staff. And the crown corporation had more than 200 sales transactions on its website before 1 am (online sales started at midnight). But Cannabis NB is prepared with enough products to serve customers, Barbour said.
“We’re prepared for all scenarios. We’re prepared for a steady flow all day long and we’re prepared for the long line-ups we see building up,” he said. “In this location on Main St., we have about 10 team members that are on the sales floor when we open at 10, by mid-afternoon we’ll have 13. That’s pretty consistent across the province.”
Cannabis NB is selling 59 types of products with various packaging – 3.5 grams, 7 grams and 15 grams. It also offers pre-rolls, some oils, and accessories like rolling papers and vapes. Oils are only available in-store for now.
When customers walk in, they are greeted by a window and a security guard, where they will be asked for their ID. Nobody under 19 can enter the store, even if someone older is accompanying them. Also, they can’t see inside through the covered windows.
“We ask that you leave people under the age of 19 in a safe place. Not in your vehicle,” Barbour said.
Once the shop is full, customers will be asked to wait at the reception area, which has free water and wifi. Inside the store itself, customers will be assigned to a Cannabis NB representative.
Dameon Pettis, a medical marijuana patient, didn’t buy anything. He just wanted to experience the store, which he says is a “very different approach for retail.” He plans on coming back to try some of the products on offer.
“A guy greeted me right away. I got asked what we’re looking for and what we’ll be doing with the product, and yeah, I went from there and got served,” he said. “The prices are just not in our price range. Honestly, I feel that they should be lowered. But I guess, in time. Nothing happens overnight.”
But James, a man originally from Montreal who didn’t want to disclose his last name, said he bought 2 grams of dried flowers and rolling papers for $27. He said that the pricing is fair for higher quality products and the representative who served him was “very educated.”
“On the black market, you can pay a lot of money for good stuff. It’s definitely a lot of money for what most people usually pay, but hey, at least I know what I’m getting,” he said.
He didn’t initially plan to come on the first day the store was open since he’s not a regular consumer of cannabis.
“But I figured, why not? There’s no shame in being proud of being able to do something finally legally and not having any repercussions in doing it,” said James. “As long as it’s a controlled environment and you’re doing it responsibly, I don’t see any negatives whatsoever.”
“I’m really proud for Canada today, proud for New Brunswick, proud for Moncton and proud for this store right here. And hopefully, that stigma and that negative persona that it’s gotten for so many years – almost a century – could be eradicated and we can move on and be free thinkers and peaceful. And love and happiness, you know,” he added.
Consumers can purchase up to 30 grams of products at a time. That’s the legal limit of what can be transported at any given time.
Cannabis NB’s cheerful promotion of cannabis on its website, including a picture of friends taking a selfie and a step-by-step guide on how to roll a joint, has raised eyebrows. But Barbour said the crown corporation took into consideration legal opinions when working on its website.
“It is a brand new industry. We’re not the only retailer in the country,” said Barbour. “We want to play by the rules…It’s a huge responsibility to be able to sell cannabis and as a retailer that’s given the license to do that, we take that responsibility very seriously.
“In discussions with the province and the federal government, simultaneously and independently, we’re willing to revisit to ensure we remain consistent and within the perimeters that we’re allowed to do.”
Barbour said CannabisNB also has a social responsibility campaign called Good To Know, through which consumers can learn about responsible consumption and provincial regulations.