The historic moment has arrived: pot is now legal.
With only one cannabis store open in St. Albert, the Gazette took a look at Fire and Flower in the hours leading up to legalization to see what customers can expect.
“We’ve been working towards this date for a long time,” said Nathan Mison, vice-president of government and stakeholder relations for Fire and Flower.
The pot shop, located at #40, 19 Bellerose Drive, will open its doors for the first time at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
When a customer walks into the store, they’ll be asked at the door for government identification. Each employee has received more than 90 hours of training through the company and the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission, which includes being able to point out fake IDs.
Customers will weave their way around clear display cases throughout the store that contains pipes and rolling papers. Tall glass bongs sit behind wall showcases, while one wall features sweaters, toques and scent-covering candles.
With education at the forefront, employees – called ‘cannistas’ – will describe the different types of cannabis products and the effects they produce. While some people are looking to get high, others might want to de-stress without any psychoactive effects.
“Our cannistas have worked tirelessly to understand how to guide people … where we can show them what a terpene is, what THC and CBD are, what strains are potentially the best for the outcomes they’re looking to have,” Mison said.
When it comes to pot on the shelves, there are 39 different types of cannabis flower to choose from and four different types of oil. All the product comes from 13 federally approved licensed producers.
Before picking out the bud of their choice, customers will get to smell a few beforehand. The flower will be contained in special sample-only jars, made only for breathing in the different scents of the drug.
The actual product comes in sealed bags, which customers will take off site and consume where appropriate.
Mison is expecting a lineup of customers waiting outside the store Wednesday morning, although he’s unsure how many to expect throughout the day. The first 250 people will receive T-shirts commemorating the day.
The store will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:45 a.m.
Where to smoke?
The City of St. Albert has banned consumption of cannabis on all public property. Private property, on the other hand, is a different story.It’s up to condo boards and apartment property managers to decide whether cannabis can be smoked in complexes. Boardwalk, a major Alberta landlord, has banned cannabis consumption on its properties including Sturgeon Point Villas.
For homeowners, cannabis can be smoked inside or on private property.
Medical cannabis is exempted from the rules, and follows restrictions outlined under the tobacco bylaw.
Edmonton, by comparison, will allow smoking pot on sidewalks as long as it’s 10 metres away from a doorway, window, patio or bus stop.
Cannabis can’t be consumed in Fort Edmonton Park, William Hawrelak Park or Sir Winston Churchill Square. Other prohibited areas include: vehicles, bus terminals, hospitals, schools, playgrounds, outdoor pools, spray parks, off-leash parks, cemeteries, city-owned golf courses, sports fields and ski hills.
For those looking to get away for the weekend, the federal government announced Oct. 15 that cannabis can be smoked in campsites at all national parks.
Pot can’t be consumed in common areas, however, which include kitchens, washrooms and parking areas.
