Calgary Co-op gets ready to sell cannabis this fall

Calgary Co-op, known for its liquor, gasoline and fresh produce, will soon be adding a new product to its shelves: cannabis.

"We won't have any samples available," cannabis senior directorJimRiegetold the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday.

The co-operative grocery chain will open 12 licensed cannabis sales shops around the city over the next year.

Some will be ready for the Oct.17 legalization date but others are being built from the ground up. So far, most members and staff are enthusiastic about the foray into the new market, Riege said.

"Some definitely are excited about it coming to fruition and opening up on October 17,"he said. "Others, of course, are a little bit not as in favour of that and ...that's to be expected based on the stigma around cannabis."

Co-op is hiring managers to run the cannabis dispensaries, thoughRiegesaid some current Co-op staff will move into new roles. All cannabis shop employees will be unionized, he said, and they'll be trained.

The goal, according to the job ad, is to offer "recreational consumers with connoisseur cannabis products, trade expertise, and affordable pricing."

The stores will have a floor space of 1,000 to 1,200 square feet and all products will be locked in cabinets.

They'lloffer 300 or more products, from different cannabis strains to bongs and pipes. Fifteen cannabis types will be offered in so-called sniff jars.

"Is the smell right for you? Is that something that you want to try and enjoy," Riege said.

Listen to JimRiege on the Co-op's cannabis plans:

Customers won't be able to touch the cannabis but will be able to hold and check out the paraphernalia. No snacks will be sold at the shops, per provincial regulations.

Cannabis sales will count toward membership equity and profit sharing.

• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |'I wish Canada had protected him': friends mourn man who died while being deported
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Doctor under fire for alleged racist confrontation with Indigenous people
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS | Care home patient says broken elevator has left her unable to go outside for days
• Read more articles byCBC Calgary, like us onFacebookfor updates and subscribe to ourCBC Calgary newsletterfor the day's news at a glance.

With files from Susan Holzman and the Calgary Eyeopener.