All the pot stories from CBC P.E.I. this historic week - Action News
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All the pot stories from CBC P.E.I. this historic week

Love it or hate it, cannabis legalization was the biggest story across Canada this week. Here's a roundup of CBC P.E.I.'s stories about the rollout of marijuana.

In case you missed it, the 5 W's on marijuana in Canada's smallest province

$152,408,35 of cannabis products were sold on P.E.I. the first day of legalization, according to preliminary numbers from P.E.I. Cannabis. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

The recently improbable and somewhat abstract idea of cannabis legalization is now reality.

Love it or hate it, legalization was the biggest story across Canada this week.

Here's a roundup of CBC P.E.I.'s stories about the rollout of marijuana.

Are we ready?

As the week began there were questions about cannabis supply and delivery.

CBC News got a sneak peek inside the Charlottetown Cannabis P.E.I. store. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

Islanders got an idea of what the government-run cannabis stores lookedlike as media got a sneak peek Monday.Only those 19 and over would be allowed inside and the stores' policy banning any photos or video was emphasized.

Purolator has the contract to deliver pot on P.E.I. and said it was confident it isready. Its drivers had to have extra training to confirm Islanders accepting pot deliveries are over 19 and have ID to prove it.

The Charlottetown Airport put up signs informing travellers they can take up to 30 grams of cannabis on domestic flights they won't hassle you or even ask you about it. No pot on international flights though, even if consumption is legal at your destination California, for instance.

Hoot, hit and rip

A guide to talk about marijuana without sounding like a total fuddy-duddy offered a primer on pot lingo.

A selection of water pipes that could be used to smoke cannabis. (Mitch Cormier/CBC)

Wednesday was the big day, and CBC reported on the hubbub as the province's three government-run cannabis stores opened(a fourth store in O'Leary is still under construction and is expected to open in November).

There were lineups of an hour or more to get in, andsome issues with IDs.

The lineup at the P.E.I. Cannabis store in Charlottetown is got longer as the 9 a.m. opening approached. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

Clayton Tierney was first in line at the Charlottetown store, but his driver's license was expired and he wasn't even allowed in. Although we didn't get his exact age, Tierneyshared that he'd been convicted for possession of pot in 1974 and is quite obviously over 19.

Another woman's government-issued photo ID from Quebec was rejected at the Charlottetown store she was unable to shop. Rebecca Kelly's Quebec health card acts as a voluntary IDfor people who don't have other photo ID in Quebec, butscanners at the P.E.I. store wouldn't scan her card. The province apologized, saying staff was just being cautious, and said Kelly's ID will be accepted if she returns.

Clayton Tierney was first in line but an expired driver's license meant he wasn't allowed in the store. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

However, according to P.E.I. Finance Minister HeathMacDonaldwho is in charge of the province's pot portfolio, there were no major glitches on day one, so he was "pretty pleased so far" with how it went.MacDonaldconfirmed he, personally, does not plan to start using cannabis.

Sales of $150K

First-day sales at the P.E.I. stores were tallied by Thursday morning they sold $152,408,35 of cannabis products, with the Charlottetown store seeing the most sales.

P.E.I. hemp growers are cashing in on new freedoms to sell their products. (Hallie Cotnam/CBC)

After the initial rush, attention was given to other things being done to cash in on cannabis legalization.

Four hemp growers on P.E.I. are selling 200 hectares, or 500 acres, of hemp flowers and leaves to B.C.'s Emerald Health Therapeutics to extract CBD that's a compound in marijuana and hemp which does not produce a high or intoxication, according to Health Canada. CBD is widely touted as therapeutic.

'High' prices

As the shoppers rushed home with their treasures, some stopped to check their receipts and thought the prices were a bit steep about $7.80 to $15, before tax.

P.E.I. Cannabis scanned the ID of everyone coming into its stores, causing concerns from customers worried the province is collecting information on their purchases. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

The first man in line to buy pot in Charlottetown, Robert MacNeill, said the price was in some cases double the price dealers were charging on the black market before legalization. The province defended the price, saying its pot is safe and high quality, as well as generating revenue for the province.

Some customers also weren't too thrilled the government stores were scanning their IDs as they entered the store.

After complaints, P.E.I.'s Information and Privacy Commissioner Karen Rose has launched an investigation into whether government-run cannabis stores are collecting personal data. P.E.I. Cannabis insists it is not collecting data, and customers have nothing to worry about.

ID scanners removed

After the ID scanners were checked and it was revealed that some customers' personal information was, in fact, stored in the devices, the province wiped the data and stopped using the scanners. Staff will nowcheck ID the same way they doat the liquor stores with their eyes.

Finance Minister HeathMacDonaldsaid the scanners will be gone for good, unless there's some other need or reason to bring them back.

"If there's technicalities that we're not aware of that these systems are utilizing, then we shouldn't be utilizing the system.And that's exactly why we're pulling the plug on it," he said.

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