Legal cannabis draws huge lineups as stores open in Calgary

Roughly 100 pot enthusiasts bundled up against the cold and lined up outside one of Calgary's two new cannabis retail shops early Wednesday morning, keen to be among the first customers on Day 1 of legal recreational cannabis in Canada.

Security and Calgary police were on hand for any necessary crowd control at 420 Premium Market as it got ready to open for business at 10 a.m. in a strip mall at 9737 Macleod Trail S.W.

Amber Craig, the company's vice-president of marketing, says customers will find the Calgary store to be a high-end retail experience.

"We spent a lot of time on our design and our branding, so we're really proud of that," she said.

"I think people will be pleasantly surprised when they walk in."

The other retail outlet to open in Calgary so far is Nova Cannabis, at 10816 Macleod Trail South, which also opened its doors at 10 a.m.

It's owned by Alcanna Incorporated, an Edmonton-based, publicly traded company that operates Liquor Depot and Wine and Beyond stores in Alberta.

At least 10 more retail outlets in Calgary have been approved by the city and are awaiting the final go-ahead from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).

Alcanna Inc., which owns Nova Cannabis, released a statement saying the company is happy to be helping bring cannabis sales into the realm of legitimate business.

"Yesterday, and for decades before, criminals operating outside the law controlled 100 per cent of the recreational cannabis trade. Now, civil society begins to take back that activity through laws, regulations, quality controls and private enterprise that creates jobs and pays taxes," the company said.

High demand for cannabis led to technical glitches on some online websites. Government-run and privately-operated sales portals went live at 12:01 a.m. local time across Canada, eliciting a wave of demand that resulted in a virtual lineup at Alberta's e-commerce portal.

At 12:07 a.m. local time, the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission tweeted: "You like us! Our website is experiencing some heavy traffic. We are working hard to get it up and running."

A neuroscientist at the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute says people trying cannabis for the first time should know a few things first.

"Definitely they should start with low-potency products, and use a small amount, wait a few minutes, see how it affects them and gauge it from there," said Dr. Matthew Hill.

He says if someone smokes or vaporizes cannabis, the high usually starts in three to five minutes and typically lasts three or four hours.

But Hill says it's different for edibles, which take longer to kick in and create a longer high.

Police and bylaw officers will be keeping an eye on a couple of events Wednesday afternoon that were organized to celebrate legalization day.

There are plans for both a public education rally and a legalization party — where partygoers are being invited to bring their recreational pot.

But Matt Zabloski, who leads the city's cannabis legalization project, says public spaces are not the place to light up.

"The cannabis consumption bylaw carries with it a $100 fine for people who are consuming non-medical cannabis in public," he said.

Zabloski says Calgarians who have concerns about people consuming in public following legalization should call 311.