The times are a changin'
Canada became the first industrialized nation to legalize recreational cannabis on Wednesday, but a lawful buzz will be hard to come by in its biggest cities like Toronto and Vancouver, which will have no stores open. Weed enthusiasts in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada's easternmost province, kicked off the first permissible sales at midnight. Over 100 people braved the cold and wind in the province's capital St. John's, lining up outside a Tweed-branded store owned by Canopy Growth Corp., the world's most recognized cannabis producer. Canopy's Chief Executive Bruce Linton rang in the first sales to residents Ian Power and Nikki Rose.
"I came out tonight to be the first person in Canada to purchase the first legal gram of recreational cannabis, to help see the end of prohibition in Canada finally," Power said. The day was historic for the country as adult Canadians will be able to legally smoke recreational marijuana after nearly a century-long ban. However, many provincial governments' approval of only a small number of shops so far, and a shortage of weed supplied to these stores, means most Canadians' first toke on Wednesday will likely be of black-market pot.
"There will be a lot of celebrations on the day, and it will almost all be with illegal cannabis" in some of Canada's biggest cities, said Brad Poulos, an instructor and cannabis business expert at Ryerson University in Toronto. "Recreational cannabis users in Canada ... will just continue with their (existing) sources of supply until the legal system catches up."
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In this file photo taken on April 20, 2016 A woman waves a flag with a marijuana leef on it next to a group gathered to celebrate National Marijuana Day on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. - Nearly a century of marijuana prohibition came to an end Wednesday, October 17, 2018, as Canada became the first major Western nation to legalize and regulate its sale and recreational use. The change was praised by pot enthusiasts and investors in a budding industry that has seen pot stocks soar on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges, but sharply questioned by some health professionals and opposition politicians. (Photo by Chris Roussakis / AFP)
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Sample jars of British Columbia-grown cannabis brand Broken Coast are displayed at a party held by supplier Aphria, the day before Canadas legalization of recreational marijuana in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
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Customers look at a cannabis menu at the Natural Vibe store after legal recreational marijuana went on sale in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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Chrissy Brun displays a cannabis menu for customers at the Natural Vibe store after legal recreational marijuana went on sale in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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Customers line up outside the Natural Vibe store after legal recreational marijuana went on sale in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton takes part in an interview after legal recreational marijuana went on sale at a Tweed retail store in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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Cannabis is seen under a magnifying glass after legal recreational marijuana went on sale at a Tweed retail store in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton hands Ian Power, who is first in line to purchase the first legal recreational marijuana after midnight, his purchases at a Tweed retail store in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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A customer looks at cannabis on display after legal recreational marijuana went on sale at a Tweed retail store in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton hands Ian Power, who is first in line to purchase the first legal recreational marijuana after midnight, his purchases at a Tweed retail store in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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Canopy Growth CEO Bruce Linton poses for a photo with Ian Power and Nikki Rose, who were first in line to purchase the first legal recreational marijuana after midnight, at a Tweed retail store in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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A customer holding a cannabis product gestures while leaving the Natural Vibe store after legal recreational marijuana went on sale in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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A man looks at a sign outside the Natural Vibe store after legal recreational marijuana went on sale in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
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A sign is pictured outside the Tweed retail store after legal recreational marijuana went on sale in St Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
