One of the lucky Canadians who bought marijuana on the first day of legalization at a cannabis store in Quebec City, Quebec.
/AFP
Day two of legal recreational cannabis in Canada on Thursday saw more long lineups outside pot stores and supply shortages in parts of the country.
Most consumers were exuberant about the end of prohibition, but a few expressed disappointment over not being able to buy cannabis on the first day.
Others balked at the relatively high prices– ranging from Can$5.25 (US$4.02) in Quebec to Can$18.99 in Saskatchewan per gram — compared to the black market that saw average prices plunge in the last year to Can$6.79 per gram.
After waiting seven hours in line at a store in downtown Montreal on Wednesday, Alexandre, 30, said he was turned away at closing at 9 p.m.
Police stepped in to disperse the crowd, without incident.
“It was hell, it was cold,” Alexandre said.
“But we had fun anyway, talking with people in the crowd and sharing joints.”
He was back early Thursday morning to try again.
“Yesterday was the day that everyone was waiting for but I think that little by little the queue will decrease,” he said.
Genevieve Despres, 41, was one of the lucky ones to make it inside the store on Wednesday.
She described the scene in line as “super friendly, we sang, we laughed, I made friends.”
“I do not usually smoke but since it was a historic day for Canada I thought I’d try,” she told AFP.
Despres smoked bought pot with a low level of THC, the psychoactive agent in cannabis.