On Thursday, several pop-up recreational marijuana dispensaries are set to open in Montreal, in defiance of federal drug laws.
“Prince of Pot” Marc Emery—who served 4 years of a 5-year prison sentence for selling cannabis seeds—runs Cannabis Culture with his wife Jodie. The Canadian company operates dispensaries in 12 locations across British Colombia and Ontario.
Now, Cannabis Culture is making the bold move into Quebec, ahead of federal legislation expected to legalize marijuana in the next few months. How long the dispensaries will be permitted to operate in Montreal remains to be seen; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that he wants local police forces to continue to enforce current laws and criminally charge operators of illegal marijuana dispensaries.
Cannabis Culture plans to sell recreational marijuana to anyone over the age of 19 with a photo ID, Jodie Emery told CBC, saying: “All adults should have access to cannabis in an open manner.”
She said the dispensaries will serve as an example of what Canada’s legalization model should look like.
The Montreal locations will be operated by a franchisee, Emery said. Cannabis will be supplied by growers in British Columbia as well as local producers.
And if the Montreal police do end up raiding their locations, Emery said their policy is to reopen the very next day. Sounds like the very definition of a pop-up shop.
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