Cannabis Retail Dilemma Solved

"Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis [AGLC] is deeply concerned about the rise of violent robberies at Alberta retail cannabis stores."

"We have been working with retailers and law enforcement partners to understand options and increase safety for the public, employees and responding police officers."

Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis statement

"Alberta is not the only province to see an uptick in cannabis store robberies in recent years."

"Because employee safety is a paramount concern for us we encourage other provinces, including Ontario, to do the right thing and follow Alberta's lead."

"Complying with this regulation meant that most licensed cannabis stores in the province have been forced to black out exterior windows, making them prime targets for criminal elements."

"Tuesday's news is a win for our employees' safety, and our ability to continue pushing back against illicit market operators."

Omar Khan, spokesperson, nationwide cannabis retailer High Tide Inc.

"Having that frosting up is dangerous for employees on the inside, as well as not contributing to the classic principle of 'eyes on the street' on the exterior as well."

"We're elated to hear that logic has won."

"The reason why these [regulations] were put into place as for the safety of children, but we're now talking about the physical safety of staff, patrons and the general public outside."

Alena Jenkins, owner, FivePoint Cannabis, Calgary

The windows at a Calgary cannabis store are cleaned on August 9, 2022 as the province will no longer force licensed cannabis stores to black out their windows. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia

 

Last summer, youth began swarming Calgary pharmacies and cannabis shops to make off with weed and over-the-counter codeine cough syrup. In the process they assaulted staff at these establishments. In Toronto, police arrested three men -- Bryan Sabino De La Cruz, 29, Edwin Ramirez Mercedes, 25, and Enricko Charles0Woodley, 24, for their participation in a string of cannabis store break-ins in a north-west communities of Toronto back in March. All three now face about 50 burglary-related charges.

In Ontario, recreational cannabis stores are supervised by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), supervised in turn by the provincial Ministry of the Attorney General. About 41 percent of Canada's legal recreational cannabis sales take place in Ontario, followed by Alberta with 17 percent, Quebec with 14 percent and British Columbia with 14 percent.

Across Canada, licensed cannabis retailers have been aware of the potential problems inherent in the requirement that to protect the tender aspirational eyes of the under-aged element of society, the cautionary requirement to cover shop windows to ensure that no alluring cannabis products are placed in full frontal display to tempt the young to enter the ranks of recreational cannabis users has had unforeseen consequences.

Opaque window coverings, however, have led to break-ins; violent intrusions by the criminal-minded are shielded from public view, in a reversal of the purported need to keep shop interiors and the products sold there from outside view. Now, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis regulatory body for the province has finally taken steps to help stop an epidemic of burglaries and violent cannabis store robberies.

A memo was issued by the AGLC to retailers, striking down the regulations requiring stores to cover windows so that henceforth store interiors will be visible from outside. The original purpose of preventing minors from viewing legally available cannabis and paraphernalia may have been well-intentioned, but further down the road stores complying with regulations for opaque windows became targets for criminals.

The regulatory body cautioned retailers not to take advantage of the open visibility by using storefronts to showcase wares in outward-facing promotional displays. Federal rules on promoting cannabis to minors were to remain subject to enforcement. The success for Alberta retailers of having the regulation repealed has given hope to other provincial cannabis retailers that their provincial regulatory bodies will also see their way clear to removing the covered-window regulation and for the same reason that it was deemed necessary for Alberta.

It was the Alberta Cannabis Council, an advocacy group for the licensed retailers of the province having drafted a letter to AGLC urging a reversal on frosted windows to combat the increase in crime. The rise in retail robberies was causing shop owners concern over the safety of employees. 

"We already took off our door wrapping over two years ago, for exactly that reason."

"We were actually the first in Calgary to take off our wrappings. I felt that my right to protect my staff superseded [Alberta’s rules]. So we’re really excited to take off the rest of the wrappings, now."

"We have a lot more checks and balances in terms of our security than a good portion of other businesses."

"We’re really just a retail store with a lot of security precautions, so it’s nice to get rid of this unsafe rule."

Alena Jenkins, owner FivePoint Cannabis, Calgary

Zagas Cannabis Shop storefront (Photo by Dione Wearmouth, MyPGNow.com)