Edible cartel

So, edible cannabis products are finally available in Canada. First, they had to pass muster with Health Canada, which of course couldn't happen before they became legal on 17 October 2019. Because why bother getting the stuff checked out by the government BEFORE it becomes legal, right? So the first batch of certified product didn't arrive on store shelves until this past couple of weeks (in Alberta).

So, I should be able to head to any licensed cannabis store and get some? Nope. Only 'some' stores got any edibles at all. Needless to say, they sold out almost instantly.

OK, so I head to one of the stores that had product to check out what they normally carry. Darlene is interested in purely CBD in edibles form. I knew they would have none, I just wanted to see what they stock.

Well, unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. The Alberta Liquor Gaming Cannabis (AGLC) agency controls all product distribution in Alberta. They control what product goes to which stores and how much each store gets. But before you say, "Oh, that seems fair," there's more.

The AGLC also sell product themselves. On their own site. And oh yes, they have a lot more selection and quantity than you'll find in a physical store. Does that seem fair? Not to yours truly. That seems like a cartel.

"We decide who gets what. You get one. We get five. You get some. We get it all." That's messed up.