With about a week away before legalized cannabis hits the streets, Yellownife's sole distributor of the drug says he will be ready.
Ed Eggenberger, owner of the two stores supplying liquor in Yellowknife, confirmed this week that a contract with the GNWT has been signed to allow him to sell cannabis.
“We signed last week and we just came to an agreement that we will sell it here,” Eggenberger said at the uptown Liquor Shop Tuesday.
This means that the downtown Liquor Store will not be providing cannabis.
For several months, Eggenberger has been preparing a physical restructuring of his store to allow for a separate entrance and section to sell cannabis. He is uncertain at this point if the actual store will be finished as new flooring, vestibule doors and handicap door openers are still in the process of being completed.
A business license for the store is yet to be given by the city, but this is expected to be done on the day of legalization. Last month, the city said it could not provide a business license for any new establishment selling illegal products, so it would have to wait until the product was legal.
“I'm not sure if the store will be ready (for Oct. 17), but we will sell it one way or another,” he said. “It will either be sold in this store (Liquor Shop) or in that one (the cannabis store).
“I would like it to be, but if it is not, it will be no big deal.”
The drug supply has not been provided by the GNWT at this time and Eggenberger has not been made aware of what companies will provide the drug. He is also uncertain of how much product will be available.
“We expect product to show up here within the next week, which it has to,” he said.
He does have paraphernalia in stock, however, such as papers, pipes, bongs and grinders, that customers will be able to buy on Oct. 17.
Eggenberger said he is expecting to hire an additional six new workers between full-time and part-time for the cannabis portion of the store and that he is looking forward to support from the GNWT on helping to provide specialty training for this purpose.
“The GNWT was going to provide training for us, but that hasn't happened yet,” he said. “It is coming.”