The price of cannabis in Saskatchewan is ridiculous and won’t last, says Jeffrey Lundstrom, owner of Skunk Funk Smoker's Emporium.
“Greed … So the fundamentals of what happens when the government agency backed up by corporate (licensed producers) take over and want to control the marketplace.”
Saskatchewan has the most expensive cannabis of all the provinces, at $13 to $19 per gram.
The lowest price can be found in Quebec, starting at $5.25 per gram.
One consumer who spoke to CTV News didn’t mind a happy middle, but lamented a price double the black market. Another was willing to pay any price to ensure to cannabis was safe to consume.
In Saskatchewan it’s up to retailers to find their product and set market prices. Consumers pay provincial sales tax, federal sales tax and a 6.5 per cent federal excise tax on cannabis.
“I guess that’s something to monitor, whether the government takes more or less and the effect on the black market,” said Gene Makowsky, the minister responsible for SLGA.
Elsewhere in Canada, most pot shops get their product from government-run stores, making it cheaper.
Ashley Kilback, communications manager in the Regina-area shop Eden, said customers’ number one complaint has been price.
“Unfortunately we’re just in a position where we’re here kind of as the suppliers … right across the country I know people are really strapped for supply.”
Retailers hope prices will start to lower as the industry relaxes.
Policy analyst Rosalie Wyonch with C.D. Howe Institute says price and convenience are two factors that will determine whether a person decides to buy pot legally or through the black market.
