Alberta pot shops now allowed to take down window coverings after robberies
Alberta's cannabis regulator will allow pot shops to take down window coverings after a spate of robberies.
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) says it has removed portions of its retail cannabis store handbook that prohibit pot products from being visible from the exterior of shops.
In a letter sent to retailers today, the AGLC says the move was prompted by a "significant rise" in robberies at licensed pot retailers in recent months, in particular in the city of Calgary.
It says use of violence and weapons has occurred in some of the robberies and the AGLC was concerned for the safety of staff, customers and responding police officers.
The letter says its new policy ensures it is not inadvertently contributing to stores being targeted due to a lack of visibility and warned shops against using the change to replace window coverings with outward-facing promotions.
High Tide Inc., which owns pot shop chain Canna Cabana, says it welcomes the policy change.
"Complying with this regulation meant that most licensed cannabis stores in the province have been forced to black out exterior window’s making them prime targets for criminal elements," said senior vice president of corporate and public affairs Omar Khan.
"Today’s news is a win for our employees safety, and our ability to continue pushing back against illicit market operators.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.