One of Manitoba’s big suppliers of legal pot is facing a fork in the road thanks to the ongoing Canada Post strike.
Delta 9 has been delivering pot to those outside of Winnipeg using Canada Post.
“For our rural communities, there are no other delivery options,” said Lisa Peterson, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ Winnipeg branch.
“We are it. We are the service.”
And with uncertainty around the rotating strikes, Delta 9 is left searching for a solution.
“Definitely, it’s a concern. We do want to provide for everyone in Manitoba, and a big part of that right now for us is Canada Post,” said Chad LaPointe, Delta 9 store manager.
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“That’s why we’re in talks with other providers to get something in the works.”
But getting other couriers on board could be a bit of a process, as those companies would need approval from Health Canada, and Delta 9 said that could take some time.
“We’re not sending toaster ovens; we’re sending cannabis,” said Delta 9 director of communications Gary Symons. “Anything we do has to get approved by Health Canada.”
In its first week of sales, Delta 9 received 1,583 online orders, 961 of which (60.7 per cent) were sent by Canada Post.
“If there was a ‘Cannabis Post,’ then we’d be good to go,” Symons said.
Peterson said cannabis delays are certainly a possibility if the workers picket for a longer period of time.
“We are hearing about those companies that are facing shortages, and once they get their product that could mean a backlog,” Peterson said.
The rotating strikes can last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, but Peterson said they could get word from the national union to do more down the road, and if negotiations don’t go well, there could be a full strike across the country.
Delta 9 stores are scheduled to open in Brandon and Thompson in the next few weeks. But for now, the hunt continues for another way to ship recreational cannabis outside of Winnipeg.
“There’s a lot of people who want to have access to this product, and we want to be there for them,” LaPointe said.
WATCH: Delta 9 seeking alternative to Canada Post delivery during strike
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