Prince Edward Island to reopen cannabis stores with restrictions

Licensed recreational cannabis stores in Prince Edward Island will reopen on May 22 “with limited access,” the government-operated marijuana retailer announced.

All four PEI Cannabis stores on the island were closed on short notice in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, although online sales continued.

The reopened stores will feature public health measures, including:

  • Restricting the number of customers inside each store.
  • Security outside stores to ensure customers line up in accordance with social-distancing rules.
  • Floor markings to encourage social distancing inside stores.
  • A “general screening” at store reception areas “to ensure compliance with self-isolation requirements.”
  • Encouraging “touch-free” shopping in stores and promoting online orders.
  • Temporarily eliminating cash payments and product returns.

However, PEI Cannabis said any shoppers wearing face coverings will be required to remove the mask upon entering a store.

The retailer is also reinstating delivery fees for online orders that are less than 100 Canadian dollars ($72). Those fees were temporarily waived while stores were closed.

Bricks-and-mortar cannabis stores in most Canadian provinces have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic, although some provinces have restricted sales to online-only.

Earlier this week, cannabis stores in Ontario were allowed to open to customers under certain conditions.

For more of Marijuana Business Daily’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the cannabis industry, click here.