What you need to know about ordering pot online

Oct 16, 2018 | 3:50 PM

KAMLOOPS — The residents of Kamloops will have the option to buy legal, recreational pot starting tomorrow, but there’s still a way for people outside of the community to get their hands on some pot.

The provincial government has announced that British Columbians will be able to legally purchase recreational cannabis online starting tomorrow.

People 19 years of age and older can purchase regulated cannabis, regardless of where they live in the province. The Liquor Distribution Branch has entered into a contract with Canada Post for delivery of online cannabis orders.

The province says in a news release that keeping cannabis out of the hands of minors was a key consideration for the LDB when considering a third-party provider.

According to the release, Canada Post will undertake age-verification check if a customer appears to be under 25 years old. If that verification fails, the product will be returned to the LDB and the purchase price and taxes will be fully refunded.

Customers will pay a $10 shipping fee with ordering online, and orders will be shipped from the LDB’s distribution centre within 48 business hours of the order being placed.

The first BC Cannabis Store will open in Kamloops at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, Oct. 17, after city council granted the shop approval this afternoon.

The store is located in the Columbia Place Shopping Centre, and 24 cannabis consultants will be standing by to help customers. The store will feature roughly 85 dried-flower strains of cannabus, along with a selection of oils, capsules and pre-rolls approved by Health Canada.

The province expects more licenced cannabis retail stores to open in the coming months, as private retailers proceed through permit processes overseen by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. Private and public retailers will be allowed to sell dried cannabis, cannabis oils, capsules, and seeds that comply with federal requirements.

Accessories like rolling papers, pipes and bongs may also be sold there.

The BC Cannabis Stores website will be up and running tomorrow, and you can access it here.