While many people are still riding the high of being able to purchase pot legally, there were some concerns – specifically with over-packaging.
“It makes it look like we got a whole lot, but we didn't,” said Nicole MacIntyre. “It's just a huge box.”
A photo shared hundreds of times on social media Thursday showed how much waste is generated by a purchase at a Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation cannabis outlet.
“There's so much waste,” said Ryan Vincent.“There's so much plastic waste, which I don't think is needed.”
At the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, policy director Mark Butler says there's too much burden put on the consumer.
“When companies are developing a product, the environmental impact is the last thing they think about,” said Butler. “So, too often, we see this across a bunch of sectors; too much packaging and packaging that can't be easily recycled.”
The NSLC explains that regulations on how companies package cannabis products are set by Health Canada. When the product arrives here at the store, it's already sealed.
“It would be great for this green industry to be green, and to try to do it with very little environmental impact,” Butler said.
He says there needs to be incentives put in place for companies to minimize the packaging they're going to use. Meanwhile, some shoppers feel the excessive packaging makes it harder to access.
“It's safer too,” said one customer. “You take the pros and the cons, I guess.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
