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“People are looking to me for help, but I can’t help them,” he said.

Last week, an official with AGLC provided a list of average wholesale prices per gram it’ll be charging retailers, including $8.95 for dried flower, $4.95 for milled flower, $9.11 per pre-rolled joint and $9.65 per oil capsule.

To turn a profit, retailers would have to increase that price to customers, while at least one online black market website sells flower by the ounce at a cost that breaks down to about $6.50 a gram.

A customer price typically quoted by soon-to-be-retailers is $10 for a gram of dried bud.

“Nine out of 10 retailers haven’t looked at these (AGLC) prices and, if they had, they wouldn’t have gotten into it,” said the businessman.

An AGLC fact sheet states the commission, which acts as a wholesaler, won’t be profitable from the cannabis trade for two years and that the same could apply for many retailers.

“The Government of Alberta has acknowledged that cannabis net operating incomes will be negative for at least the first two years of operation due to the initial expense of setting up this new business,” it states.

“Future cannabis retailers will have to make their own determination if their operations will be profitable.”

The would-be retailer also said private stores will be competing with the AGLC’s online cannabis sales.

Another prospective Calgary cannabis retailer said he’s not so concerned about the price structure, adding there’ll be some leeway for stores to appeal to customers.