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Stefana Herman from the dispensary chain’s corporate department said the price of everything but dried cannabis had been reduced by 10 to 50 per cent in order to clear out stock. They’ll be closing their four B.C. stores ahead of Oct. 17 and wait for provincial licences before reopening.

“The province has been pretty clear that staying open illegally … could impact your ability to get a provincial licence,” she said.

“We’re not taking that risk.”

Herman said it’s hard to predict how high sales will go in the coming days but said that right now, concentrates are going fast.

“People are stocking up, for sure,” she said. “But dried cannabis as well because under the new regime, you’re not going to be able to see what it looks like, so people are taking advantage of being able to see it and smell it while they can.”

Lindsay Bell, a manager at Buddha Barn Medical Cannabis on West 4th Avenue, said her shop sold out of concentrates on Wednesday.

Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG

“Honestly, we’re getting flooded with people who are just stocking up,” she said. “That’s what we’ve been telling people as well. We’ve been prepping people for months now for this.”

But customers are also snatching up dried cannabis, oils and whatever else they can get their hands on due to uncertainty about B.C.’s product levels and quality come legalization day, Bell said.

She said Buddha Barn was keeping enough product on hand to operate until Oct. 17, when they will decide whether to close temporarily in order to secure licences. The shop will continue to operate as a head shop, selling bongs, pipes and rolling papers to stay afloat while they wait, she said.