The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation is starting to search for cannabis suppliers as it prepares for the legalization of recreational marijuana this summer.

The Nova Scotia government has appointed the NSLC as the retailer of recreational marijuana in the province.

The corporation says it wants to hear from licensed cannabis producers interested in becoming a vendor partner.

“In order to be ready for the summer launch date, we have a lot of work to do and it is going to happen quickly,” said the NSLC in a document posted on the Nova Scotia government’s tender website.

“For that reason, we wanted to reach out to the supplier community as soon as possible in the process.”

The NSLC says a more formal expression of interest process will begin next month.

The document also gives some insight into what kind of products will be sold in stores and online. It indicates that the NSLC expects to sell cannabis in five sub-categories:

Dried flowers

Pre-rolled

Clones and seeds

Oil extract

Accessories

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island have all set their legal age for marijuana at 19, but they are taking different approaches to selling it.

The New Brunswick government announced in the fall that a subsidiary of NB Liquor will operate 20 stores in 15 locations across the province when recreational cannabis is legalized.

P.E.I. will also sell marijuana at standalone outlets run separately by its liquor commission, while Nova Scotia has decided that pot will be sold alongside alcohol in some NSLC stores.

As for suppliers, New Brunswick has already signed deals with four companies: Nuuvera Inc., Organigram, Canopy Growth Corp., and Zenabis.

According to the Prince Edward Island government website, the province is entering into agreements with three companies: Canada’s Island Garden, OrganiGram, and Canopy Growth Corp.

With files from The Canadian Press