Article content

Desperate times call for desperate measures in Canada’s supply-constrained pot industry.

National Access Cannabis Corp., the country’s largest private marijuana retailer with 17 stores, has a team of five people watching 24/7 for new inventory from Alberta’s provincial regulator, which controls wholesale pot distribution.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Canada’s cannabis shortage is so severe retailers watch 24/7 for chance to scoop up fresh supply Back to video

“At 3:30 in the morning all of a sudden $4,000 worth of inventory is made available yet in seven minutes it’s drawn down, meaning that other big competitors are doing the same thing,” Mark Goliger, chief executive officer of Ottawa-based NAC, said in a phone interview Friday.

It’s evidence of the severity of the supply shortages that have plagued Canadian cannabis retailers since legalization on Oct. 17. Quebec’s government-controlled retailer has restricted its operating hours to four days a week, while Alberta has temporarily halted the issuance of new retail licenses due to lack of product.