Marijuana growers in B.C. are blazing a new path when it comes to Christmas gifts this year, by putting a twist on the traditional advent calendar.
Daniel Mongeau and three others operate out of Metchosin and have a permit to grow medicinal marijuana.
This year they’ve decided to sell a new product dedicated to the holiday season.
Rather than a daily dose of chocolate, the Cannabis Christmas Calendar offers a different strain of pot each day with the most potent one saved for Dec. 25.
The advent calendar sells for $135 for half a gram per day or $260 for a full gram.
Mongeau says they’ve already sold 500 calendars to dispensaries and online.
“Hopefully you’ll see this in Walmart next year and grocery stores,” he said.
The island business isn’t the only one in the province that’s selling the specialized products.
Coast to Coast Medicinals in Vancouver says it’s received more than 100 pre-orders online.
The festive calendars are catching on, but some experts are concerned the packaging is too appealing to kids.
“I think it’s a limited business plan, in terms of how long before they shut it down,” said University of Victoria professor Mark Colgate. “But I think it will be extremely popular. It’s packaged beautifully, it has a high novelty value.”
Experts say strict rules regarding branding and packaging will be put in place when pot laws change next year.
“The packaging will be very tightly regulated by the federal government,” said Mike Farnworth, B.C.’s solicitor general.
The calendars are also illegal, but Victoria police say they have limited resources to keep track of them.
“These resources are focused on the fentanyl crisis and on the drugs that are killing people here every day,” VicPD said in a statement.
As for Mongeau, he insists the product is safe.
“It’s not really aimed towards kids, it’s in child-proof packaging and to get the product you have to have proof that you’re of an age to get the product,” Mongeau said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Rob Buffam
