NSLC to reinstate home delivery of cannabis after rural customers cut off

For the past four years, Nicholas Taylor has useda wheelchair to help him get around because of a debilitatingmedical condition.

Unable to stand for short periods of time, he can no longer work, live on his own or do some of thesimple things he used to enjoy.

"It's a lot that I've had to give up, being in this wheelchair. I used to just go for drives all the time," said Taylor during a video call from his mother's home in Cooks Brook, N.S., near Middle Musquodoboit.

His mother is now his primary caregiver.

Taylor, 38, said he usescannabis to help him manage his mood swings. He's been buying it online for as long as that option has been available in Nova Scotia.

"CBDjust helps when I'm having those really down times," he said. "It helps with the depression."

Until a month ago, Taylor could order CBDproducts through the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) and have itdelivered it to his mother's home.

But onNov. 5, the NSLC switched from Canada Post to a private courier company"to harmonize our home delivery program for both beverage alcohol and cannabis," according to the corporation's senior communications advisor, Terah McKinnon.

NSLC introduced the delivery of beer, wine and spirits in February 2022.

Last month's change meant home delivery was nolonger available to Taylor and everyone else in the same postal code. After CBCreported on the issue, Taylor said he heard from the corporation that his delivery will resume mid-January and he would receive a $25 gift card.

Most of provincecovered, says NSLC

In an email statement to CBC News prior to that decision, McKinnon noted the corporation was able to continue to deliver to 96.6 per cent of postal codes across Nova Scotia.

"This means that out of 29,104 postal codes across the province, we are able to service 28,121," wrote McKinnon.

Shecould not say how many customers werecut off from home delivery, butsaid146 postal codes have been used to purchase cannabis online that are not within the 28,121 postal codes the NSLC services.

McKinnon said the corporation does have a plan to service all postal codes by mid-January.

Karen Crocker, who lives on Long Island, just off Digby Neck, was in the same situation as Taylor. Like him, she learned of the change when she tried to place an order for her cannabis last month.

She also used it to help her cope with a medical condition.

"When people in my area attempt to get products, we are told we need to go to the nearest NSLC," Crockerwrote in an email to CBC News.

For Crocker, that meant travelling almost two hours toeither Yarmouth or Annapolis Royal.

Some products only sold online

Crocker said many of the NSLC's cannabis products areonly available online andnot in-store, making them "totally unavailable" to people inparts of the province that are not serviced by home delivery.

"This is a totally unfair situation for those of us who rely on the online accessibility of NSLCcannabis," she wrote.

According to McKinnon, the corporation "anticipated that this change would affect a small number of customers."

She said the NSLC has "been tracking inquiries, informing our project team, and they are working on a resolution."

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