Quebec, Canada: People Get Vaccinated to Buy Weed and Booze
A new rule in the Canadian province of Quebec requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination for anyone who wants to purchase beer, liquor, or cannabis. The very first day after the announcement, people started to queue up in record numbers to get the first shot of the vaccine against COVID.
Both the spirits and the weed can only be purchased in Quebec in state-run retail chains, and the adult use of cannabis has been legal here since the passing of Canada’s Cannabis Act in 2018.
Appointments Quadrupled
According to Christian Dubé, Quebec Minister of Health, the number of people who wanted to receive their first shot was only 1,500 on the day of the announcement but skyrocketed to 6,000 on the following day.
The new rule that restricts access to Canada’s two most popular “drugs” of choice will go into effect on January 18. All stores in Quebec that sell alcohol and marijuana are controlled by the state, and residents cannot legally purchase them elsewhere.
A New COVID Spike Despite Strong Vaccination
Although Quebec lags behind four other Canadian provinces in vaccination rates, they are still higher than in any of the US states. As many as 78 percent of residents have been fully vaccinated so far, with only some categories of adults as well as children under 13 exempt from the requirement.
Despite strong levels of vaccination, the recent spread of the omicron variant has led to spikes in both new cases and hospitalizations. The seven-day average is now around 40,000 new cases, up from 3,000 a month ago. The authorities try to curb the spread of the disease by a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m curfew. They also require proof of vaccination from people going to hospitals, movie theaters, bars, clubs, and sports venues.
