Medical marijuana dispensary to open in Winnipeg on Canada Day

Glenn Price says his medical marijuana dispensary will open to the public on July 1 and serve anyone with a prescription.

Winnipeg's first medical marijuana dispensary plans to open its doors on Main Street on July 1.

The owner says he actually plans to open two stores, but you’ll need a prescription to buy the medical marijuana.

Glenn Price runs the store which is called ‘Your Medical Marijuana Headquarters’.

"This is our lounge for members to come in and be able to relax and meet other medical cannabis users," said Price in a room in the back of the rented store front at 1404 Main Street.

"I hope this store will bring awareness that there is alternative medicine besides pills that the doctors are pushing constantly," he added.

One of his first customers will be Bill VanderGraaf, a medical marijuana user who  runs a private club where other medical users can smoke pot freely.

"This place helps provide medical marijuana users to get the product because the government hasn't been able to provide it sufficiently," said VanderGraaf.

Users need to be licensed and cleared by a physician.

As an added benefit for his customers, Price said he researched and found a doctor that issues prescriptions for cannabis at a clinic on Isabel.

"It took me a month of pounding the pavement to find a doctor, he said, “But I could go down Main Street five seconds from here and get a doctor to sign me any kind of opium if want, and I could go across the street and get it.”

Customers at Price's store will be issued a card identifying them as medical marijuana users.

Price anticipates opening the second location later this summer.