A sneak peek inside the Ontario Cannabis Store website

It’s the final countdown until the legalization of marijuana across Canada and to show off their preparedness, the provincial government gave the media a sneak peek at the official Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) website where weed will be sold starting Oct. 17.

When the website goes live at 12:01 a.m., customers will first see a simple black and white front page that asks for your age. Once the customer proves they are 19 years of age or older, the main page will appear with the following four options:

Cannabis: Where customers can filter their search using categories such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) percentage, CBD (cannabidiol) taste, plant types and price (taxes included).

Accessories: Products customers will need to consume cannabis such as vapour, papers and pipes.

Learn: This page takes the customers to long format editorial content on cannabis, such as “How Cannabis Works,” “Facts about Cannabis Consumption”, “How to Choose Cannabis Products” and “What’s Legal?”

FAQ: Where customers will find simple answers to popular cannabis-oriented questions, as well as health and safety information.

The website will be viewable on mobile but only through a browser — the government has not announced plans for an OSC app.

For a complete look at the website, see the photo gallery below.

According to the province, the website will have 70 types of marijuana available for purchase at launch. That number will soon expand to 150 types.

The OSC website will only take Visa or Mastercard on the day of launch and the website won’t require an account or password to make a purchase. The province says it will be a single guest purchase every time.

It will take between one to three days for cannabis purchased through the OCS website to be delivered through Canada Post.

There will be no restrictions on delivery addresses, however, identification proving proof of age must be shown at the time of delivery. If the customer isn’t home, a delivery slip will be left behind and the customer will have to pick it up at the nearest Canada Post location. But if someone else of legal age is at home, they can sign for the delivery after providing proper ID.

Cannabis available for purchase at the OCS comes in four categories;

• Dried
• Pre rolled (rolled by licensed producers – the companies that grow the marijuana)
• Oils
• Casuals (pills)

But what if you buy some marijuana and then have regrets? Good news! The OCS will have a return policy. Unopened product can be returned to the OCS for a refund up to 14 days after purchase.

Keeping with federal laws, customers will only be able to order 30 grams at a time.

However, there are no restrictions on opening another window and ordering another 30 grams.

There has been no word what the price of marijuana will be sold for through the OCS website but the province says some products will be competitive with the black market while others will be higher quality and a higher price. A $5 delivery charge will also be added to each order.

Should there be a Canada Post strike, the province says it has contingency plans.

Premier Doug Ford says he plans to privatize the sale of cannabis across Ontario but those stores won’t open until 2019.