QC Bud: The Black Market's Last Stand ─ VICE

Quebec loves weed - the number of consumers here has been estimated as high as 1.2 million. But despite being home to ¼ of Canada’s cannabis users, the market here is way behind. Instead, 90% of the industry is controlled by the black market, with organized crime pulling the strings.

But with legalization around the corner, small and large businesses alike are gearing up to compete with criminal groups for Quebec’s lucrative weed industry - valued at around 2.5 billion dollars. Meanwhile, biker gangs like the Hells Angels are expanding and they’re not going to just hand over their share of the market.

This VICE doc explores what the complicated transition from a black to a legal cannabis market will look like in Quebec. We spend time with both illegal and legal players as they begin making big moves in the province - from former criminals who want to go legit, to licensed medical producers preparing to tap into the massive recreational market. And we look into whether Ottawa’s tactics to loosen the criminal stronghold on weed will succeed in Quebec.

WATCH NEXT: SMOKEABLES: How to Roll a Plumber's Joint: http://bit.ly/2hSUk8i

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