Starting from February 1, 2026, nearly half of the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) stores will offer extended evening hours on weekends. A total of 53 stores will now close at 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays, while maintaining their regular closing time of 9 p.m. on weekdays.
This decision, revealed on Monday, comes after a successful pilot project initiated by SQDC in recent months. The company had initially explored the idea of extending operating hours for around 20 stores back in July.
Jean-François Dulac-Lemelin, senior vice president of customer experience at SQDC, stated that the objective behind this move is to combat the illicit market during peak demand hours when illegal sellers are most active.
The pilot project coincided with the passing of Bill 85, which brought about changes in the regulations governing admission periods in commercial establishments.
Observations from the experiment showed a noticeable surge in foot traffic during the later hours of operation, solidifying the case for adjusting store hours.
In response to the positive feedback, SQDC has decided to extend the opening hours of approximately half of its stores, based on market analysis findings.
Furthermore, effective February onwards, certain stores with higher footfall will have their operating hours aligned with nearby businesses.
Currently running 108 branches, SQDC aims to unveil two more stores by the end of March, with the opening of one in Amos scheduled for the upcoming Tuesday.
