Canadians were so excited about getting their hands on some legal, recreational marijuana the countryis reportedly experiencing a shortage.

Police were called to help shopsstruggling to handle long queues and with frustrated people unable to buycannabis.

Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief who has ledthe government’s legalisation programme, told public broadcaster CBC the country was unable to supply enough to meet demand.

“We expected, you know, certain strains might run out and there would be a bit of a run on supply,” he said.

“But, you know, they’ve got a pretty good infrastructure in place and I’m confident it will work.”

On WednesdayCanadabecamethe first industrialised nation and only the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to legalise recreational cannabis as part of a controversial experiment in drug policy.

Under the new law, citizenswill be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of cannabis in public and each household will be able to grow up to four marijuana plants. (NAN)