We came into Manitoba expecting to find illegal nicotine pouches everywhere, especially after what we had seen in Ontario. Instead, we kept hearing the same two words: sold out. Between Winnipeg and Brandon, we stopped at vape shops, convenience stores and gas stations, and again and again we were told they were waiting for more product.

It took me a minute to realize what we were actually seeing. A sold-out illicit product doesn’t mean there isn’t a market; it means demand is outpacing supply. We also quickly learned that people weren’t really asking for “nicotine pouches” — they were asking for “ZYNs.” Once we started looking around Winnipeg, we even began noticing discarded tins from products that aren’t legally available through the normal retail market.

Ontario showed us just how available the illicit products can be. Manitoba showed us the demand for them. We didn’t leave with the giant haul we expected, but we did leave with another example of why Canada’s current approach to nicotine pouches needs a serious rethink.

Watch our video recap from Manitoba to see what happened, and follow along as we keep heading west.