Conscious Cannabis
Its potential to affect positive change in 2020 and inspire a movement within the industry
Ontario’s Retail System How Ontario’s new licensing allocation regulations will impact online and black market sales
Licensing Challenges
At first glance, a licence application may seem straightforward and easy to compile however for the majority of applicants, this isn’t the case
Cannabis Prospect Magazine
PM #43596516
Your Seed-to-Sale Publication
Vol. 2, Issue 1, February 2020
THE SECURITY ISSUE
Table of Contents/
February 2020
EMPLOYEE LOYALTY
HUMAN CAPITAL
SECURITY UPDATE
MEDZ CANNABIS
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15
18
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Employers or clients focus on ways to attract and retain the very best talent to ensure a competitive edge. Like a good coach, leaders are always evaluating and assessing their teams. Candidates, on the other hand, are constantly looking to improve their skills in order to progress into higher positions of authority and compensation.
In early 2020 however, we have seen the beginning of a market correction and “right sizing” as many companies struggle to live up to their promises of financial performance. This affects many parts of the industry including the trends seen in managing human capital.
With so many strict regulations around cannabis security, cannabis retailers and cultivators need to make sure their video surveillance systems comply with their local provincial and municipal laws.
Medz Cannabis Inc. is uniquely positioned as being the only federally licensed producer allowed to legally grow cannabis within Toronto’s city limits. In this article Director of Operations Joe Goldfarb discusses the advantages and challenges of operating a large-scale cultivation facility within a large metropolitan area.
ON THE COVER REGULARS
16
Cannabis companies are embracing a new social consciousness when it comes affecting positive change in the New Year, while inspiring a movement in the process.
29
Ontario’s new licensing allocation regulations will impact online and black market sales as the new licensing allocation system will drastically reduce limitations and hurdles faced by cannabis retailers eager to expand throughout the province.
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4 6 8 24 33 34 38 46
From the Editor Events News Provincial Updates Appointments Product Showcase Retail Directory List of Advertisers
The preparation and submission of a federal cannabis licence application can be extremely gruelling and challenging. At first glance, a licence application may seem straightforward and easy to compile however for the majority of applicants, this isn’t the case. February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Editor’s Letter/
New Opportunities
It’s New Year’s Eve as I write this editor’s letter. To the reader this might seem odd given that this issue will be published sometime in mid-February at the earliest. My powers of clairvoyance notwithstanding, I thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase some of the changes that have now come into effect in January, and take a look back on the last several weeks in the hopes of gaining perspective on the Canadian cannabis industry as a whole. The biggest change, many would argue, would be the introduction of edibles and several derivative products such as beverages, topicals, nutraceuticals, etc. While the hype train showed no signs of slowing down, the end from the initial batch of two-month product reviews by Health Canada of related products is a breath of fresh air. For many industry professionals and stakeholders in the cannabis space hearing the relentless barrage of news stories (especially if you were working for a licenced producer in this fourth quarter) of this so-called “new wave” of products or “Cannabis 2.0”, as it had been infamously dubbed, was like beating a dead horse come the end of 2019. Not to say that there aren’t opportunities to be had for LPs and entrepreneurs alike. Although it should be noted that many provinces including Ontario, Quebec and Alberta held off on the retail of edibles and other products until mid-to-late January, while many provinces sold out many of their initial supply within the first week. With a New Year comes new regulations, one of the biggest being the raising of the legal age for recreational cannabis in the province of Quebec from 18 to 21. Ironically this makes Quebec the province with the strictest age regulations for recreational cannabis consumption, while maintaining the lowest drinking age in the country (at 18). Similarly, while laws limiting possession of cannabis are near identical across the country, at roughly 30 grams per person, Manitoba will fine consumers if they’re found in possession of cannabis that is not packaged, stamped and labelled in accordance with federal legalization. Most far-reaching of these new regulations came January 1st with the suspension or outright ban of cannabis vapourizers in certain jurisdictions. Citing a lack of research on the long-term health effects of vaping, many provinces 4
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
are suspending these sales, including Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia, until further health research is conducted. It should be noted that these “bans” are likely temporary since the chief concerns are more around the popularity of the synthetic flavours and scents of nicotine e-cigarettes rather than the natural flavours that come with vaping cannabis, especially amongst minors. At the retail level we’re going to see a venerable explosion of private brick-and-mortar cannabis retails stores, primarily in Ontario and Saskatchewan. While Ontario has scrapped its previous lottery system with the promise of 20 new stores opening each month beginning in April, Saskatchewan will begin its plan to move forward with a phased-in open market system for cannabis retail permits as well as accepting applications from communities with populations under 2,500 in April. Indeed the New Year promises to be a interesting one at that, with plenty of opportunities and challenges for anyone willing to chase them.
David Halpert
President / CEO, Straight Dope Media Inc. @cannabispromag
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Conferences & Events/ February 13 - 15, 2020 USA CBD Expo Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV http://usacbdexpo.com
TBD Canadian Cannabis Summit Calgary Downtown Marriott Hotel Calgary, AB http://cannabissummit.ca
April 23 - 25, 2020 O’ CannaBiz Conference & Expo The International Centre Toronto, ON http://ocannabiz.com/toronto
June 1 - 2, 2020 Benzinga Capital Conference Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel Toronto, ON https://www.benzinga.com/events/cannabis/toronto/
May 28 - 31, 2020 Lift & Co. Cannabis Expo Toronto Metro Convention Centre Toronto, ON http://liftexpo.ca/expotoronto
June 3 - 4, 2020 MJBizConNext Ernest N. Morial Convention Center New Orleans, LA http://mjbizconference.com/next
September 1 - 3, 2020 Grow-Up Conference & Expo Location TBD Niagara Falls, ON http://growupconference.com
To submit an event for inclusion in the Cannabis Prospect Magazine calendar, email media@cannabisproonline.com
Cannabis Prospect Magazine CANNABIS PROSPECT MAGAZINE VOL. 2, ISSUE 1 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For subscription services visit www.cannabisproonline.com or email david@cannabisproonline.com. For change of address, please include the old address and new address, along with an address label from a recent issue, if possible. If an address is not updated when the magazine is mailed, we are not responsible for delivery of your magazine. If the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we will suspend our subscription until a correct address is received. 6
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
EDITORIAL For editorial submission requests or article ideas please email media@cannabisproonline.com Cannabis Prospect Magazine assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in the magazine or in any advertisement. All materials contained are for educational purposes and intended for the legal marijuana business. Cannabis Prospect does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products contained within. ISSN 2562-1033. CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT AND SALES AGREEMENT NO. 43596516
Publisher and Editorial Director David Halpert Vice President, Marketing Director Cliff Persaud Cannabis Prospect Magazine is published six times a year by Straight Dope Media Inc., 44 Valleywoods Road, Unit 1802, Toronto Ontario M3A 2R6 Canada ADVERTISING For advertising rates or inquiries please email sales@cannabisproonline.com
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News/
Fire & Flower Achieves Milestone of 45 Cannabis Retail Stores Ahead of Projections
Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Fire & Flower Inc. announced that it has achieved the milestone of 45 open and operating cannabis retail stores. Fire & Flower has previously stated that the Company anticipated achieving the milestone of 45 retail cannabis stores by the end of its fiscal year, being February 1, 2020. The Company has achieved this milestone several weeks in advance of its previously stated goal and today has 46 open and operating stores across its retail network. The Company continues to focus on opening new retail stores across Alberta, where the AGLC continues to issue retail licences, and in the province of Ontario where open licensing has commenced. Fire & Flower is also closely monitoring regulatory environments and taking proactive steps in provinces across Canada to ensure early market entry when private retail opportunities emerge.
Media Central Corporation Inc. Executes Phase One of Property Integration
Media Central Corporation Inc. today began integrating content from Canncentral.com with NOW Magazine and nowtoronto.com its wholly owned properties. Cannabisoriented news and lifestyle editorial will be served across both publications to effectively introduce the NOW Magazine audience to Canncentral.com’s content and increase NOW Magazine’s existing cannabis coverage, while offering a seamless user experience for readers. “Integrating our cannabis publication Canncentral.com with nowtoronto.com’s over one million monthly unique visitors, allows us to recognize the scale around bundling advertising sales across digital platforms,” said Brian Kalish, CEO of Media Central. “We can minimize additional costs around editorial creation on the operational side which provides us with the marketing and editorial synergies we envisaged when making our acquisition of NOW Magazine. This is just a taste of what’s to come as we continue to build relevant digital publications and buy quality alternative properties.”
Akerna Announces Acquisition of Ample Organics
Akerna Corp., a cannabis compliance technology provider, and developer of the industry’s first seed-to-sale enterprise resource planning (ERP) software technology (MJ Platform®), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Canadian-based Ample Organics Inc. in a cash and stock transaction valued at up to $45 million (C$60 million). Akerna is acquiring Ample Organics for up to $45 million (C$60 million), consisting of $5.7 million (C$7.5 million) cash and $32.3 million (C$42.5 million) in Akerna stock payable on closing. Additional consideration of $7.6
8
million (C$10 million) in the form of a stockbased deferred consideration may be paid to Ample Organics shareholders if certain revenue targets are achieved by Ample Organics in the calendar year 2020.
H+K Releases New Cannabis Consumer Preference Study
Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), one of Canada’s leading public relations and public affairs firms, has released findings from its national survey of adult Canadians about behaviours and attitudes related to cannabis in Canada. This comes as a follow-up to an earlier study from May 2019 to see how the consumer climate has changed in this early stage of legalization, and what the landscape looks like heading into Cannabis 2.0. The survey took place in the first week of December, shortly in advance of when newly approved product formulations were expected to hit retail shelves. The study looked at four separate market segments from non-consumers to regular consumers. It provided detailed findings on how Canadian adults source, consume, and view their current cannabis products and looked at how these may have evolved in the last six months. New for this research is in-depth statistics on how Canadians view alternative cannabis consumption options and derivatives, including edibles, cannabisinfused beverages and topical products.
Valens Expands Exclusive Licence Agreement to Bring CannabisInfusion Technology to New International Markets
Valens GroWorks Corp., a cannabinoidbased product company with industry leading extraction, next generation cannabinoid delivery formats and an ISO 17025 accredited analytical lab, has entered an amended manufacturing and sales licence agreement with SōRSE Technology Corporation
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
(“SōRSE“) which grants Valens an exclusive licence for Canada, Europe, Australia and Mexico to use the proprietary SōRSE emulsion technology (“the Technology“) to produce, market, package, sell and distribute cannabisinfused products (the “Agreement“). The SōRSE emulsion technology transforms cannabis oil into water-soluble forms for use in beverages, edibles, topicals and other consumer products without the burden of cannabis taste, colour or smell. The technology allows these cannabis-infused products to maintain potency when heated, chilled or frozen and provides a number of other key advantages as well, including: (1) a faster observed onset time compared to other infused beverages and edibles, (2) a significant reduction of offset time, (3) an ability to use lower doses of cannabinoids due to the enhanced bioavailability provided by the technology, and (4) increased consistency and stability with some product formulations achieving more than one-year shelf stability with no evidence of separation. The agreement grants Valens an exclusive licence to use the technology in Canada, Europe, Australia and Mexico (except in respect of medical applications requiring clinical trials) during the initial five-year term, subject to certain performance milestones.
Delta 9 Update on Business to Business Activities Operations
Delta 9 Cannabis provided investors with an update on its business to business (“B2B”) activities including sales of its proprietary “Grow Pod” systems, sales of cannabis genetics, and licensing and consulting services. These value-added B2B offerings provide Delta 9 with a diversified revenue stream. During 2019, the Company invested in creating a stand-alone business unit for its B2B activities and has cultivated relationships across Canada. For the year ending December
Fluent Beverages Launches its First CBD-Infused Beverage Brand in Canada: Everie
Fluent Beverages unveiled Everie, the first non-alcohol CBD-infused beverage of its portfolio. Everie is a 98 per cent pure CBD-infused beverage with all-natural flavours. Manufactured in London, Ontario and backed by a leadership team with over 73 years of combined experience in beverages, Everie’s carefully crafted infusion – using CBD Isolate, a purified form of CBD – delivers 98 per cent pure CBD, with less than 0.05mg of THC per serving. Available in select Canadian provinces starting in December, Everie will be offered in ready-to-brew teas in a variety of custom blends. In early 2020, Everie sparkling beverages will become available. Whether teas or sparkling, each will contain 10 mg of CBD per serving. Everie teas will be available in 3 gram biodegradable tea bags, featuring three flavourful blends: Lavender Chamomile, Vanilla Rooibos, and Peach Ginger Green. Everie sparkling beverages will be available in a variety of fruit flavours, including Lemon-Lime, Mango-Passionfruit and Watermelon-Dragon Fruit.
31, 2019, Delta 9 received orders for 89 Grow Pods versus orders for six Grow Pods for the year ending December 31, 2018. These orders represented approximately $5.6 million in anticipated revenues from Grow Pod sales versus $0.24 million in the previous year.
Indiva Announces WhiteLabel Partnership With Dycar Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Indiva has entered into a financing and whitelabel manufacturing arrangement with Dycar. Under the terms of the letter agreement, Dycar will provide Indiva with initial non-dilutive financing of $3.1 million, and Indiva will manufacture and distribute certain Dycarbranded cannabis products from the Company’s licensed facility in London, Ontario. The financing will be repaid by the deduction of Indiva services in kind to Dycar. The letter agreement may be renewed at the option of Dycar for a minimum of two additional terms, resulting in up to $4.5 million of additional non-dilutive financing. Indiva anticipates that it will begin the production of Dycar branded products in Q1 2020.
Cresco Closes Acquisition of Origin House, Adding California Wholesale Distribution and Cultivation Operations
Cresco Labs Inc., one of the largest vertically integrated multistate cannabis operators in the US, announced that it has closed the previously announced acquisition of CannaRoyalty Corp. d/b/a Origin House by way of a plan of arrangement. With the closing of the Arrangement, Cresco has significantly increased its footprint and accelerated its entry into the California market. “This is a transformational deal for Cresco and represents the culmination of the better part of a year’s work for both the Cresco and Origin House teams,” said Charlie Bachtell, Cresco’s
CEO and Co-founder. “With the closing of this transaction, Cresco is in a position to accelerate its entry into one of the largest legal cannabis markets in the world, while adding valuable expertise in wholesale distribution and brand development, which we expect will drive significant value for all of our shareholders as we scale across the country in the coming years.” The acquisition of Origin House makes Cresco a leading wholesale distributor in California, selling into over 575 dispensaries, representing approximately 65% of California’s storefront dispensaries. Origin House’s Continuum distribution platform distributes 13 third party brands, including Kings Garden.
Ten Tokyo Smoke Licensee Retail Cannabis Stores to Open in Ontario in Early 2020
Tokyo Smoke, Canopy Growth Corporation’s cannabis retail brand, announced that it will be working with a total of 10 recently-announced Ontario retail licence holders to open new Tokyo Smoke branded retail cannabis stores across the province. “With 10 new stores set to open in the first half of this year, we are pleased with the momentum we’ve built and excited to bring the Tokyo Smoke experience to more Ontarians,” said Rade Kovacevic, President, Canopy Growth. “Increasing Tokyo Smoke’s presence across the province will expand access to high-quality cannabis products and education, continuing to migrate cannabis sales from the illicit to the regulated market.” Once licensed, this will bring the total number of Tokyo Smoke branded retail cannabis stores in Ontario to 12, joining Tokyo Smoke 333 Yonge at Dundas Square in Toronto, and Tokyo Smoke Oshawa.
Meta Growth Provides Update on Sale of Medical Cannabis Clinics Division
National Access Cannabis Corp., a publicly traded recreational cannabis retailer, announced the transaction originally announced on November 1, 2019 will not be proceeding, and that the agreement to sell META’s medical cannabis clinics division to Evergreen Pacific Insurance Corporation has been terminated. Meta Growth is a leader in secure, safe and responsible access to legal recreational cannabis in Canada. Through its Canada-wide network of Meta Cannabis Co.™, Meta Cannabis Supply Co.™ and NewLeaf Cannabis™ recreational cannabis retail stores, Meta Growth enables the public to gain knowledgeable access to Canada’s network of authorized Licensed Producers of cannabis. National Access Cannabis d/b/a Meta Growth is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol.
Correction In last month’s December issue the listing for Miracle Valley had the incorrect information as its listing in the LP Directory. Cannabis Prospect Magazine apologizes for the error.
Miracle Valley Medicinal Alternatives 14209 Stave Lake Road Mission BC V2V 0A5 Website: www.miraclevalley.ca Email: info@miraclevalley.ca Phone number: 877-325-0943
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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HR & Employee Retention/
Employee Loyalty Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in 2020 By James Smith, Partner, Executive Search, LHH Knightsbridge
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early every day, I meet top-tier candidates for C-level positions and CEOs of major organizations, and both have unique needs. Employers or clients focus on ways to attract and retain the very best talent to ensure a competitive edge. Like a good coach, leaders are always evaluating and assessing their teams. Candidates, on the other hand, are constantly looking to improve their skills in order to progress into higher positions of authority and compensation. Only 43% of employees believe their organizations are effective at providing the right opportunities and employers have begun recognizing the high level of employee discontent with internal growth opportunities. Therein lies the inherent conflict: employers wanting to retain talent and talented employees believing their opportunities for growth reside elsewhere. The daily conversations with candidates have given me insight into the area of loyalty. On one hand we read in the news that corporate revenues and profits are soaring, yet executives are challenged with reduced headcounts and ongoing cost cutting measures. Many are working 60+ hours a week and it is not uncommon for their schedules to include conference calls to Asia at night and Europe in the morning. Vacation days are lavishly extended but cannot be redeemed with the current workloads and expectations. If one does take a vacation, one can expect to spend inordinate time on email even when trying to unplug. I don’t hear anyone arguing about the excessive hours that people are working today, and I never hear about work life balance anymore. What I do hear is the scrutiny about expenses, the long flights in coach, excessive layovers to save money, meal expense limitations, pre-approvals for car services and parking receipt verification. Combine all of this with difficulties in getting new hires attractive salaries and existing star executives receiving nominal 2-3% salary increases and you begin to understand why loyalty has diminished. To counter this diminishing loyalty, companies are spending resources and energy on employee engagement studies, cliché team building exercises, extra perks like free food and gym memberships – but does this really build loyalty or drive executive performance? No question these things can help – but what really matters to A players is developing skills to become more effective, while perpet-
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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When I meet with candidates, I often get the same reaction as I help them articulate their unique story: “How do you do that?” or “I’ve never had anybody figure me out so quickly!” This is not a parlor trick. I use my strong intuition to help draw out their goals and aspirations, help them find their way, their true purpose, and what I like to call their “tribe”.
ually improving upon what they do. Research suggests that 86% of employees rank “learning” as their primary concern and the pattern I see is that once you stop learning, you immediately begin to look for an escape hatch or a new opportunity. When I meet with candidates, I often get the same reaction as I help them articulate their unique story: “How do you do that?” or “I’ve never had anybody figure me out so quickly!” This is not a parlor trick. I use my strong intuition to help draw out their goals and aspirations, help them find their way, their true purpose, and what I like to call their “tribe”. Everyone has something special and unique to offer, my expertise is getting them to realize what it is. Another popular tool companies are exploring to build loyalty and retention is employer branding. I recently discussed this issue with Stacy Parker who runs the Blu Ivy Group and specializes in employer branding via scores and trends on Glassdoor company reviews. But here’s what I find interesting and a little bit disturbing: go to the website of any company and look at their mission, their purpose, their vision and their values. Look at five companies and then cover up the brand or the company. What you’ll find is that they’re all virtually the same. Employer branding is important but if ongoing learning is the key to an executive’s heart, employers would be far better off trying to improve collaboration amongst various departments to encourage innovation, outside thinking and most importantly, consistent exposure to an entire executive team with differ-
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ent points of view. Currently only 17% of C-suite executives regularly collaborate on strategies with other departments. Clearly, we have a long way to go. So, what is working and what do candidates really want? I believe the way to build loyalty and attract game changers to your company who can impact your business starts at the top of the house. I’ve met some very interesting people over the past few months and while every CEO is focusing on transformation, only 8% have taken the full leap into an agile workplace environment. Ronnie Miller, the President at Roche is one of them. Roche Canada is leading the way in a transformative workplace approach that is being emulated in every market. Ronnie focuses on the strengths of his executives not their weaknesses. He embraces innovation and even celebrates failure. He’s onto something. If you want to understand his impact, all you need to do is look at all the Pharma executives around the globe who have thrived under his tutelage. Jeff Leger, the President at Shoppers Drug Mart is another standout. He is sharp and attune to trends and cycles beyond his core categories which includes retail, cosmetics, Pharma and grocery. Everyone knows that retail is tough right now, and most don’t realize that Shoppers is a franchise model that requires partnering with independent franchisees who work in collaboration with the head office. I recently attended a breakfast meeting where Jeff shared his vision and plans to evolve the business and I got a real sense of how he must conduct himself at his many Town Hall meetings across the country. He was articulate, funny, authentic and transpar-
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
ent – and more than a few cosmetic GM’s gave me the thumbs up after he was done. A few weeks later I sat down with Jeff and was pleased to hear how equally committed he is on the corporate side to helping his employees grow and continually learn. He even rotates executives into a variety of roles to ensure their full development with the goal of always having a stable of three leaders who could immediately replace him as his successor. The bottom line is that candidates want to continue to learn, grow and develop and that boils down to working for strong leaders who are willing to share their knowledge. I am finding that what really excites an A player on a new opportunity is usually the CEO and particularly those who focus on developing others and collaboration. My goal in meeting with leaders is to help identify their strengths and their story, just like I do with candidates. In executive search, this is an art that only comes from formerly being in the shoes of a CEO or top candidate. The goal is to be fully transparent and honest on both sides so that everyone wins. CEO’s need to embrace the idea of sharing their knowledge and helping these ambitious stars reach their heights. I am convinced that loyalty can improve. Everyone acknowledges that business is more demanding for talented executives than ever before. We need to recognize that learning is what is really driving employee loyalty in 2020. It’s what candidates want! James Smith is a Partner, Executive Search at LHH Knightsbridge
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Human Resources/
Human Capital Trends in
T
he Canadian cannabis industry has gone through a tremendous amount of growth in the past several years and established a legal market for adult-use cannabis. In early 2020 however, we have seen the beginning of a market correction and “right sizing” as many companies struggle to live up to their promises of financial performance. This affects many parts of the industry including the trends seen in managing human capital. Informed by the proprietary Cannabis At Work 2019 Cannabis Compensation Survey data, this article outlines predictions for human capital trends in 2020. The survey included data submissions from 23 Licenced Producers. 1. Layoffs Will Continue In late 2019 the industry started to see layoffs from major players like Hexo and CannTrust. We continued to get reports of layoffs early in the New Year from Zenabis and Sundial. Even ancillary players such as Leafly and Weedmaps are shedding people costs and reducing headcount as the market shifts. We expect to see consolidation throughout the year, which will result in operational redundancies and more layoffs.
2020
2. Hiring Also Continues The current market conditions are dynamic. Many companies will be forced to downsize and some will cease to exist altogether. However, there are still strong companies and growth categories within the sector. Look for hiring to continue in established licence holders with strong financials, companies focused on 2.0 products, contract manufacturing and retail. 3. Maturing Compensation Structures As cannabis companies have grown from small organizations to large publicly-traded companies internal compensation practices are transitioning from ad-hoc and discretionary to a greater level of sophistication. Many early-stage companies had an “equity for all” mentality and very generously issued stock options to employees at all levels of an organization. This approach was used by inexperienced management teams and as a strategy to recruit talent into start-up companies. Stock options are attractive when capital markets are strong but not retentive when stock prices decline. What we are seeing now is companies struggling to re-align compensation systems internally to align performance with
business strategy, and deploy practices that are fiscally prudent. Additionally, many cannabis companies are now undergoing the creation of pay-equity-compliant compensation practices to align with legislative requirements. 4. Quality Assurance Talent is Still Key Following licence suspensions and revocations in 2019, we have seen many companies voluntarily bolster their QA and compliance teams as a risk mitigation strategy. We are also seeing examples of Health Canada requiring licence holders to increase their QA capacity to ensure regulatory requirements are upheld. Quality Assurance talent will continue to be in demand in 2020. The cannabis industry will continue to be very dynamic in 2020. We will see a combination of downsizing, consolidation and growth. Companies will be faced with managing one of their largest operating costs - people. You can find more information on the Cannabis At Work Cannabis Compensation Survey at cannabisatwork.com. Alison McMahon is the founder and CEO of Cannabis At Work.
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Corporate Responsibility/
GETTING CONSCIOUS WITH CANNABIS By Trang Trinh
Considerations for people and the planet. It’s not only the right thing to do, it’s what our consumers demand.
C
onscious cannabis. Google the term and you’ll quickly discover it has a range of current interpretations — and from a variety of different sources. Take an organization like the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Canada’s most progressive private-sector union, which represents over 250,000 members at thousands of workplaces across the country. The UFCW claim “conscious cannabis” is about enabling wage-earners in the emerging cannabis industry to take charge of their important role as producers, distributors, salespeople and manufacturers; by which they mean putting cannabis workers first. Or, consider an event like the Conscious Cannabis Leadership Symposium, held last summer in Vancouver, and which brought thought-leaders across the industry together to contemplate new paradigms, practices, possibilities and partnerships within it. The brain trust behind this conference reckon “conscious cannabis” infers accessing creative flow, attuning awareness, centring joyful bliss, connecting open-heartedly, excavating the psyche, liberating repression, thinking outside-the-box, and more, in the name of social transformation. In other words, how cannabis companies and their workers help shape the cannabis movement itself. But at TREC Brands, the award-winning premium cannabis brand holding company I had the privilege of officially launching last year, we don’t seek to define the term “conscious cannabis”. For us, it’s a mindset. It means who we hire, as well as how we source our partners and cannabis. We are also conscious about the premium quality of our products and how we package it, particularly from a promotional standpoint. Lastly, it’s about how we give back to the communities we operate in via our cannabis companies. The unique model of conscious cannabis we put into service at TREC Brands is therefore built on three pillars: values, destigmatization and corporate social responsibility. These pillars are at the core of everything we do; the foundation of all that we’re trying to build. And guess what? They can be just as instrumental in developing your organization, too. VALUES They look great in a mission statement, but do you walk the talk? From bringing on investors to selecting partners and hiring, you need to put your values at the front of all business transactions to be a real leader.
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
In other words, you need to lead with them, while holding yourself and your team accountable to them. Indeed, your company’s values should effectively underpin every single decision it makes, and that you and your employees make on its behalf. TREC stands for trust, respect, equality and compassion. In our office, you will commonly hear, “Is that TREC of you?” Or, “You’re so TRECish!” We are upfront about our values in every new business interaction and hold one another accountable. To bring values to life, they need to: 1. 2. 3.
Be authentic and fit with your company objectives and strategy. Be part of everyday conversations and integrated into all aspects of the company. Be rewarded and promoted. People in your organization who embody the values deserve to be recognized.
DESTIGMATIZATION Even with cannabis now legal in Canada, some (if not most) users still face social stigma for consuming the plant. To help remove the ignominious characterization around cannabis use, you should strive to produce a positive experience for consumers of all experience levels. So, when building a cannabis company (or brand), consider the obstacles and negative connotations standing in your way. Then, start thinking about ways to break down those barriers. Create a sense of community. Be grounded in education. Speak to the illicit consumer with the intent of converting them to the legal market. These are barriers that we identified at TREC when building our brands. One of our brands was envisioned to provide consumers with a premium product that would inspire exclusive, one-of-a-kind experiences — all in the name of progressing culture in fashion, art and music, and in finding and creating great stories and memories. Another? To empower women to live a happier, healthier and more authentic existence through educational content, community-building activations and purposefully-designed products. And yet another? To eradicate the black market through curation and pricing more in tune with the everyday consumer. Change doesn’t happen overnight. Thanks to many years of misinformation and prohibition, there is a long way to go to stop the stigma,
Photo credit: Renata Kaveh
“Corporate Social Responsibility. For many companies it’s an afterthought; yet another box to tick. But setting business plans and strategies that align economic impact with social and environmental accountability can become the new normal.” however with every business, there are common ways to reduce stigma. TREC specifically applies these tactics: 1. 2. 3.
We talk openly about the issue at hand and share personal stories and anecdotes. We discover the facts and share our findings to help educate others. We focus on the positive benefits, but also don’t attempt to ignore the other side.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY For many companies, it’s an afterthought; yet another box to tick. But setting business plans and strategies that align economic impact with social and environmental accountability can become the “new normal”. No, it should become the “new normal”. Consumers don’t just choose brands with a purpose, they demand it. Likewise, it makes your employee’s jobs more fulfilling. In other words, try to put people — and the planet — over profits. The triple-bottom-line framework, which allows companies to evaluate their performance based on social, environmental and financial pillars, is actually all about this and all the available data supports its advantages. It’s why TREC Brands has pledged to give 10% of its profits back to the communities we operate in. That’s not an empty promise, either. In launching our new ‘10% for Good’ initiative, which calls upon other enterprises to join in to help build a positive legacy for cannabis and corporate social responsibility, we’ve put our money where our mouth is. The 10% for Good initiative works with Dress for Success Toronto, a local affiliate of an international not-for-profit organization that operates in over 156 cities in 30 countries. Its objective? To empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools.
The initiative also works with Evergreen, which engages Canadians in creating and sustaining healthy urban environments in schools, public spaces, housing and transit systems, as well as the communities themselves. Its objective? To create cities that are low carbon, inclusive to all and sustainable at their core. We also work with the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty, which originated in 2018 with a petition asking the government to issue blanket pardons to all individuals for the offence of simple possession of cannabis. Its objective? To be a leader in the fight for cannabis expungement and, more broadly, for equity and justice. And, finally, the 10% for Good Initiative works with HXOUSE, a Toronto-based think-centre that seeks to empower creative entrepreneurs through mentorship and communication. Its objective? To foster innovation and opportunity for these emerging types. My takeaways from creating this initiative? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Always be consistent. Always involve your customers and let them have a say. Always create and communicate key metrics, so that stakeholders can see results. Always partner with an organization, so you can make more of an impact beyond financial donations. Always spread the good word through social media.
At the end of the day, it is rare that all eyes are on Canada to lead an entire industry. It’s our collective opportunity to do it right the first time around and make an impact that will last for generations to come. Getting conscious with cannabis can be the gateway to both, if not the key. Trang Trinh is the CEO of TREC Brands.
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Safety & Security/
Facility Audits Provide Regulatory Structure
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By Theresa Espejo
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ith Canada legalizing adult access to both medical and recreational cannabis, its federal-to-provincial-to-municipal path to licensing approval brings with it a complex regulatory environment in which decisions at the federal and provincial/territorial level, as well as in municipalities, can occur simultaneously and sometimes inconsistently. As a new and emerging industry, the legal cannabis market has been identified as a cash cow with many looking to cash in as the rules of engagement, while numerous, are often ambiguous at best. As companies design their facilities and look to start their operations, choices are often made to meet the numerous application requirements as quickly as possible. Facilities can be repurposed from existing farm buildings and warehouses or out-of-business wineries with existing greenhouses. Key pieces of extraction equipment can be imported to Canada and reconfigured to meet processing needs. Modified systems are put into place and “new operations manuals” are developed, all in order to succeed. At the moment, there is very little precedent in how to build a successful operation, and in some cases there is virtually no experience or expertise as to what makes a successful cannabis business. As the legal cannabis market in Canada matures, standards and regulations will continue to shift. For an organization to succeed, it will need help navigating those regulations. These regulations, at all levels of government (federal, provincial/state and municipal), can be a tremendous chal-
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
lenge – starting with the application process all the way to receiving the start-up licences to operate in the legal cannabis industry. For many, it can be difficult just to know where to start. “The cannabis industry faces challenges in globalizing their business,” said Joseph Hosey, vice president and general manager for UL in Canada. “The cannabis supply chain is extremely integrated and will become more global as the industry evolves, creating new challenges. We’ve spoken with key players who are building premium brands and the safety and security of their operations is paramount.” UL, a global safety science organization, looks to provide clarity and expertise to the legal cannabis industry in understanding regulatory compliance while promoting safety, security and sustainability across the industry supply chain. In early 2018, UL brought together cannabis investors, regulators, supply chain contributors and industry stakeholders to develop the very first National Standard of Canada through the consensus process strictly regulated by Standards Council of Canada. Outside of the cannabis product itself, the primary concerns for a start-up business are the safety of the building, security of the premises and the equipment to be used for operations. These are all addressed in CAN/ ULC-S4400:2019, the Standard for Safety of Premises, Buildings and Equipment Utilized for the Cultivation, Production and Processing of Cannabis, published in March 2019. With this standard, a benchmark was established in order for all participants to engage in a level playing field, and for
The cannabis industry faces challenges in globalizing their business,” said Joseph Hosey, vice president and general manager for UL in Canada. “The cannabis supply chain is extremely integrated and will become more global as the industry evolves, creating new challenges. We’ve spoken with key players who are building premium brands and the safety and security of their operations is paramount.”
regulators to use standard metrics to evaluate the safety and security of not just the building and operations of a cannabis company, but the well-being of its employees and the community in which it is located. To complement this standardization approach, UL developed an audit service to further provide interested parties with a single resource to navigate every step of the complex regulatory requirements, with the goal of enabling safety and security compliance for a cannabis business. This facility audit service is targeted at operations that are looking to apply for any type of cannabis licence – federal, province or local municipality – and need help understanding how to comply with the required regulations. It’s important to note that obtaining a cannabis licence at the federal and/or provincial level does not necessarily mean that the “Open For Business” sign can be turned on. A cannabis business is still a business and therefore needs to understand and pay attention to not only the provincial and local requirements as they relate to cannabis but also general business regulations – from general safety concerns to codes(e.g., building, fire, electrical, etc.), to workplace health and safety. A facility audit aims to help businesses: • • •
Address knowledge gaps in the regulatory framework that may be inhibiting success Identify and address regulatory compliance risks that may exist at a cannabis facility Provide the general public with peace of mind that a local facilities’ conditions are safe
A strict regulatory framework is crucial to evolve the current cannabis market into an industry that is more responsible, effective and sustainable. Theresa Espejo is the Program Manager for Building and Life Safety Technologies with UL Canada.
SECURING YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH By Chris Jensen
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t’s been just 15 months since Canada legalized adult-use cannabis, triggering a massive influx of investment and launching an industry almost overnight. As growers, cannabis retailers and even the government continue to navigate the way forward, I expect to see an increased focus on regulatory compliance. The natural grace period many anticipated as the industry got up and running is coming to an end as the market progresses and further evolves. Health Canada, for example, has begun penalizing cannabis companies for regulatory violations, even going so far as to freeze sales and seize product from one Ontario company that was found to be a repeat offender. Many companies across the US are experiencing this same sort of crackdown. Many of these cases involve security violations, a complex and oftentimes misunderstood area of cannabis regulation. In both Canada and US states where adult-use cannabis is legal, physical security is required in order to obtain a cannabis licence. While many industry insiders are aware of this requirement, they may not be well versed in what it actually takes to design, install and properly maintain an IP video surveillance system. In Canada, video systems must be designed with very specific capabilities including day/night security cameras covering all areas of an operation, with no blind spots. Visual recordings must also be retained for a minimum of one year.
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Security/
In the US, requirements vary depending on the state, but typical video retention times range anywhere from 45 to 90 days; other specific requirements often exist around minimum camera resolution and frame rates. Not fully understanding these requirements, or purchasing a lower-quality, do-it-yourself (DIY) video surveillance system can come back to bite you. In a recent case in Oregon, for example, one retail dispensary was found to be in violation of the state’s marijuana laws because it failed to ensure its cameras were recording 24/7 and did not keep a surveillance equipment maintenance record on the premises. This particular business reached a settlement that included a 40-day licence suspension or $6,600 fine. There are several areas in particular that cultivators, producers and retailers should watch out for when it comes to cannabis security. What follows are three high-level recommendations to keep in mind. These are by no means the only security requirements for cannabis and I recommend reading your government’s regulations on physical security for the most complete information.
“In both Canada and US states where adultuse cannabis is legal, physical security is required in order to obtain a cannabis licence. While many industry insiders are aware of this requirement they may not be well versed in what it actually takes to design, install and properly maintain an IP video surveillance system.”
1. Ensure Your Cameras are Capturing Absolutely Everything Generally speaking, security cameras at a cannabis business must capture every square inch of the operation. In Canada in particular, full perimeter coverage is required. This is no small task, especially if you have a large property with a lot of square footage, and/or multiple floors and corridors. In truth, this requires a trained security systems integrator to survey your site and design and install a system with full coverage and no blind spots. A professional can recommend the right cameras (with housings appropriate for your climate) and the best location for installation. This doesn’t necessarily mean purchasing hundreds of cameras; one good, wellplaced 360° camera, for example, can do the work of four separate cameras by capturing panoramic views of a large room. 2. Make Sure Your NVR Can Retain Video for the Required Timeframe Your state, provincial or federal regulator spells out the amount of time you must keep surveillance recordings for so. Because there’s no room for error here, you’ll want to invest in a high-quality, commercial network video recorder (NVR) that’s designed to record video 24/7 and one that offers internal battery backups and hard drive mirroring for additional redundancy. Many commercial NVRs offer ample storage, but remember to do the math here. If you’re using a lot of high-resolution IP cameras, you can eat through your hard drive space pretty quickly. Factors like camera bit rate, video compression, frames per second, and scene complexity all affect storage, so I recommend consulting a security systems integrator and using a surveillance storage calculator to help determine the exact amount of bandwidth and storage you’ll need. It’s wise to also add a buffer here beyond the exact calculation. 3. Invest in System Monitoring and Maintenance A surveillance system is only good if it’s actually recording video, so it’s critical to invest in a good monitoring and maintenance program. A system that immediately alerts you to camera outages or hard drive failures is often required for compliance. For added peace of mind, I recommend exploring managed video services where, for a monthly fee, a trained professional will monitor your system to ensure it’s always operating optimally. Managed services can also involve troubleshooting and software as well as firmware updates so your system is always running smoothly. Additionally, it can help with security system audits, so you can easily see who has access to the system, and when they last logged in. As stated, these are only broad recommendations and the best way to ensure your business is in compliance is to read your government regulations and consult an expert in physical security. With so much on the line, using a professionally designed video system that fully complies with the law is worth every penny. Chris Jensen is the Cannabis Market Manager for March Networks, a provider of intelligent IP video surveillance and business intelligence solutions.”
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
Rechecking Your Employees
Is running a background check on your current employees a necessity or a nice-to-do?
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By Chuck Walker, Sr. Advisor, Global Compliance, Sterling Backcheck
rganizations are increasingly asking whether there is a need to require that their employees or volunteers be rechecked periodically. Subject to privacy considerations that must be applied, there are opportunities to enhance organizational integrity and due diligence through the implementation of a comprehensive approach to re-checks. Relative to the subject position or the sector, many organizations are recognizing that some aspects of a background check should be subject to review from time to time. For example, criminal record and judicial matters information can change and subsequently surface post-hire or placement. Furthermore, such changes will most likely be relevant. Whether or not re-checking occurs and how often it should be done, should be determined by organizations’ policy makers, legal counsel or insurance underwriters. When new or changing information is relevant to the subject position and is “know-able” it creates an opportunity for organizations to ensure added due diligence. Today’s Context Recently, the Province of Ontario introduced the Police Record Check Reform Act (PRCRA) into law. This legislation is foremost in Canada and leads the way in several respects:
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It defines three levels of checks: • Criminal Record Check (Level 1) • Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (Level 2) • Vulnerable Sector Check (Level 3) It lists the types of information sources to be searched in relation to each level. It controls and limits disclosure of information about applicants to requesting organizations to that which is relevant and appropriate It provides affected individuals (applicants) with right of review and a means to seek
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correction to their personal information before it is shared with a third party Importantly, it enables third party background screening companies to provide checking services to organizations in a manner that is wholly consistent with the goals of the legislation It is useful to use the Police Record Check Review Act as a framework for a discussion about re-checking as it pertains to Levels 1 and 2 respectively. We’ll discuss more about Level 3 later in this article.
Why Re-Checking? It’s simple: we re-check because things can change. To elaborate, a criminal record is a compilation of criminal convictions attributable to an individual through the submission of fingerprints. Contributors are the police services across the 2500 jurisdictions in Canada. Someone could be arrested or charged with a criminal offence anywhere in Canada at any time, triggering the submission of new conviction information to an existing criminal record or the establishment of a new criminal record for an individual where none existed previously. That someone could very well be your existing employee. Note that a criminal record as discovered by a “Level 1” check is not necessarily the same thing as having a criminal conviction. It is possible to have criminal convictions without having a criminal record. A search of Local Police Information is essential to discover the existence of – or changes to – Judicial Matters information. Such information includes: »» »» »»
Convictions that cannot be lawfully sent to the National Repository Convictions that police services have not sent/may never send to the National Repository Convictions that have been sent to the Na-
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tional Repository but are not yet available due to delays in uploading the information Charges that are pending and any associated bail conditions Arrest warrants that have been issued by the courts Terms of probation that are in effect that a court imposed Prohibition orders issued by a court (usually pertaining to driving or firearms convictions) Peace Bonds that are in effect (commonly referred to as restraining orders)
So now you’re potentially looking at additional information about your existing employee. What about the Vulnerable Sector Check? Since periodic re-checking for Level 1 and Level 2 may be appropriate, one might assume that the same applies for Level 3. In fact, the single distinguishing aspect of a Level 3 process is a search of the Pardoned Sex Offender Data Base; a data base that is static in nature with no new entrants added since 2012. Accordingly, if a Level 3 search is warranted, there is an approach that can be taken to limit its requirement to the initial determination respecting the individual in that position. Once established, a more effective “go forward” approach is possible. Recommendations As changes do occur after your employees have been with the organization for a while, re-checking is an important policy to consider implementing. And by now, you’ve probably noticed that Level 2 searches are where the most activity is likely to occur. Put simply, at some stage in the judicial process, all matters transit the scope of the Level 2 search, whereas the same information may not be reflected at Level 1 and, due to changes in law introduced in 2012, will not be reflected at Level 3, ever. If re-checking is something that your organization is considering, speak with us about how implementing a program utilizing Sterling Backchek’s EPIC service provides a comprehensive “Criminal Record and Judicial Matters” approach to continuous due diligence. Please contact Linda Ferens for more information on Sterling Backcheck at Linda.Ferens@sterlingcheck.com References: http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/police_serv/PoliceRecordsChecks/PS_records_checks.html http://www.sterlingtalentsolutions.ca/Blog/2016/October/A-Conviction-Is-Not-The-Same-as-a-Criminal-Record https://www.sterlingtalentsolutions.ca/blog/2016/04/rampant-misuse-of-vulnerable-sector-verifications-in-canada/ https://www.sterlingtalentsolutions.ca/solutions/vulnerable-sector-checks/
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Preparing for Cyberattacks in the Cannabis Industry By Ruth Promislow, Partner, Data Protection and Privacy, Bennett Jones LLP, Toronto
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ybersecurity represents one of the biggest business risks to cannabis organizations. While all companies face cyber risk, cannabis organizations are a particular target given the sensitivity (and therefore value) of personal information they collect. Cannabis organizations may be more susceptible to attack given the rapid pace at which they have emerged and grown and the time required to develop policies and protocols to address cyber risk. Additionally, given the nature of the cannabis market, confidential and commercially sensitive information may be subject to competitor espionage or sabotage. Risks include (but are not limited to) destruction and theft of data, ransomware demands, temporary shutdown of business operations, regulatory investigation and orders to implement specific measures, regulatory fines, class action litigation, shareholder litigation, breach of contract litigation, drop in share price and damage to reputation. In seeking to manage cyber risk, cannabis organizations may consider the following five points.1
1. Guidance Issued to Cannabis Organizations by Privacy Commissioners In 2018, both the federal and British Columbia Privacy Commissioners issued guidance documents outlining the particular privacy-related risks associated with cannabis organizations. The guidance documents focus on the sensitivity of the personal information collected by cannabis organizations, particularly given that “some countries may deny entry to individuals if they know they have purchased cannabis, even lawfully”.2 Further, the guidance documents outline the importance of limiting collection of personal information to only what is needed, and being proactive in implementing appropriate safeguards. 2. Risk Goes Beyond an Organization’s Four Walls Cannabis organizations routinely contract third parties to process or store personal information, or use third party applications to process/store personal information. A breach of the third party organization or third party application may expose the cannabis organization to disruption of operations, regulatory scrutiny and litigation risk. To manage this exposure, pay attention to the selection of third party providers and the terms of the third party agreements. According to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (Canada), the federal privacy legislation requires, at a minimum, a formal written arrangement with third parties, updated periodically, which generally includes details about: • what personal information is being handled by the third party; • what specific rules, regulations and standards need to be complied with in handling of the information;
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Cybersecurity/
“Cybersecurity represents one of the biggest business risks to cannabis organizations. While all companies face cyber risk, cannabis organizations are a particular target given the sensitivity (and therefore value) of personal information they collect.”
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roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders; information security obligations; acceptable uses of the information; retention and destruction obligations; and reporting and oversight arrangements to ensure compliance with these obligations.3
Additional terms to consider include whether the third party has insurance that would cover the risks arising from a data security incident, and whether the third party is obligated to indemnify the cannabis organization for specified losses. 3. In Order to Manage the Risk, an Organization Needs to Understand its Particular Risk Management of cybersecurity risks requires the investment of time and resources to identify risks that are particular to the organization. There is no one risk profile that can be applied on a generic basis. There are risks associated with an organization’s particular operations and more specifically with how the organization collects, stores, uses, transfers, discloses, and destroys personal or confidential information. Further, while an organization may have policies that set standards for how information is to be handled, the employees of the organization may not follow appropriate protocols in their day-to-day activity. Additionally, there is potential exposure for failing to manage an incident quickly and effectively. There is no time to lose in the face of a data breach. Organizations
should implement an incident response plan – which is a playbook on how the organization will react to various anticipated categories of incidents, including details of which representatives will be involved in management of the incident and their specified roles. The incident response plan should be tested on a regular basis with simulation of “code red” scenarios (also referred to as “tabletop exercises”). 4. IT is Only One Component of an Effective Risk Management Strategy A common misconception – particularly one by organizations that are growing at a rapid rate and focused on the stability of the business in a volatile market – is to focus solely on information technology (IT). Organizations mistakenly assume that cybersecurity is a matter of implementing the best IT. The best IT will not protect you from, among other things, human error (such as an employee clicking on a malicious link and downloading malware, or improper handling of sensitive information), compromise of email accounts due to insufficient password complexity, theft of physical records, a hostile insider, third party risks, or use of personal information beyond consent limitations. Federal and provincial privacy legislation requires that organizations implement physical and operational safeguards in addition to technological ones.
replacement for managing risk. Insurance does not protect against all risks which can be costly or even devastating to an organization, such as damage to reputation or decrease in share price. Next Steps: Implement a Risk Management Strategy Invest the resources upfront to manage cybersecurity risk. Seek the assistance of experts (legal and forensic) to assist in identifying the most pressing risks to your organization and the steps recommended to limit exposure from these risks. Update this risk assessment on a regular basis. As the landscape of cybersecurity risks evolves, so must your risk management strategy. Ruth Promislow is Partner, Data Protection and Privacy at Bennett Jones LLP, Toronto References: 1. This article does not constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek specific legal advice by contacting us (or your own legal counsel) in relation to your specific legal issues. 2. Protecting personal information: Cannabis transactions, December 2018, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada 3. PIPEDA Report of Findings, Equifax Inc. and Equifax Canada Co., April 9, 2019
5. Insurance is No Replacement for Management of Cyber Risks Insurance can be a critical component of a risk management strategy, but it is no
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Provincial Updates/
Ontario
On December 12, 2019, the Government of Ontario announced changes to the cannabis licensing regulations under the Cannabis Licence Act. Perhaps the most significant changes are those coming into force March 2, 2020, which will eliminate the cap on the number of private retail stores in Ontario. This will be achieved in phases where each authorized retailer will initially be permitted to operate a maximum of 10 cannabis stores, increasing to a maximum of 30 stores on September 1, 2020, and then to a maximum of 75 stores on September 1, 2021. Also, as mentioned above, Licensed Producers will no longer be prohibited from applying for an RSA for a store that is located on or within the site set out in the Licensed Producer’s licence issued by Health Canada. The AGCO will begin accepting ROL applications under the new rules on January 6, 2020, followed by RSA applications on March 2, 2020.
Manitoba
New rules come into effect Jan. 1 in Manitoba that will allow officers to ticket people caught with illicit cannabis, rather than charging them and sending them to provincial court. The changes to the province’s Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act will also make it illegal to possess cannabis that is not packaged, stamped and labeled in accordance with federal legislation, or to possess more than 30 grams of non-medical cannabis at a time in a public place, in Manitoba. Anyone caught could be fined up to $672.
Alberta
Alberta now joins Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador in suspending sales of vaping devices, the latest blow for the Canadian legal cannabis industry. British Columbia recently slapped an additional 20 per cent tax on vape product sales in the province. Not surprisingly, industry executives were disappointed Alberta would hold off on vape sales, notably in a province that holds the lion’s share of retail outlets at the onset of when these Cannabis 2.0 products would be available for sale.
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Quebec
The Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) will be launching a pilot project that offers next-day cannabis delivery. The pilot project, expected to last between six and nine months, would aim to deliver about 400 packages a week on the Island of Montreal. The initiative hopes to curb illegal resale sites as well as the Quebec black market. The project also comes on the heels of the province increasing the minimum age from 18 to 21 which came into effect January 1st.
Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) is called upon the provincial government to share a portion of cannabis excise tax revenues. At Convention 2019, SUMA members passed a resolution for SUMA to advocate the provincial government to immediately develop and implement a cannabis excise tax sharing agreement, in cooperation with SUMA and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. This came on the heels of Saskatchewan announcing the move to an open-market system for retail permits. Once in effect, there will be no longer caps on the number of dispensaries in any municipality, nor will the number of residents in a community dictate where dispensaries may be located. The province is currently receiving 75 per cent of cannabis excise tax revenues, instead of 50 per cent as originally anticipated.
British Columbia
The B.C. government has funded a pilot project aimed at helping veteran pot growers obtain licences to open legal operations. The B.C. government has invested $675,000 in the transition team that will help growers obtain recreational licences and start above-ground pot -based businesses. While many are authorized to grow medical marijuana, most growers are not making an attempt to get recreational permits because the regulations are cumbersome and expensive.
Prince Edward Island
Biome Grow Inc. announced that PEI Cannabis has approved the sale of cannabis products supplied by Biome’s wholly-owned Nova Scotia-based subsidiary, Highland Grow Inc. Biome continues to grow its commercial footprint since beginning commercial sales of cannabis in January 2019. Biome has plans to expand its commercial and production footprint to additional Canadian provinces in the months ahead.
Newfoundland & Labrador
The provincial government says it will not allow cannabis vape products in Newfoundland and Labrador to be introduced for now. The government said it wants more information and the results of any clinical evidence before it will consider allowing the products in the province. “There is a significant issue with vaping in our province. Given the health concerns already identified about cannabis vape products, not allowing the introduction of these products is a prudent measure to protect the health of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians,” said Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Health and Communities Services.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia announced it is planning to ban the sale of flavoured cannabis vaping products when they become available in Canada in 2020. The province says it is preparing regulations to ban the sale or products that “have a scent or flavour other than cannabis noticeable before or during use” and will prohibit “synthetic flavouring” or any packaging or labelling that mentions any flavour other than cannabis, which took effect ahead of a similar ban on flavoured tobacco vapes that will start on April 1.
New Brunswick
Cannabis NB will have a limited variety of new recreational adult-use cannabis products available in stores and online as part of the new phase of cannabis legalization in Canada. The available products will include a limited selection of gummies, chocolates, and vape products. Additional products like traditional concentrates (hash, shatter, wax, etc.), beverages, and topicals will become available later this winter, into the spring and summer. Existing supply partners include 7ACRES, Aphria, Aurora/Med, Releaf, Blissco, Canopy Growth/Tweed, FIGR, High Park, Highland Grow, Organigram, Tidal Health, UP Cannabis and Zenabis. New supply partners include ABcann Medicinals, Auxly/Dosecann, Canna Farms, Cronos/Peace Naturals, Emerald Health Therapeutics, Hexo/Truss, Sproutly/Toronto Herbal, Sundial and The Green Organic Dutchman.
Yukon / Northwest Territories / Nunavut The Trudeau government subsidized a private cannabis store with $100,000 of taxpayer money in Carmacks, Yukon, that only has one employee. The name of the pot shop is The Pot Hole and they operate under the business name Carmacks Hotel Ltd. The funding was received by Carmacks Hotel Ltd. on April 1, 2018, which was six weeks prior to the Carmack’s application for a retail license from the Yukon Liquor Corporation’s Cannabis Licensing Board. The license was approved on August 16, by the board, with the promise of creating a single job for Carmacks’ community. Carmacks has a population of 554. As of Dec. 17, Yukon’s online cannabis portal does not list Legalization 2.0 products, and none of the websites for the territory’s three authorized retailers mention the new offerings. / In Nunavut, consumers can only purchase online from Tweed or Agmedica. On its website, Tweed says that vapes, cartridges, chocolates, and beverages are available while Agmedica’s site has yet to mention them. / Similarly, the Northwest Territories’ online cannabis store currently has no information about Legalization 2.0 products.
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Medz Cannabis A Hidden Gem in the GTA Medz Cannabis Inc. is uniquely positioned as the only current federally licenced producer allowed to legally grow cannabis within Toronto’s city limits. In this article Joe Goldfarb and Alisa Davis discuss the advantages and challenges of operating a large-scale cultivation facility within a large metropolitan area.
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rive past the chain restaurants, hotels and Toronto Pearson Airport as planes take off overhead into the grey winter sky. The usual traffic whizzes by. Suburban housing, outlet stores and non-descript industrial parks abound. Off in the distance, a beautiful, white Hindu temple graces the horizon, and students ride the bus towards the new buildings at Humber College. This part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), nestled by the Humber river, has some interesting things going on and Medz Cannabis Inc. is one of them, a brand-new cannabis licence holder operating just off Highway 427 near Finch Ave. The idea of operating a cannabis facility in the GTA seems intriguing to most people who hear about us. Most companies operate their cultivation and processing facilities in small, rural towns. Is the ROI achievable in a big city with rising real estate prices? Is the zoning possible for cultivation facilities in the city? We’ve heard all kinds of questions about our location. There were certainly unique challenges that had to be overcome, but the advantages we enjoy make it worth all the work. Having a cannabis grow site located so close to the city can pose some security concerns. For example, unlike rural grow facilities, which are often located far from residences and public areas, urban cultivators need to be aware of risks like trespassing, walk-in visitors and local security issues from neighbouring businesses. The building’s purpose isn’t obvious from the street-it looks like it could be anything really. It used to be a shipping company with a sign on the front. We decided, as a security measure, not to put our company name or logo on the building as it eliminates curiosity. Of course, employee security is a priority as well. Staff feel safe in the modern building which is gated and under 24-hour surveillance. In fact, staffing has been an interesting challenge. For an evolving industry like ours, talent acquisition is key. Although cannabis companies and affiliate businesses are suited-up, hard at work in the city’s slick downtown office towers dealing with numbers, sales projections and marketing, where does that leave the green thumbs? There are top-quality horticultural programs in Ontario for tomorrow’s cannabis cultivators; however, most of these schools feed licence holders in rural areas. The eager-to-work graduates often search for jobs with the big names out there and don’t consider that full-scale indoor cannabis cultivation is even done in Toronto. Quite a bit of talent leaves the GTA for these programs and eventually seek employment in smaller towns. It’s been a real challenge to find a pool of skilled growers locally. The city is full of sales teams,
From left to right, Tony Trivisonno Chief Operating Officer, Trent Tran Head Grower, Sam Rizzo Cultivation Facilities Technician, John Leland Cultivation Facilities Technician, Alisa Davis General Assistant, Joe Goldfarb Head of Operations, Twila Jack Cultivation Facilities Assistant, Steven Tanner QAP, Luis Hoxha Master Grower
marketers, QA’s and the digital-savvy, but participants to bloom in and around urban shelf that many of today’s consumers are seed-to-harvest expertise is rare in the GTA city centres. unfortunately used to getting. Consumers outside of the legacy market. A new level of normalcy surrounding are sophisticated and want access to higher By looking at what the city has to of- the cannabis industry is growing. Communi- quality cannabis. As a result, Medz will be a fer rather than focus on the challenges it ty leaders and business associations realize great stop for the myriad of professionals in could pose, and leveraging the opportuni- that cannabis manufacturing, processing a wide variety of industries nearby as well ties unique to the GTA, Medz has positioned and distribution play a role in the scope of as for visitors who will notice it’s the closest itself to be a leader in urban cultivation. As urban development. The more that canna- cannabis store to Toronto’s Pearson Airport. mentioned previously, cultivation faciliOur team is made up of profes“Staffing has been an interesting ties in North America are mostly locatsionals who have been working in ed in rural areas or smaller towns a fair challenge. For an evolving industry and around the city in a wide range distance away from cities. This is adof industries: manufacturing, conlike ours, talent acquisition is key. vantageous when it comes to the price struction, pharmaceutical, cannabis of real estate and for building security, Although cannabis companies and cultivation, as well as training and but it can also be incredibly isolating. education, for decades. We know affiliate businesses are suitedBeing near the city makes logistical how to create opportunities here. sense. A facility tour with a client or a Really, with the right team, why up, hard at work in the city’s slick quick errand to pick up office supplies shouldn’t there be a cannabis cultidowntown office towers dealing is easy to plan at a moment’s notice. vator in North America’s 4th largest Driving downtown for a lunch meeting with numbers, sales projections and city? The city offers everything that and then being back on time to supera new business needs for success. vise destruction of plant material at 3 marketing, where does that leave the Urban cultivation projects are more p.m.? No problem. Deliveries from suppopular than ever. Whether they be green thumbs? pliers? Trucks unload at our building home gardens, community projects, and go back onto their routes quickly. bis is seen as an accepted part of the com- institutional initiatives, small commercial enWhile Medz is a few turns off a busy munity, the better it is for society at large. terprises, peri-urban agriculture or roof-top highway and doesn’t stand out from its With the Canadian government becoming growing, North Americans are planting and neighbours, the place is just out of the way less scrutinizing about granting licences and harvesting within the cities where they live enough to make it discrete. And, luckily in keeping up with public demand, cannabis (Ron Berezan, http://www.theurbanfarmer. for employees, there are bus stops in both businesses of all types will soon become a ca/urban-agriculture). Medz consists of seadirections right out front of our building, if common thread in the fabric of the Canadi- soned Canadian manufacturing industry needed. Industrial neighbourhoods are an an economy. leaders, top-notch management, a focused ideal location for urban cultivation operaIn kind, due to Ontario’s changing can- team and a lean, streamlined approach to tions. The real estate costs are competitive, nabis retail laws, Medz plans to open a retail growth that fits perfectly and efficiently in an considering the proximity to the city and the store on-site as soon as possible. Imagine urban city centre. benefits this offers. Community concerns driving up to the shop, knowing that the are minimal due to the long history of indus- products you are purchasing are local- Joe Goldfarb is the Director of Operations trial facilities in the area. We believe Medz ly-grown and extra fresh. This will not be the for Medz Cannabis Inc. Alisa Davis is the is part of a new trend encouraging sector months-old cannabis sitting on a warehouse General Assistant of Mez Cannabis Inc.
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Retailer Profile/
PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES By Harrison Stoker
I
Why Ontario’s Open Market for Cannabis Licences is the Hard-Earned Atonement Canada Needs
t’s mid-December 2018 and spirits are high in Ontario (about the only thing that was high there at the time) as local and national businesses get ready for the opportunity to apply for a—nay, many—recreational cannabis retail licences. The rest of course is history, and yes, you can use ‘history’ now knowing that the Canadian cannabis industry actually operates in dog years. The bumps and bruises that came from that proverbial rug being pulled out from under many ambitious retailers will last for years to come, but the tough get going and nobody ever said emerging markets were easy. At Donnelly Group, a collection of progressive hospitality concepts, we’ve learned this hard lesson before. If anything, we’re resilient and that ideal has never been challenged more than now in our development of Hobo Cannabis Company, a disruptive cannabis retailer. The Canadian cannabis industry got raked over the coals last year because Ontario messed up. No need to be polite here. Pair that with bullish visions of public market grandeur adding sad pages to this capitalist fuelled romance and the ending was always going to be heartbreak. They say third time’s a charm and we’d better all believe it. With Ontario moving to an open-market style licence allocation after two befuddled lotteries, this industry should have its phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes moment. What I mean by this is that consumers will be able to truly buy cannabis in Ontario. I’m not mincing words here, the two dozen cannabis stores in Ontario are not realistic—at least not their accessibility or economics. If you believe these unicorns keep their horns in a competitive market, turn the page, it’s tears for you. An adequately built-out retail network in Ontario, one that looks to case examples such as liquor to understand what accessibility means to consumers, is the hard-earned atonement Canadian cannabis needs. As Vancouver natives, we (Donnelly Group) set up shop in Ontario nearly five years ago with a fun little Toronto pub named Belfast Love. It worked out. We’ve opened a handful more pubs plus a couple barbershops and cocktail clubs in
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Interior of Hobo Cannabis Company’s Kitsilano Location
the meantime. Participating in the cannabis retail industry felt natural because we were 20 years experienced in service bartending (budtending, same same). At our core is the tenacity to align leases and licences, the agility to build lean and fast, and enough fortitude to remain genuinely passionate about serving others through thick and thin. As first movers we had an advantage over the competition by way of our experience, but it didn’t exclude us from the sticker shock on that fateful day in December as our many dozens of Ontario leases turned to liabilities. Fast forward a year and excitement once more is in the air. Ontario is open for business. Again. Tip one out for those we lost and applaud anyone (especially the independents) who figured out how to mitigate their exposure through the rigmarole. Spirits are high (amongst other things) and the opportunity for Canada to establish itself as a market leader is back on the table. Our littlest Hobo has been diligent in maintaining momentum through the Ontario throws by way of a few brand licence and service agreements with clever licensees who are aligned with our vision. Before the open market we’ll see three more Hobo locations open in Ontario to succeed our first store in Ottawa and four in British Columbia. As we fill out our BC operators’ quota (that’s eight) and springboard a robust expansion into Alberta, our group again returns to On-
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“The Canadian cannabis industry got raked over the coals last year because Ontario messed up. No need to be polite here. Pair that with bullish visions of public market grandeur adding sad pages to this capitalist fuelled romance and the ending was always going to be heartbreak.”
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
tario exalted, and with an ambitious growth plan already well under way. Coles Notes: we’re growing and fast. So what’s the trade secret you ask, well this isn’t a hard one. It is the customer. Do well by them. Our relentless, compassionate and creative focus on the customer is the first key to success in all of our businesses, hospitality and retail alike. Regulators, producers and retailers are all equally beholden to the customer. Anyone who campaigns for anything else has yet to get their hands dirty in the service industry and is likely headed for heartbreak. Then operate, and do it well. Operating income will be the hill on which all cannabis businesses live or die. It’s steep, dirty and full of pitfalls but if you’re agile, resolute and a little crazy, it’s a fun climb. Know your numbers and don’t ever lose sight of the value of a dollar. From there differentiate through brand and customer experience. You shouldn’t be in this game for a customer’s first sale, rather, her 100th. Lastly, have a purpose. At Hobo we say, “Our aim is to make the cannabis buying experience disarming, compassionate and human.” It’s not phoenix shaped by any means, but it does genuinely resonate with customers and that’s step one after all. Harrison Stoker is the Vice President Brand of Donnelly Group, owner and operater of Hobo Cannabis Company.
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Announcements & Appointments/
Budding Careers The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. appointed a new independent director, Jackie Poriadjian-Asch. A skilled corporate executive, Ms. Poriadjian-Asch will bring leading consumer-facing brand expertise to the Board. Most recently, she served as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer at ecobee, In 2016, ahead of Canada Goose’s IPO, Ms. Poriadjian-Asch joined the company as Chief Marketing Officer, focusing on global expansion and the growth of its direct-to-consumer business through its e-commerce platform and retail stores in the US, Canada and Europe.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a US cannabis company, announced the Company has broadened its leadership team in conjunction with its national expansion, by hiring Valda Coryat as Chief Marketing Officer. Coryat joins Trulieve, bringing extensive consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and agricultural marketing leadership to the team. As Trulieve CMO, Coryat will lead strategic marketing, product branding initiatives, and digital awareness campaigns on a national level. Ms. Coryat has leveraged strategy, analytics and creativity to drive profitable brand growth at companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, Avon and Heineken.
David Klein has been appointed as Canopy Growth’s Chief Executive Officer. David brings a wealth of expertise to this role, having served in a number of senior leadership capacities over the past 14 years at Constellation Brands. His capabilities include extensive CPG and beverage alcohol industry experience, strong financial orientation, and experience operating in highly regulated markets in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe. David is an experienced strategist with a deep understanding of how to build enduring consumer brands while leveraging operational scale across a dispersed production footprint.
At a meeting of the board of directors of the Company held immediately following the AGM, Mr. Michael Frank was elected Chairman of the Board and appointed CEO of the Company of Revive Therapeutics Ltd. Mr. Frank has a strong background in operations, business development, M&A and the capital markets. He is currently the President of Mifran Consulting, providing advisory services to emerging technology companies in a number of key verticals. In the past, Mr. Frank has served as the CEO and Director of Sprylogics International and the Internet of Things Inc., as well as holding senior management positions at Ernst & Young, Data General, and NCR.
Anne McInerney joins NATIONAL Public Relations as Associate Vice President in Saint John. Before joining NATIONAL, she was the Vice President of a boutique marketing communications agency in Saint John. She also served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Communications for the Province of New Brunswick. Prior to her work managing communications for the provincial government, Anne held senior-level communications positions with the Government of Canada’s Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) in Moncton and in healthcare with Edmonton’s Capital Health Regional Health Authority and Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Ronalda (Ronnie) Walsh joins the NATIONAL Public Relations St. John’s team as Associate Vice President. After more than a decade in the media, she made the move to communications where she served as Director of Communications with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Research and Development Corporation and RSA Canada. Ronnie’s career began as a journalist for many news organizations including CBC. Most recently, she has run her own independent consultancy providing strategic communications advice for clients in healthcare, mining and nonprofit sectors.
Kimberly Kovacs has been named the new President of The Arcview Group. Kim has over 20 years of executive leadership and entrepreneurial experience across technology, services and investment categories, and a deep history with Arcview. As the founder and CEO of MyJane; Kim built a cannabis wellness technology platform that was acquired in January of 2019 by Manifest 7. She secured funding for MyJane via the Arcview Network. Prior to MyJane, Kim founded or cofounded 6 additional companies, raised more than $100M in equity capital and has been an active angel investor for more than 10 years.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has announced Robyn Rabinovich as Senior Account Director, Cannabis. Robyn brings years of expertise in the cannabis industry having worked at some of Canada’s largest licenced producers. Her knowledge of the international market gives her a unique perspective to help international clients gain access to the Canadian market. Robyn most recently held a senior strategy role at a Canadian licensed producer where she worked on international joint ventures in the Caribbean, South America and Europe, and domestic partnership opportunities.
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Product Showcase/
KitCare Sodium Vapour Light Application Safety Spectacles
Greenhouses proved a temperature-controlled environment with heaters, air ventilation and timed lighting. By controlling the amount of light received, plants tend to yield better productions. Lights in greenhouses are generally high-pressure sodium lamps referred to as plant grow lights. Grow lights attempt to provide a light spectrum similar to the sun. To protect a worker’s eyes, eyewear should be provided that blocks in the 360 nanometer range and up. These spectacles are used in indoor applications where there is an excessive amount of yellow or sodium vapour light, and offer a high level of contrast. Samples available at no charge. Available exclusively from Kit Care Corporation 800-387-1858 www.KitCareCorp.com.
Cannabis Extraction Hoods
The UniMax series of floor mount enclosures safely isolate, contain and ventilate botanical extraction processes and rotary evaporators. UniMax floor mount enclosures are built to your size requirement 6’ to 24’ wide; 4’ to 10’ deep; and 8’ to 16’ high and include Class I Div I explosion proof lighting, fire suppression, cord ports, and convenient 6’- 8’ high horizontal slide doors allowing access at any location at the front of the hood. UniMax floor mount hood enclosures are recognized and accepted by local fire marshalls for the cannabis industry. Additionally, HEMCO has a full catalog of UniFlow benchtop fume hoods that are also available with explosion proof services and fire suppression and can include lab furniture, countertops, sinks and faucets. Please call 800-779-4362, or visit HEMCO at www.cannabislabsolutions.com
10-Port Gigabit Web Smart PoE+ Switch (TPE-082WS)
TRENDnet’s 10-Port Gigabit Web Smart PoE+ Switch (TPE-082WS) is a fanless rack mountable switch that delivers advanced management features with an intuitive web-based interface. Advanced traffic management controls, troubleshooting, and SNMP monitoring support make this a powerful solution for SMB networks. The TPE-082WS provides eight gigabit PoE+ ports with a total power budget of 75W, and two dedicated SFP slots for fiber applications. The PoE+ standard supplies up to 30W of power per port for devices such as high power wireless access points, PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) Internet cameras, and VoIP telephony systems.
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
Inductive Charging Stand
An inductive charging stand is now available for the BRAND® HandyStep® touch and HandyStep® touch S repeating pipettes. The stand allows for easy charging of the instrument without a plug connection. A blue light indicates when the instrument is charging, and goes out when charging is completed. A tip can be inserted and the instrument can be used simultaneously while charging. The stand is available separately, or in an attractively priced bundle with either pipette. Visit www.brandtech.com for details.
Cannabis Extraction Systems Receive UL Certification
Delta Separations, a US manufacturer of ethanol based extraction equipment, announced its CUP-15 and CUP-30 extraction systems as the first cannabis extraction systems to be UL Certified to ANSI/CAN/ UL/ULC 1389 (Plant Oil Extraction Equipment for Installation and Use in Ordinary [Unclassified] Locations and Hazardous [Classified] Locations). This demonstrates Delta Separations commitment to help protect worker and public safety. Underwriters Laboratories, UL’s nonprofit affiliate, worked with industry stakeholders to develop requirements for a certification program of equipment and systems used for commercial plant oil extraction processing. The collaboration started in response to concerns from regulators across the U.S. and Canada related to explosions, fires and injuries during the manufacturing process of oil extraction. Testing and certification to ANSI/CAN/UL/ULC 1389 allows manufacturers to design and build new processing equipment according to a consistent set of requirements and help to avoid delays in commissioning.
Modular Cleanlabs
Modular Clean Labs feature a modular construction design that is cost effective and time efficient compared to traditional construction. An entire laboratory workspace is pre-engineered including the structure and the lab furniture/fume hoods to outfit the interior. Modular Clean Labs wall panels have a white fiberglass surface for chemical resistance and excellent light reflectivity. Because of the modular construction, the structure can be easily assembled, modified in the future, or disassembled and moved if required. Ceiling HEPA filtration is designed to meet needs from just a cleaned-up area from the surrounding environment to class 1000 (ISO 6). Door, lighting and electrical options are provided as requested. Visit HEMCO at www.HEMCOcorp.com/ modrms.html or call 800-779-4362.
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Cannabis Licensing Challenges Critical Components to Consider When Submitting a Federal Licence Application By Michael Ciardullo Regulatory Affairs & Quality Manager - Cannabis Licensing Lead, dicentra Cannabis Consulting
The preparation and submission of a federal cannabis licence application can be extremely gruelling and challenging. At first glance, a licence application may seem straightforward and easy to compile however for the majority of applicants, this isn’t the case. Throughout the preparation process, there are a number of considerations and challenges that can arise. Even with multiple guidance documents and resources that are readily available from Health Canada₁, they do not account for every aspect that should be reviewed when preparing your application and when making decisions about your facility. Before you begin your cannabis licensing journey, the following should be thoughtfully evaluated.
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
Municipalities:
This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of a federal licence application. Oftentimes individuals looking to apply aren’t aware of the challenges posed by the municipality where their proposed site is located. Some municipalities don’t and won’t allow for cannabis production or processing, while others are currently in the process of amending and overhauling their by-laws to allow for and permit activities involving cannabis to take place. Another thing to consider from a municipal standpoint is the zoning of the land on which you intend to operate on. If the land is not zoned appropriately, a supplemental submission such as a minor variance or zoning certificate of occupancy may be required.
New Build vs. Retrofit:
Another challenge is determining which route to take when it comes to your facility. Each option has pros and cons. For example, a pro for a new build is the ability to design and build your facility from the ground up taking into consideration all the mechanical systems that are required, allowing for an optimal layout for production. The con to this is that it is a time-consuming venture and can be costly. From a retrofit perspective, a pro would be not having to spend time and money building a facility; lease options also exist provided that your landlord agrees to allow for activities with cannabis to take place. However, a con for a retrofit is you are limited to the existing layout. Further to that, you must ensure that the building has the necessary systems (e.g. air filtration and ventilation, plumbing, electrical) that will meet Health Canada’s requirements and production demands. It is important to consider both options before undertaking any construction or renovation activities.
Cost:
Like any new business, the costs associated with a cannabis production and/or processing facility can be quite high. Aside from the facility itself, depending on your cultivation method if you are growing cannabis and the classes of cannabis products you are manufacturing (e.g. extracts, vape cartridges, edibles), the equipment can be expensive. Taking into consideration which subclass of licence you are considering (micro or standard) the cost for security is also something to account for. Lastly, another expense that is often overlooked and critical to include in your budget is insurance coverage customized to your specific operation. Insurance is necessary to cover property, stock and inventory, equipment and supplies, stock in transit and liability coverage.
Production Standards:
The ongoing debate in the Canadian cannabis industry is Good Production Practices (GPP) versus Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), specifically in accordance with the European Union’s standards (more commonly referred to as EU-GMP). Which standard do you need to adhere to? GPP requirements apply only in Canada and are not observed anywhere else around the world, while EU-GMP is similar to many of the GMP requirements that are currently in place in many different industries. Depending on the market you intend to target and the amount of capital you have (EU-GMP certification can be expensive), you will need to decide how you intend to proceed before even getting started on your application and facility.
Capital:
With financial institutions being less than willing to assist with the funding of cannabis-centric projects, finding capital to back your venture can be extremely difficult. With changes to the review process coming into effect in May of this year (including the requirement of a building that meets certain standards), this challenge has become even more of a reality. Aside from the building itself, the cost of necessary equipment and other supplies that are required for cultivation and/or processing site can also be very expensive.
Personnel:
Since the cannabis industry is still in its infancy in Canada (legalization celebrated its first birthday on October 17th, 2019), there is a lack of qualified personnel to fulfill key roles for licence applications. For those looking to pursue the cannabis cultivation licence class, finding a master grower who has grown cannabis at a large scale and that has the experience to be able to manage large-scale grows is limited. Similarly, if you are applying for the cannabis processing licence class, finding a qualified person that meets Health Canada’s requirements for a Quality Assurance Person (QAP)2 can be even more challenging. With the number of qualifications required, presently there isn’t the supply to meet the demand for a QAP, which can often lead to delays in the issuance of a licence. There are a number of additional considerations that aren’t listed here that should be evaluated throughout the licensing process. Most important is working with a consulting firm that provides expert advice to successfully navigate all these challenges from planning to execution, a third party you can rest assured and have full confidence that your licence application preparation and submission will be a smooth process from start to finish. References 1 Cannabis Licensing Application Guide: Cultivation, Processing and Sale for Medical Purposes Licences Application Requirements and Process to Become a Licence Holder https://www.canada. ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/industry-licensees-applicants/licensingsummary/guide.html 2 Guidance document: Good production practices guide for cannabis, 5.2 Additional requirements – Holder of a licence for processing https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/cannabisregulations-licensed-producers/good-production-practices-guide/guidance-document.html#a5.2
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Retail Directory Alberta 420 Premium Market B-121 8 Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T2P 1B4 420 Premium Market 113-712 Bow Valley Trail Canmore, AB, T1W 2H4 420 Premium Market D290-9737 MacLeod Trail South Calgary, AB, T2J 0P6 420 Premium Market 46 Sage Hill Passage NW Calgary, AB, T3R 0S4 420 Premium Market 112-5334 72nd Avenue SE Calgary, AB, T2C 4X5 420 Premium Market 205-2515 90t Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2V 0L8 420 Premium Market* 102 2 Street West Brooks, AB T1R 0S3 420 Premium Market* 138 5802 50 Street Beaumont, AB, T4X 1T8 420 Premium Market* 105 4820 Northland Drive NW Calgary, AB,T2L 2L4 7 Points Cannabis 102-21557 Chief Lapotac Boulevard, Enoch, AB, T7X 3Y3 Amsterdam Fog Cannabis Culture 305 6 Street South Lethbridge, AB, T1J 2C7 Aurora Cannabis* 1338-Unit V184-8882 170 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T5T 4J2 Aylmer & Nelson Cannabis 1309 9 Ave SE Calgary, AB, T2G 0T2 Banff Cannabis* 101B-119 Banff Avenue Banff, AB, T1L 1A9 Beltline Cannabis Calgary 806 12 Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T2R 0J3 Bene-Buds 915-3890 Sherwood Drive Sherbrooke, AB, T8H 0Z9 Best Buds Outlet 100-124 1 Avenue NE Airdrie, AB, T4B 0R6 Best Buds Outlet* 4A-1861 Meadowbrook Drive SE Airdrie, AB, T4A 1V3
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Beyond the Leaf 239A 3 Avenue Strathmore, AB, T1P 1N7
Canna Cabana 10828 124 Street Edmonton, AB, T5M 0H3
Canna Corp. 900 Railway Street Crossfield, AB, T0M 0S0
Choom 320 Centre Street, Drumheller, AB, T0J 0Y0
Bong and Such 4825 MacLeod Trail SW Calgary, AB, T2G 0A7
Canna Cabana 10831 100 Street Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 2M7
Canna Corp. 1115 Hammond Street Carstairs, AB, T0M 0N0
Choom 5-1020 8 Avenue, Cold Lake, AB, T9M 1K2
Bong and Such* 1228 16 Avenue NW Calgary, AB,T2M 0K9
Canna Cabana 16 - 5115 49 Street, Box 1991 Whitecourt, AB, T7S 1P1
Canna Corp.* 900 Railway Street Crossfield, AB, T0M 0S0
Choom 10140 107 Street, Westlock, AB, T7P 1X3
Boreal Cannabis Company 108-1104 Main Street SW Slave Lake, AB, T0G 2A4
Canna Cabana 16952 111 Avenue NW, Unit 4, Edmonton, AB, T5M 4C9
Canna-Bliss 960E Noel Drive Wabasca, AB, T0G 2K0
Choom 643 3 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 0H4
Borealis Buds 7-8520 Manning Avenue Fort McMurray, AB, T9H 5G2
Canna Cabana Bay 130, 100 Stockton Avenue Okotoks, AB, T5M 4C9
Cannabis Boutique Inc. 5011C 50 Avenue Wetaskiwin, AB, T9A 0S4
Choom* 406 13 Street N, Lethbridge, AB, T1H 2S2
Bow Cannabis 6305 Bowness Road NW Calgary, AB, T3B 0E4
Canna Cabana Unit 105A, 8120 44th Street Lloydminster, AB,
Cannabis House 6560 170 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5Y 3X6
Choom* 4706 73rd Street Camrose, AB, T4V 0E5
Bridge Bud Supply 20-1917 Mayor Magrath Drive South Lethbridge, AB, T1K 2R8
Canna Cabana Unit A, 10310 100th Avenue Fort Saskatchewan, SK,,
Cannabis House 16526-59A Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5Y 0A9
Clarity Cannabis 1020-8th Avenue Cold Lake, AB, T9M 1K2
Canna Cabana Unit 2, 512 St. Albert Trail St. Albert, AB, T7S 1P1
Cannabis House 103-120 Southridge Blvd. Saskatchewan, AB, T8L 0P6
Canna Cabana Unit 116, 5305 Magasin Ave. Beaumont, AB, T4X 1V8
Cannabis House 20-6964 76 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T6B 2R2
Brightleaf Cannabis 30-130 Broadway Boulevard Sherbrooke Park, AB, T8H 2A3 Bud Runners Cannabis 5822 51 Street Grimshaw, AB, T0H 1W0 Bud Runners Cannabis 7426 100 Avenue Peace River, AB, T8S 1M5 Bud Runners Cannabis 9610 100 Street Peace River, AB, T8S 1H5 Bud Runners Cannabis* 10318 110 Street Fairview River, AB, T0H 1L0 Budaboom 4515 Gateway Blvd NW Edmonton, AB, T6H 5C8
Canna Cabana Unit 3 - 5506 50 Avenue, Bonnyville, AB, T9N 2K8 Canna Cabana 610 Crowfoot Crescent Calgary, AB, T3G 3T2 Canna Cabana 11032 Elbow Drive SW Calgary, AB, T2W 1G6 Canna Cabana Unit 101 3342 Parsons Rd NW Edmonton, AB, T6N 1B5
Budaboom* 15803 87 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5R 4G7
Canna Cabana Unit 105, 330 10 Street NW Calgary, AB, T2N 1V8
Buds and Bliss* 4919A 50 Street Settler, AB, T0C 2L2
Canna Cabana 5022 50 Street Lacombe, AB, T4L 1W8
Budzz & Roses* 4908 50 Street Millet, AB, T0C 1Z0
Canna Cabana Unit 102 & 103, 172 Leva Ave. Red Deer, AB, T4E 0A5
Canmore Cannabis Company 900B 7 Avenue Canmore, AB, T1W 2B6
Canna Cabana Unit 310 4602-46 Street Olds, AB, T4H 0A5
Canna Cabana 1065 Canyon Meadows Drive SE Calgary, AB, T2W 5V3
Canna Cabana 4806-50 Avenue Vegreville, AB, T9C 1K9
Canna Cabana Unit 10, 23 Southgate Blvd. Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6S5
Canna Cold Lake 1004-5101 46 Avenue Cold Lake, AB, T9M 0C8
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020 Cannabis Prospect Magazine | October 2019
CannaCAD 405 11 Avenue Edmonton, AB, T9E 7N2 CannaMart 10114 175 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5S 1L1 Celestial Buds 166-6800 Memorial Drive NE Calgary, AB, T2A 6V3 Chinook Cannabis Inc. 4-112 Centre Street SE High River, AB, T1V 0G5
Clarity Cannabis 101-416 Centre Street SE High River, AB, T1V 2C2 Clarity Cannabis 5511 – 50th Ave Red Deer, AB, T4N 4B8 Cloud-420 Inc. 124-11125 38 Street NE Calgary, AB, T3N 1A6 Co-op Cannabis 7-8720 MacLeod Trail SE Calgary, AB, T2H 0M4 Co-op Cannabis B-4122 Brentwood Road NW Calgary, AB, T2L 1K8 Co-op Cannabis B-5505 Shaganappi Trail NW Calgary, AB, T3A 1Z6
Choom 643 3 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 0H4
Co-op Cannabis 5-3330 17 Avenue SE Calgary, AB, T2A 0P9
Choom 115 2nd Street West, Brooks, Alberta, T1R 0S3
Co-op Cannabis 10-2580 Southland Drive SW Calgary, AB, T2V 4J8
Choom 3B-5629 44 Street Lloydminster, AB T9V 0B2
Co-op Cannabis 4938 Richmond Road SW Calgary, AB, T3E 6K4
Choom 1-5511 50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB, T4N 4B8
Convenient Cannabis Inc. 302 2 Street Irricana, AB, T0M 1B0
Choom 205-5703 48 Avenue Camrose, AB, T4V 0J9
Creek Bed Supply* 2-1315 Freebairn Avenue Pincher Creek, AB, T0K 1W0
Choom 5308 50 Avenue, Cold Lake, AB, T9M 1S2
Crown Cannabis 9533 76 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T6C 0K1
Retail Directory Crowsnest’s Classy Joint 12701 20 Avenue Blairmore, AB, T0K 0E0
Fire & Flower 10141 100A Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5J 0R5
Firestone Cannabis 9851 63 Avenue Edmonton, AB, T6E 0G7
Green Peace Hempire 3-631 South Railway Drive NE Redcliff, AB, T0J 2P0
Daikoku 9181 25 Avenue NW Daikoku, AB, T6N 0A5
Fire & Flower 10111 104 Avenue Westlock, AB, T7P 1K6
FivePoint Cannabis Bridgeland 945 General Avenue NE Calgary, AB, T2E 9E1
Green Town* 1-5111 49 Street Red Deer, AB, T4N 1V6
Daily Blaze 1-5009 50 Street Stony Plain, AB, T7Z 1T3
Fire & Flower 229 Bear Street Banff, AB, T1L 1C3
Fleur 618 C Connaught Drive Jasper, AB, T0E 1E0
Greenspot Shop* 7523 MacLeod Trail SW Calgary, AB, T2H 0L8
Didsbury Cannabis Mart 20-1602 20 Street Didsbury, AB, T0M 0W0
Fire & Flower 122 - 9080 25 Avenue SW Edmonton, AB, T6X 2H4
Frosted Acres 100A 4 Avenue SW Manning, AB, T0H 2M0
Harvest Bud Supply* 5014 46 Avenue Taber, AB, T1G 2A6
Kushbar 360-6805 48 Avenue Camrose, AB, T4V 4W1 Lake City Cannabis 102-109 East Chestermere Drive Chestermere, AB, T1X 1A1 Leaf Life 1343 Northmount Drive NW Calgary, AB, T2L 0E7 Level 420 202 10 Street Beaverlodge, AB, T0H 0C0
Eastwood* 10-6222 36 Street SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3J4
Fire & Flower 105-3119 49 Avenue Red Deer, AB, T4N 3V8
Fuzzy Budz E-4912 50 Avenue Lacombe, AB, T4L 1Y1
Harvest Country Cannabis Store 3-9935 106 Street Redcliff, AB, T7P 2K1
Loft Cannabis Market* 328-2066 18 Avenue NE Calgary, AB, T2E 8N5
Elevate 14454-118 Avenue Edmonton, AB, T5M 2M5
Fire & Flower C108-1120 Railway Avenue Canmore, AB, T1W 1P4
Ganja Hut C-7507 50 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T6B 2W8
Hat Cannabis 646 South Railway Street SE Medicine Hat, AB T1A 2V9
Lucid Cannabis 104-8 McLeod Avenue Spruce Grove, AB, T7X 3X3
Elevate 10022-167 Street Edmonton, AB, T5P 3W4
Fire & Flower 215-5341 50 Avenue Vegreville, AB, T9C 0A9
Giving & Receiving Ltd. 547 2 Street SE Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 0C5
Haze 8032 100 Street Grand Prairie, AB, T8V 7X7
Lucid Cannabis 25A 100 King Street Spruce Grove, AB, T7X 0J6
Equilibrium Cannabis 10130 101 Avenue Lac La Biche, AB, T0A 2C0
Fire & Flower 7108 MacLeod Trail SE Vegreville, AB, T2H 0L3
Glenora Cannabis 12321 107 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5M 3R2
Hey Bud Cannabis 4512 118 Avenue NW Grand Prairie, AB, T5W 1A8
F & L Cannabis Inc. 5521 53 Avenue Drayton Valley, AB, T7A 1R8
Fire & Flower 2-2424 Fairway Plaza Road South Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6Z3
Global Leaf 106-5401 Temple Drive NE Calgary, AB, T1Y 3R7
Fire & Flower 1120 Railway Ave C108 Canmore, AB, T1W 1P4
Fire & Flower 252 91 Street SW Edmonton, AB, T6X 0V1
Good Habits 10806 82 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T1Y 3R7
Fire & Flower 9610-165 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5Z 3L3
Fire & Flower 540-1500 Main Street Slave Lake, AB, T0G 2A0
Good Habits 203-2115 4 Street SW Calgary, AB, T2S 1W8
Highway 2 Cannabis Sales Inc. 771051 Highway 2 Municipal District of Spirit River No.133, AB, T0H 3G0 Himalaya Cannabis Store 1314 Railway Street Crossfield, AB, T0M 0S0
Lucid Cannabis 102-5013 48 Street Stony Plain, AB, T7Z 1L8 Lucky Leaf Cannabis Retailers Ltd. 9702 100 Street Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6N6 Made In Cannabis 105-1803 91 Street SW Edmonton, AB, T6X 0W8
Fire & Flower 313-10451 99 Avenue Fort Saskatchewan, AB, T8L 0V6
Fire & Flower 120-4 Versailles Avenue St Albert, AB, T8N 7E7
Grampa’s Finest 4711 River Road Fort Vermillion, AB, T0H 1N0
Fire & Flower 263 Gregg Avenue Hinton, AB, T7V 2A7
Fire & Flower 12225 107 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5M 1Y9
Grass Roots 104-5906 50 Street Leduc, AB, T9E 0R6
Fire & Flower 380-220 Lakeland Drive Sherwood Park, AB, T8H 0N6
Fire & Flower* 6802 – 50 Avenue, Unit 120 Red Deer, AB, T4N 4C9
Green City Market 510 6 Avenue South Lethbridge, AB, T1J 0Y0
Fire & Flower 40-19 Bellerose Drive St Albert, AB, T8N 5E1
Fire & Flower* 40 Hewlett Park Landing Sylvan Lake, AB, T4S 2J3
Green Earth Cannabis 5-1305 33 Street NE Calgary, AB T2A 5P1
Fire & Flower 6610-50 Avenue Stettler, AB, T0C 2L2
Fire & Flower* 4357 – 50 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6L 7E8
Fire & Flower 120-3916 MacLeod Trail, Calgary, AB T2G 2R5
Fire & Flower* 3727 – 99 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6E 6J7
Green House Cannabis B-5027 45 Street Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1B3
Fire & Flower 113 - 13710 42 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5Y 2Z2
Fire & Flower* 5844 Terrace Road NW, Edmonton, AB, T6A 3Y8
Fire & Flower 110M-800 Pine Road Strathmore, AB, T1P 0A2
Firestone Cannabis 4119 56 Street Wetaskiwin, AB, T9A 1V2
Green Light 102-2882 Box Springs Boulevard Medicine Hat, AB, T1C 0C8 Green Mountain Cannabis 7-11610 119 Street Edmonton, AB, T5G 2X7 Green Nation Cannabis Samson Avenue and First Street Maskwacis, AB, T0C 1N0
Hoots B-5016 50 Avenue Whitecourt , AB, T7S 1W2 House of Hybrids 6601 43 Street Lloydminster, AB, T9V 3E8
Mary Jane on Penny Lane 5126 51 Avenue Wabamun, AB, T0E 2K0
K-Town Budz 57 Centre Street Kinuso, AB, T0G 1K0
Merry Guanas 104-4711 49 B Avenue Lacombe, AB, T4L 1K1 Merry Jane’s Cannabis 1318 1 Street SW Calgary, AB, T2R 0V7 Micro Gold Cannabis 2A-220 North Railway Street Okotoks, AB, T1S 1A3 Mind-Full B-14821 Yellowhead Trail NW Edmonton, AB, T5L 3C4 MJAYZ Cannabis Corp. 4976 Highway 2A Lacombe, AB, T4L 1J9
Kakou Cannabis* 101-11706 104 Avenue Grand Prairie, AB, T8V 6K3 King Street Cannabis 4984 92 Avenue Edmonton, AB, T6B 2V4
Moderna* 155 Mahogany Centre SE Calgary, AB, T3M 2V6 Modernleaf 210-777 8 Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T2P 3R5
Kushbar 7-8807 100 Street Morinville, AB, T8R 1V5
Modernleaf 106-10126 120 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 8H8
Indicative Collection 124 Leva Avenue Red Deer County AB T4E 1B2 It’s 4:20 Somewhere 9809 101 Street High Level, AB, T0H 1Z0 Jai’s Recreational Stuff 5213 50 Avenue Red Deer, AB, T4N 4B4
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine October 2019 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Retail Directory Mountain Standard* 202-11314 107 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5H 0Y3 Mountain Standard* 9729 118 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5G 0P4 NewLeaf Cannabis 29-240 Midpark Way SE Calgary, AB, T2X 1N4 NewLeaf Cannabis 18-13750 Bow Bottom Trail SE Calgary, AB, T2J 6T5
Nirvana Canna 1-2388 Crestwood Road SE Calgary, AB, T2C 1J2 Northern Lights Supply 2120A Sparrow Drive Nisku, AB, T9E 8A2 Noba Cannabis* 5016 51 Avenue Tofield, AB, T0B 4J0
NewLeaf Cannabis 111-13 Southland Crescent SW Calgary, AB, T2W 0K4
Nova Cannabis at Gateway Plaza 101-3815 Caxton Street Whitecourt, AB, T7S 0A2 Nova Cannabis at Grande Prairie 10940 102 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 8J5
NewLeaf Cannabis 110, 1935 - 37 Street SW Calgary, AB, T3E 3E4
Nova Cannabis at Grove Landing 17 Nelson Drive Spruce Grove, AB, T7X 3X3
NewLeaf Cannabis 9, 2015 - 32 Avenue NE Calgary, AB, T2E 6Z3 NewLeaf Cannabis 9, 12 Castleridge Drive NE Calgary, AB, T3J 1V4
Nova Cannabis at Namao 16616 95 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5Z 3L2 Nova Cannabis at Off Whyte B-8015 104 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T6E 4E3
NewLeaf Cannabis 2, 7400 Macleod Trail SE Calgary, AB, T2H 0L9
Nova Cannabis at Southpointe 101-9310 Southfort Drive Fort Saskatchewan, AB, T8L 0C5
NewLeaf Cannabis 30, 12981 – 50 Street Edmonton, AB, T5A 3P3
Nova Cannabis at Summerwood 82-4005 Clover Bar Road Sherwood Park, AB, T8H 0M4 Nova Cannabis at the Meadows 1938 38 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T6T 0B9
NewLeaf Cannabis 9522 Ellerslie Road Edmonton, AB, T6X 0K6 NewLeaf Cannabis 1328 Mayor MacGrath Drive South Lethbridge, AB, T1K 2R2 NewLeaf Cannabis 20, 338 University Drive West Lethbridge, AB, T1J 5C9 NewLeaf Cannabis 207, 2 Herbert Road St. Albert, AB, T8N 5T8 NewLeaf Cannabis 21, 2500-4 Streeet SW Calgary, AB, T2S 1X6 NewLeaf Cannabis 10,119 Sunridge Road West Lethridge, AB, T1J 5J1f NewLeaf Cannabis 543 3 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 6L4 NewLeaf Cannabis 101 – 400 Main Street N, Airdrie, AB, T4B 2R3 NewLeaf Cannabis 55 Castleridge Blvd NE, Calgary, AB, T3J 3J8 Nirvana 989 Columbia Boulevard West Lethbridge, AB, T1K 4M5
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Nova Cannabis at Thickwood Mall 4-310 Thickwood Boulevard Fort McMurray, AB, T9K 1Y1 Nova Cannabis at Willow Park B252-10816 MacLeod Trail SE Calgary, AB, T2J 5N8 Numo Cannabis Corp. 11733 95 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5G 1M1 Odies Corner Cannabis 1016 Westridge Road Strathmore, AB, T1P 1H8 Omkara Cannabis* 220-500 Royal Oak Drive NW Calgary, AB, T3G 0E8 Peace Pipe Cannabis Company 10032 100 Street Peace River, AB, T8S 1R7 Peaceleaf 4838 51 Avenue High Prairie, AB, T0G 1E0 Peaceleaf 101 8801 Resources Road Grande Prairie AB, T8X 3A6
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
Plantlife 743-201 Southridge Drive Okotoks, AB, T1S 2E1 Plantlife 101-4215 80 Avenue Lloydminster, AB, T9V 0X9 Plantlife 106-108 Riverstone Ridge Fort McMurray, AB, T9K 1S6 Plantlife 205-175 Chestermere Station Way Chestermere, AB, T1X 1V2 Plantlife 117-1800 Market Street SE Airdrie, AB, T4A 0K9 Plantlife 360-4 McLeod Avenue Airdrie, AB, T7X 4B8 Plantlife 103-11535 Westgate Drive Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 3B1 Plantlife 25-31 Bow Street Common Cochrane, AB, T4C 2N1 Plantlife 14130 28 Avenue SW Edmonton, AB, T6W 3Y9 Plantlife 515-935 St Albert Trail St Albert, AB, T8N 4K6 Plantlife 115-8701 94 Street Fort Saskatchewan, AB, T8L 4P7 Plantlife 20-2840 13 Avenue Wainwright, AB, T9W 0A2 Potporium 5104 51 Avenue Ponoka, AB, T4J 1S5 Prairie Records 4420 17th Avenue SE, Calgary, AB, T2A0T6 Prairie Records 4420 17 Avenue SE Calgary, AB, T2A 0T6 Queen of Bud 1717 10 Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T3C 0K1 Queen Street Cannabis 128 Queen Street Spruce Grove, AB, T7X 2Z8 Range Bud Supply* 4817 1 Street Claresholm, AB, T0L 0T0 RARE Cannabis Co. 5-213 Main Street North Airdrie, AB, T4B 0R6 Retail Cannabis Store Ltd. 4305 24 Avenue South Lethbridge, AB, T1K 6Z7
Revive Cannabis Inc. 4917 50 Street Innisfail, AB, T4G 1W4
Spiritleaf 5008 50 Street Beaumont, AB, T4X 1E6
River Cannabis 3-5804 50 Avenue Red Deer, AB, T4N 4C2 Rock Island Cannabis Inc. 4925 50 Avenue Alberta Beach, AB, T0E 0A0
Spiritleaf 3814 Bow Trail SW Calgary, AB, T3C 2E7
Rocky Mountain Cannabis 5103B 46 Street Rocky Mountain House, AB, T4T 1C7 Rocky Mountain Collective 437 Gregg Avenue Hinton T7V 1N1 Rocky Mountain Collective 393 Drinnan Way Hinton, AB, T7V 2A3
Spiritleaf 7220B Fairmount Drive SE Calgary, AB, T2H 0X7
Rolling Leafs 5312 48 Avenue Whitecourt, AB, T7S 1P1 Rosebud Cannabis 3912 44 Avenue Camrose, AB, T4V 3H2 Sexsmith Cannabis* 9929-A 100 Street Sexsmith, AB, T0H 3C0 Solar Cannabis* 4912 49 Avenue Mayorthorpe, AB, T0E 1N0 Small Town Buds 102-6 Athabasca Avenue Devon, AB, T9G 1G2 Smokey’s 7223 101 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T6A 0H9 Spiritleaf (Beltline) 1136-10 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, T2R 0B6 Spiritleaf (Old Strathcona) 10134-82 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T6E 1Z4 Spiritleaf 102 - 618 Patricia Street Jasper, AB, T0E 1E0 Spiritleaf 920 Centre Street NE Calgary, AB, T2E 2P7 Spiritleaf B-329 5 Street South Lethridge, AB, T1J 2B4 Spiritleaf 4-715 2 Street West Brooks, AB, T1R 1A9 Spiritleaf 107-150 Bellerose Drive Street Albert, AB, T8N 8N8 Spiritleaf 107-150 Bellerose Drive Street Albert, AB, T8N 8N8
Spiritleaf 120, 6008 Macleod Trail SW Calgary, AB, T2H 0M4
Spiritleaf Unit 2, 506 17 Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T2S 0B1 Spiritleaf 117, 302 Old Canmore Road Canmore, AB, T1W 2X2 Spiritleaf 103, 10903-23 Avenue Edmonton, AB, T6J 1X3 Spiritleaf 1311 156 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5V 1V2 Spiritleaf 3444 99 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T6E 5X5 Spiritleaf Unit 102, 10716 82 Avenue Grand Prairie, AB, T8W 0G9 Spiritleaf 10119 101 Street Lac La Biche, AB, T0A 2C0 Spiritleaf 1, 1335 Trans Canada Way SE Medicine Hat, AB, Spiritleaf 7, 52 Brentwood Boulevard Sherwood Park, AB, T8A 1W4 Spiritleaf* 9713 Hardin Street, Fort McMurray, AB, T9H 1L2 Sweet Tree Cannabis Co. 11-5147 20 Avenue SE Calgary, AB, T2B 0B1 Strain Lane 102-2966 Main Street SE Airdrie, AB, T4B 3G4 Strainbows 10573 114 Street NW Edmonton, AB, T5H 3J6 Sunrise Cannabis Retail* 4614 50 Avenue Gibbons, AB, T0A 1N0 Sweet Tree Cannabis Co. 424-8338 18 Street SE Calgary, AB, T2C 4E4 Sweet Tree Cannabis Co. 2111 36 Street SE Calgary, AB, T1Y 6E8
Retail Directory Sweet Tree Cannabis Co. 1204C 16th St SE High River, AB, T1V 2B1
The Source Cannabis 208 13 Street South Lethbridge, AB, T1J 2V4
Westside Weed 914 South Railway Street SE Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 2W2
Bluewater Cannabis 6341 Main Street Oliver, BC V0H 1T0
Clarity Cannabis* 1-603 Gorge Road East Victoria BC V8T 2W6
Sweet Tree Cannabis Co.* 1206 17th Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T2T 0B8
The Weed Locker 2-4717 20 Avenue Drayton Valley, AB, T7A 1S9 The Wanted Leaf 107-50 St Thomas Street St Albert, AB, T8N 6Z8
Wetaskiwin Cannabis* 5510 40 Avenue, Wetaskiwin, AB, T9A 1V2
Buddha Barn Inc. 2179 4th Avenue West Vancouver, BC V6K 1N7
Clarity Cannabis 855 Johnson Street Victoria BC V8W 1N4
YSS Calgary (Woodbine)* 2525 Woodview Drive SW Calgary, AB, T2W 3Y1
Buds Cannabis* 100-6765 Veyaness Road Saanichton, BC, V8M 2A7
Clarity Cannabis 3-1040 Alaska Avenue Dawson Creek BC V1G 1Y6
Tumbleweed 2804 5 Avenue North Lethbridge, AB, T1H 0P1
YSS Edmonton (NW Landing)* 737 Mistatim Way NW Edmonton, AB, T6V 0M8
Burb Cannabis* 1502 Broadway Street Port Coquitlam, BC, V3C 0G1
Clarity Cannabis 105-693 Hoffman Avenue Langford BC V9B 4X1
Tumbleweedz* 116-2323 32 Avenue NE Calgary, AB, T2E 6Z3 Twenty Four Karats 2220 5 Avenue South Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4G6 Uncle Sam’s Cannabis 301-101 Granada Boulevard Sherwood Park, AB, T8A 4W2
YSS* 4153 70th Avenue Lloydminster, AB, T9V 3L9
Burb Cannabis 24-2755 Lougheed Highway Port Coquitlam, BC, V3B 5Y9
Cloud Nine Collective 778 Fort Street Victoria BC V8W 1H2
YSS* 5111 49 Street Red Deer, AB T4N 1V6
Cannabis Connection* 43971 Industrial Way Chilliwack BC V2R 3A4
Coastal Bay Cannabis 203-442 Marine Drive Gibsons BC
YSS* 112-7 McLeod Avenue Spruce Grove, AB, T7X 4B8
Cannabis Corner* 2-10108 100 Street Fort St. John BC V1J 3Y7
Coasta Canna 1A - 180 Central Road Duncan BC V9L 4X3
Uncle Sam’s Cannabis* 13572 Fort Road NW Edmonton, AB, T5A 1C5 Urban Canna 424 Erin Woods Drive SE Calgary, AB, T2B 3C5 Urban Canna 3011 26 Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T3E 0M7
YSS* 3009 43 Avenue Stony Plain, AB, T7Z 1L1
Cannabis Cottage 385 Martin Street Penticton BC V2A 5K6
Creston Valley 137 - 15th Avenue Creston BC V0B 1G0
YSS* 5105 49 Street, Unit 103 Vegreville, AB T9C 1L9
Cannaland Cannabis Ltd. 595 18 Street Castlegar BC V1N 2N1
Daima Cannabis* 4728 52nd Street NW Chetwynd BC V0C 1J0
YSS* 4121 51 Steet Vermilion, AB, T9X 1J5
Cariboo Cannabis 318 McLean Street, Quesnel BC V2J 2N9
Daylight Cannabis Company* 1-671 Industrial Way Tofino BC V0R 2Z0
Urban Canna 101-1318 Centre Street NE Calgary, AB, T2E 2R7
YSS* 526 4th Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T2P 0J6
Cheeba Cannabis* 140 Rutland Road South Kelowna BC V1X 2Z4
Downtown Cannabis 111 Lakeshore Drive NE Salmon Arm BC
Urban Canna* 640 10 Avenue SW Calgary, AB, T2R 1M3 Urban Leaf Inc. 5113 53 Avenue High Prairie, AB, T0G 1E0 Urbn Leaf Cannabis Company 107-9320 100 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 0S7
YSS* 102-10210 111 Street Grand Prairie, AB, T8V 7L3
Cheeba Cannabis* 1-1812 Byland Road West Kelwona BC V1Z 1A9
Dragon’s Peak Cannabis* 100 -775 Rita Avenue Quesnel BC V2J 0C2
British Columbia
City Cannabis Unit 16 A/B 215 Port Augusta Street, Comox BC V9M 3M9
Earth’s Own Naturals Ltd. 148 Howard Street Kimberley BC V1A 2G6
City Cannabis Co. 7289 Fraser Street, Unit 7291 Vancouver BC V5X 3V8
Earth’s Own Naturals Ltd.* 502 8th Avenue Fernie BC V0B 1M5
City Cannabis Co. 651 Robson Street Vancouver BC V6B 2B9
Earth to Sky Cannabis 6691 Sooke Road Sooke BC V9Z 0H2
City Cannabis Co. 2317 Cambie Street Vancouver BC V5Z 2T9
Earth to Sky Cannabis 1463 Bay Avenue Trall BC V1R 4A9
Clarity Cannabis* 1325B Cranbrook Street Cranbrook BC V1C 3S7
Eggs Canna Main 208 16th Ave E Vancouver BC V5T 2T4
Clarity Cannabis* 5-111 Oriole Road Kamploops BC V2C 4N6
Evergreen Cannabis 2868 4th Avenue West Vancouver BC V6K 1R2
Clarity Cannabis* 528 3rd Avenue West Prince Rupert BC V8J 1L8
Flora Cannabis* 101 - 3320 Massey Drive Prince George BC V2N 4C1
Sweet Tree Cannabis Co.* 225 200 Southridge Drive Okotoks, AB Sweet Tree Cannabis Co.* 11-5147 20 Avenue SE Calgary, AB, T2B 0B1 T & A Cannabis 5120 50 Street Whitecourt, AB, T7S 1N4 THC Hub* 101-10010 86 Avenue Fort Saskatchewan, AB, T8L 4P4 The Bud King 116-9704 39 Avenue Edmonton, AB, T6E 6M7 The Garden Cannabis Company 35C Spruce Park Drive Strathmore, AB, T1P 1J2 The Green Box 4806 Highway 2A Lacombe, AB, T4L 1N3 The Green Box Cannabis 4915 47 Avenue Innisfail, AB, T4G 1N8 The Green Box Cannabis* 5032 53 Street Calgary, AB, T0B 2L0 The Green Exchange 328 South Railway Street Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 2V4 The GreenEasy Ltd.* B-510 Highway 1 Strathmore, AB, T1P 1M6 The Joint Cannabis* 20-975 Broadmoor Boulevard Sherwood Park, AB, T8A 5W9 The Leaf 699 Kingsway Avenue SE Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 2X2 The Little Smoky Enterprises Ltd. 5-10019 100 Street Peace River, AB, T8S 1S3 The Local Cannabist B1-14727 87 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB, T5R 4E5 The Park Canna Club Inc. 6 Blackfoot Road Sherwood Park, AB, T8A 4P4 The Peak Cannabis Co. 18-2520 23 Street NE Calgary, AB, T2E 8L2 The Potterie 4905 55 Avenue Grimshaw, AB, T0H 1W0
Urbn Leaf Cannabis Company 1C-3808 Highway Street Valleyview, AB, T0H 3N0 Valhalla Cannabis 104-4 Cuendet Industrial Way Sylvan Lake, AB, T4S 2J7 Vincanna Cannabis B108-3709 26 Avenue NE Calgary, AB, T1Y 4S3 Waldo’s 420 Store 946 16 Street SW Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 8A4 WestCan Cannabis* 9-1702 23 Street North Lethbridge, AB, T1H 5B3
1st Cannabis 223 1st Street West North Vancouver BC V7M 1B3 Alberni Cannabis Store 51-3805 Redford Street Port Alberni BC V9Y 3S2 Baggy’s Cannabis Store 4-7480 4th Street Grand Forks BC V9Y 3S2 Black Crow Cannabis* 2808A 48 Avenue Vernon BC V1T 3R4 Blended Buds Cannabis 114-5601 Anderson Way Vernon, BC V1T 9V1 Blooming World Cannabis 103-905 7th Avenue Invermere BC V0A 1K0
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
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Retail Directory GP Cannabis Store 7423 Frontier Street Pemberton BC V0N 2L0
Jimmy’s Cannabis Shop 2123 Columbia Avenue Rossland BC V0G 1Y0
Qualicanna 2-124 Harlech Road Qualicum Beach BC V9K 1G9
Summit Cannabis Co. 109 Connaught Avenue Revelstoke BC V0E 2S0
Trail Bud-A-Bong Shop 876 Rossland Avenue Trail BC V1R 3N3
Grand Forks Cannabis Ltd. 7439 3rd Street Grand Forks BC V0H 1H0
Jimmy’s Cannabis Shop* 107 - 1983 Columbia Avenue Castlegar BC V1N 2W8
Quantum 1 Cannabis* 317 Market Avenue Grand Folks BC V0H 1H0
Summit Cannabis Co. 1161A-7th Avenue Fernie BC V0B 1M0
UEM Cannabis 1605 Renfrew Street, Vancouver BC V5K 4C9
Greenwoods Buds* 314 S Copper Avenue Greenwood BC V0H 1J0
Jimmy’s Cannabis Shop* 1225 Cranbrook Street N Cranbrook BC V1C 3S6
Quantum 1 Cannabis* 615 7th Avenue Keremos BC V0X 1N0
Tamarack Cannabis Boutique 2-518 304 Street Kimberley BC V1A 3H5
Village Bloomery 206-1540 W 2nd Avenue Vancouver BC V6J 1H2
Green Canoe Cannabis 7390 50 Street North East Salmon Arm BC V0E 1K0
K.J.’s Best Cannabis 118-4717 Lakelse Avenue Terrace BC V8G 1R5
Quartz Creek* 102 - 616 8th Avenue N Golden BC V0A 1H0
The Green Pineapple 870 B Schofield Highway Trail BC V1R 2G9
Vernon Cannabis Store 2813A 35 Street Vernon BC V1T 6B6
Green Gaia Cannabis Co. 9-7519 Prairie Valley Road Summerland BC V0H 1Z4
Kaya Connection* 102-124 Crag Street Parksville BC V9P 2G6
Ridge Cannabis Products 101-320 Iles Way Tumbler Ridge BC V0C 2W0
The Greenery Cannabis Boutique 2-190 Trans Canada Hwy North East, Salmon Arm BC V1E 1S3
Vernon Cannabis Store 3004 31st Street Vernon BC V1T 5H7
Green Gaia Cannabis Co.* 210 Main Street Penticton BC V2A 5B2
Kiaro 1316 Kingsway Vancouver BC
Riverside Cannabis 6309 Sooke Road Sooke BC V9Z 0G7
The Greenery Cannabis Boutique 2-190 Trans Canada Hwy North East, Salmon Arm BC V1E 1S3
Weed Mart 5100-50th Avenue Pouce Coupe BC
Grasshopper Retail Inc. 421 George Street Prince George BC V2L 1R5
Kootenay Cannabis 1306 Columbia Avenue Castlegar BC V1N 2L2
Rural Leaf* 1126 Main Street Smithers BC V0J 2N0
The Greenhorn 2-4513 25 Avenue Vernon BC V1T 1P5
Wizards 240 Lansdowne Street Kamloops BC V2C 1X7
Happy Isle Cannabis Company #203-992 Dorman Road Bowen Island BC V0N 1G0
KushKlub 1735 Commercial Drive Vancouver BC V5N 4A4
Salmon Arm Cannabis 81B Shuswap St SW Salmon Arm BC
Trail Bud-A-Bong Shop 876 Rossland Avenue Trail BC V1R 3N3
Yellowhead Cannabis* 490 Paul Lake Rd Kamloops BC V2H 1J8
High Mountain Cannabis* 12 - 433 Finlayson Street Sicamous BC V0E 2V1
La Pachi Premium Cannabis* 103-2270 Cliffe Avenue Courtenay BC V9L 2N4
Shades of Green Cannabis 519 Victoria Street Kamloops BC V2C 2B1
The Kure Cannabis Society 137 Dyke Road Chilliwack BC V2P 6H7
Zaga’s Hemp Shop 1543 Victoria Street Prince George BC V2L 2L4
High5 Retail 521 Canada Avenue Bowen Island BC V0N 1G0
Maple Leaf Greenery* 8322 Main Street Osoyoos BC V0H 1V0
Sicamous Trading Company* 302 Main Street, Unit B Sicamous BC V0E 2V0
The Higher Path 1320 Cedar Avenue Trail BC V1R 4C2
Manitoba
High5 Retail* 732 Tyee Road Victoria BC V9A 6X3
Muse Cannabis Store 3039 Granville Street Vancouver BC V6H 3H8
Sky High Cannabis Ltd. 38054 Second Avenue Squamish BC V8B 0A5
The Higher Path 102-2032 Columbia Avenue Castlegar BC V1N 2W7
High Mountain Cannabis Inc. 12-433 Finlayson Street Duncan BC V9L 1R5
Northern Cannabis 10112 10th Street Dawson Creek BC
SpiritLeaf 670-2709 Lougheed Highway Maple Ridge BC V2X 2V6
The Higher Path 5859 Main Street Oliver BC V0H 1T1
Hive Cannabis* 9909 100 Avenue Fort St. John BC V1J 1Y4
North Island Cannabis 5-9250 Trustee Road Port Hardy BC V0N 2P0
SpiritLeaf 114-1502 Columbia Avenue Castlegar BC V1N 4G5
The Kootenays Cannabis Tree 106-601 Front Street Nelson BC V1L 4B6
Hive Cannabis* 4152 Redford Street Port Alberni BC V9Y 3R5
Oceanside C Weed 3-154 Middleton Avenue, Parksville BC V9P 2G9
SpiritLeaf 102-2695 Skaha Lake Road, Penticton BC V2A 6E8
The Kure Cannabis Society* 137F Dyke Road Chilliwack BC V2P 6H7
Hobo 2121 Springfield Road Kelowna BC V1Y 7X1
Orange Bridge Cannabis 7583 Pacific Rim Highway, Tseshaht First Nation, Port Alberni BC
SpiritLeaf 102, 2500 53rd Avenue Vernon BC
The Original Farm 1402 Douglas Street Victoria BC V8W 2G1
Starbuds 19-11000 8th Street Dawson Creek BC V4V 2T5
The Original Farm 3055A Scott Street Victoria BC V8R 4J9
Starbuds 625-11850 Oceola Road Lake Country BC V4V 2T5
The POTORIUM* A-417 Baker Street Nelson BC V1L 4H7
Stick & Stone Cannabis Co. 891 7th Avenue Fernie BC V0B 1M0
The Rural Leaf Co. 3200 Oceanview Drive Tlell BC V0T 1S0
Sticky Leaf 1415 Canyon Street Creston BC V0B 1G0
The Shore Cannabiz Shop 399 Tranquille Road Kamloops BC V2B 3G4
Hobo 4296 Main Street Vancouver BC V5V 3P9 Hobo 8425 Granville Street Vancouver BC V6P 4Z9 Hobo* 1952 4th Avenue W Vancouver BC V6J 1M5 Invermere Cannabis Store 4884 Athalmer Road Invermere BC V0A 1K3
42
V5V 3E4
Pacificanna 2-7035 Market Street Port Hardy BC V0N 2P0 Pacificanna 3015 Mackenzie Avenue N Williams Lake BC V2G 1P5 Pineapple Express* 608 Esquimalt Road Victoria BC V9A 3L4 Port Pot Shop* Unit 3 - 3473 3rd Avenue Port Alberni V9Y 4E4
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
Delta 9 Cannabis Store Unit 1 – 827 Dakota Street Winnipeg, MB, R2M 5M2 Delta 9 Cannabis Store 300 Mystery Lake Road Thompson, MB, R8N 0M2 Delta 9 Cannabis Store 1570-18th Street Brandon, MB, R7A 5C5 Delta 9 Cannabis Store 478 River Avenue Winnipeg, MB, R3L 0B3 Fire & Flower 526 Main Street Swan River, MB, R0L 1Z0 Garden Variety 620 - 1424 Ellice Avenue Winnipeg, MB, R3G 0G4 Garden Variety Unit 10 - 655 Sterling Lyon Parkway Winnipeg, MB, R3P 2S8 Garden Variety* Unit 48 - 1570 18th Street Brandon, MB, R7A 5C5 Hiku/Tokyo Smoke 55B Goulet Street Winnipeg, MB, R2H 0R5
Retail Directory Meta Cannabis Supply Co. Otineka Mall, Hwy 10 N Opaskwayak, MB, R0B 2J0
Tweed 2705 Victoria Avenue Brandon, MB, R7B 0N1
Cannabis-NB 168 Rothesay Avenue, Suite 107 Saint John, NB, E2J 2B5
Miawpukek Cannabis Boutique 19 Miawpukek Drive Conne River, NL, A0H 1J0
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 610 East River Road New Glasgow, NS, B2H 3S1
Meta Cannabis Supply Co. 79 Keeshkeemaquah Drive Portage La Prairie, MB, R1N 4B1
Tweed 1592 Regent Avenue Winnipeg, MB, R2C 3B4
Cannabis-NB 313-B Main Street Shediac, NB, E4P 2A8
Paradise Green Shop 1316 Topsail Road St. John’s, NL, A1L 1N9
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 9256 Commercial Street, Unit 230 New Minas, NS, B4N 4A9
Meta Cannabis Supply Co. Unit 23 – 584 Pembina Highway Winnipeg, MB, R3M 2M5
New Brunswick
Cannabis-NB 9316 Route 3 Old Ridge St. Stephen, NB, E3L 4W8
The Natural Vibe 306 Water Street St. John’s, NL, A1C 1B8
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 95 Keltic Drive Sydney River, NS, B1S 1P4
Cannabis-NB 138 Main Street (Gateway Mall) Sussex, NB, E4E 3E1
The Herbal Centre 394 Kenmount Road St. John’s, NL, A1B 3R4
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 6 Court Street Truro, NS, B2N 3H7
Cannabis-NB 3524 rue Principale Tracadie, NB, E1X 1B9
The Reef Cannabis Shop 386 CBS Highway Holyrood, NL, A0A 2R0
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 650 Portland Street Dartmouth, NS, B2W 6A3
Newfoundland and Labrador
Thomas H. Clarke’s Distribution 1614 Portugal Cove Road Portugal Cover, NL, A1M 3G3
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 3601 Joseph Howe Drive Halifax, NS, B3L 4H8
Meta Cannabis Supply Co. 1881 Grant Avenue Winnipeg, MB, TBD Meta Cannabis Supply Co. 58 Cree Road Thompson, MB, R8N 0N2 Meta Cannabis Supply Co. 930 – 18th Street, Unit 4 Brandon, MB, R7A 5C1 Meta Cannabis Supply Co. 300A North Railway Street Morden, MB, R6M 1S7 Meta Cannabis Supply Co. 420 Madison Street Winnipeg, MB, R3J 1J1 Meta Cannabis Supply Co.* 2145 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB, R3J 0L4 The Corktown Cannabis Co.*, 117 Assiniboine Street, Russell, MB, R0J 1W0 Tokyo Smoke 264 McDermot Avenue Winnipeg, MB, R3B 0S8 Tokyo Smoke* 437 Stradbrook Avenue - Unit 2 Winnipeg, MB, R3L 1Y5, R0J 1W0 Tokyo Smoke 628 - 18th Street Brandon, MB, R7A 5B4 Tokyo Smoke 3 - 915 18th Street North Brandon, MB, R7A 7S1 Tokyo Smoke 55B Goulet Street Winnipeg, MB, R2H 0R5 Tokyo Smoke Unit 150 3369-3393 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB, R3K 0Z1 Tweed 309 Saskatchewan Avenue Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 0L6 Tweed 1450 Main Street South Dauphin, MB, R7N 3H4 Tweed 120 Osborne Street Winnipeg, MB, R3L 1Y5
Cannabis-NB 640 St. Peter Ave, Suite #PD201 Bathurst, NB, E2A 2Y7 Cannabis-NB 157 Water Street, Unit 14 Campbellton, NB, E3N 3L4 Cannabis-NB 784 Dieppe Blvd. Dieppe, NB, E1A 9G5 Cannabis-NB 575B Rue Victoria Edmunston, NB, E3V 3M9 Cannabis-NB 435 Brookside Drive, Unit A002 Fredericton, NB, E3A 8V4 Cannabis-NB 45 Woodside Lane Fredericton, NB, E3C 2R9 Cannabis-NB 2540 King George Highway Miramichi, NB, E1V 6W5 Cannabis-NB 165 Main Street, Suite 8 Moncton, NB, E1C 1B8 Cannabis-NB 40 Wyse Street Moncton, NB, E1G 2K5 Cannabis-NB 9316 Route 3 Old Ridge, NB, E3L 4W8 Cannabis-NB 16 Commerce Drive Oromocto, NB, E2V 4T4 Cannabis-NB 12F. Tribe Road Pert-Andover, NB, E7H 0A5 Cannabis-NB 20 F. Tribe Road Pert-Andover, NB, E7H 3R6 Cannabis-NB 16 Allee De La Cooperative Richibucto, NB, E4W 5V8 Cannabis-NB 34 Lacey Drive Rothesay, NB, E2E 3J9 Cannabis-NB 16 Wright Street Sackville, NB, E4L 4P8 Cannabis-NB 55 Lansdowne Avenue Saint John, NB, E2K 3A1
Clarenville Green Stop 258 Memorial Drive Clarenville, NL, A5A 1N9 C-Shop 230 Conception Bay Highway Bay Roberts, NL, A0A 1G0 C-Shop 5 Murphy Square Corner Brook, NL, A2H 1R4 C-Shop 120 Columbus Drive Carbonear, NL, A1Y 1B3 C-Shop 166 Conception Bay Highway Conception Bay South, NL, A1W 3A6 C-Shop 100 Laurell Road Gander, NL, A1V 2V5 C-Shop 17 Cromer Avenue Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, A2A 1X3 C-Shop 150 Old Placentia Road Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 4Y9 C-Shop 55 Stavanger Drive St. John’s, NL, A1A 5E8 C-Shop 260 Blackmarsh Road St. John’s, NL, A1E 1T2 C-Shop 62 Prince Rupert Drive Stephenville, NL, A2N 3W7 Deer Lake Green Stop 31 Upper Nicholsville Road Deer Lake, NL, A8A 2G1 High North 1 Neal Drive Labrador City, NL, A2V 1Y5
Tweed 62 Broadway Avenue Corner Brook, NL, A2H 6H4 Tweed 81 Conception Bay Highway S Unit 3 Conception Bay, NL, A1W 3A3
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 104a Starrs Road Yarmouth, NS, B5A 2T5
Ontario Ameri 20 Cumberland Street Toronto, ON, M3W 1J5
Tweed 50-60 Commonwealth Avenue, Unit 5 Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 1W8
Canna Cabana 2019 Long Lake Road, Unit B Sudbury, ON, P3E 4M8
Tweed 193 Kenmount Road Unit 4A St. John’s, NL, A1B 3P9
Canna Cabana 435(B) Yonge Street Toronto, ON, M5B 1T3
Tweed 187-189 Water Street St. John’s, NL, A1C 1B4
Canna Cabana 1317 Barton Street East, Unit H09, Hamilton, ON, L8H 2V4
Tweed 27 Aspen Drive, Happy Valley Goose Bay, NL, A0P 1C0
Central Cannabis 666 Wonderland Road, N Unit 6B London, ON, N6H 4K9
Nova Scotia
Choom 7555 Montrose Rd., Unit E3, Niagara Falls, ON, L2H 2E9
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. Amherst Mall, 126 South Albion Street Amherst, NS, B4H 2X3
Fire & Flower 75 Brock Street Kingston, ON, K7L 1R8
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 151 Church Street Antigonish, NS, B2G 2E2
Fire & Flower 129 York Street Ottawa, ON, K1N 5T4
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 274 Dufferin Street Bridgewater, NS, B4V 2G7
Hello Cannabis Store 57 Cootes Drive Hamilton, ON, L9H 1B5
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. 5540 Clyde Street Halifax, NS, B3J 1E3
Highlife 1299 Marcus Drive Sudbury, ON, P3B 4K6
Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. Downsview Plaza, 752 Sackville Drive, Unit 114 Lower Sackville, NS, B4C 2R2
Hobo Recreational Cannabis 391 Bank Street Ottawa, ON, K2P 0T2 J. London 691 Richmond Street, Suite 5 London, ON, N6A 5M1
February 2020 | Cannabis Prospect Magazine
43
Retail Directory Ganjika House 186 Main Street South Brampton, ON, L6W 2E2
Yellowknife Liquor Store 100 Borden Drive Yellowknife, NW, X1A 3W6
Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 13421 boulevard Curé-Labelle Mirabel, QC, J7J 1G9
Fire & Flower 82B Battlefords Crossing Battleford, SK, S9A 0V3
Prairie Records 100 2nd Avenue N Warman SK, S0K 4S0
Nova Cannabis 499 Queen Street W Toronto, ON, M5V 2B4
Prince Edward Island
Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 9256, Boulevard de l’Acadie Montreal, QC, H4N 3C5
Fire & Flower 4 – 421A Kensington Ave Estevan, SK, S4A 0V2
Prairie Records 720 Broadway Avenue Saskatoon SK, TBD
One Plant* 20 Kingston Rd. W Unit B003A
P.E.I. Cannabis 85 Belvedere Avenue Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 4N8
Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 970, Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest Montreal (Peel), QC, H3B 1E3
Fire & Flower 680E Victoria Ave. Regina, SK, S4N 7E1
Prairie Records 170-3020 Preston Avenue Saskatoon SK, TBD
P.E.I. Cannabis 509 Main Street Montague, PEI, C0A 1R0
Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 6872 St-Hubert Montreal (Rosemont-Petite-Patrie), QC, H2S 2M6
Fire & Flower 1 – 701 Centennial Dr N Martensville, SK, S0K 0A2
Spiritleaf 1251 Main Street North Moose Jaw SK, S6H 6M3
One Plant* 231 Essa Road Barrie, ON, L4N 6B7 Pioneer Cannabis Co. 1200 Brant Street, Unit B-004 Burlington, ON, L7P 5C6 RELM Cannabis Co. 103-4031 Fairview St. Burlington, ON, L7L 2A4 Smok 20 Kingston Road West Ajax, ON, L1T 4K8 Spiritleaf 27 Princess Street, Suite 101 Kingston, ON, K7L 1A3 Superette 1306 Wellington Street, W Unit 100 Ottawa, ON, K1Y 3B2 The Niagara Herbalist 33 Lakeshore Road, Unit 15 St. Catharines, ON, L2N 7B3 The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. 202 Queen Street W Toronto, ON, M5V 1Z2 Tokyo Smoke Oshawa 575 Laval Dr. Suite 400 Oshawa, ON, L1J 6X2 Tokyo Smoke 333 Yonge Street Toronto, ON, M5B 1R7 Tweed 1025 Wellington Rd, Unit A-2 London, ON, N6E 1W4
Northwest Territories Fort Simpson Beverages 10021 100th Street Fort Simpson, NW, X0E 0N0 Fort Smith Liquor Store 87 Breynat Street Fort Smith, NW, X0E 0P0 Hay River Liquor Retailer 101- 76 Capital Drive Hay River, NW, X0E 1G2 Normal Wells Liquor Agency 15 Franklin Avenue Norman Wells, NW, X0E 0V0
44
P.E.I. Cannabis 478 Main Street O’ Leary, PEI, C0B 1V0 P.E.I. Cannabis 425 Granville Street Summerside, PEI, C1N 3C3
Quebec Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 940 Ave. Du Pont Sud Alma, Quebec, G8B 2V8 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 2700 boul. Matte, Suite 100 Brossard, Quebec, J4Y 2P3 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 884, rue Principale Granby, Quebec, J2G 2Z3 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 10, Place Bourget Sud Joliette, Quebec, J6E 5E7 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 1272 rue Principale Est Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, J8C 1M1 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 102 rue Valmont Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, J7Y 4Y2 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 5240 chemin Queen Mary Montreal, QC, H3W 1X5 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 90 Boul. Saint-Jean-Baptiste Local 103 Chateauguay, QC, J6K 3A6 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 73 boulevard de la Gappe, Local E3 Gartineau, QC, J8T 2G1 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 965 boul. St-Joseph Drummondville, QC, J2C 2G9
Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 670 rue Bouvier Quebec City, QC, G2J 1A7 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 2491 chemin Sainte-Foy Quebec City, QC, G1V 1T7 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 110-1 rue St-Germain ouest Rimouski, QC, G5L 4B5 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 174 boulevard Saint-Luc suite 114 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, J2W 1C7 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 300, 107e rue St-Georges, Quebec, G5Y 8K1 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 1681 rue King Ouest Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1J 2C8 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 3548 boul. des Forges Trois-Rivières, QC, G8Y 5H5 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis* 505 rue Béthany Lachute, QC, J8H 4A6 Société Québécoise Du Cannabis* 3044 boul. Choquette St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, J2S 1H1
Saskatchewan Canaba Cannabis 3332 2nd Avenue W Prince Albert, SK, S6V 5E9 Canna Cabana 106 Central Avenue N Swift Current, SK, S9H 0L1 Eden Cannabis Co. Hwy 46, north on Range Road 2185 RM of Edenwold, SK,
Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 95 route du Président-Kennedy Lévis, QC, G6V 6C8
Fire and Flower Inc. 302 - 114 Street #2 North Battleford, SK, S9A 2M6
Société Québécoise Du Cannabis 172, Montée Masson Mascouche, QC, J7K 3B5
Fire and Flower Inc. 275 Broadway St E #5C Yorkton, SK, S3N 3K7
Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
Fire & Flower 1 – 506 Main Street Moosomin, SK, S0G 3N0 Homestead Cannabis 1010 – 100th Street Tisdale, SK, S0E 1T0 Jimmy’s Cannabis Co. 82 B Battleford Crossing Battleford SK, S0M 0E0 Jimmy’s Cannabis Co. 4 - 421A Kensington Ave. Estevan SK, S4A 0VA Jimmy’s Cannabis Co. 1 - 701 Centennial Dr. N Martensville SK, S0K 0A2 Jimmy’s Cannabis Co. 506 Main Street Moosomin SK, S0G 3N0 Kiaro 212 20th Street West Saskatoon SK, S7M 0Y5 Kiaro 1220 La Ronge Avenue Saskatoon SK, S0J 1L0 Kolab Project LAB001 7 – 3427 50th Avenue Lloydminster, SK, S9V 0N9 Living Skies Cannabis 208 3rd Avenue S Saskatoon SK, S7K 1M1 Lucid Cannabis 681 Albert Street Regina, SK, S4R 2P4 Lush Leaf Cannabis 420 Main Street Esterhazy SK, S0A 0X0 Meta Cannabis Supply Co. 602 Main Street Moose Jaw, SK, S6H 3K4 New Leaf Emporium Inc. 602 Main Street Moose Jaw SK, S6H 3K4 Prairie Cannabis Ltd. 180 17th Street W Prince Albert SK, S6V 3X5
Sweet Tree Cannabis Co. Unit 2 – 212 Central Ave N Swift Current, SK, S9H 0L2 The Cannabis Co. YQR 1306 Broad Street Regina, SK, S4R 1Y4 The Green Box 185 2nd Avenue Unity, SK, S0K 4L0 The Joint Cannabis 420 Centre Street Assiniboia, SK, S0H 0B0 The Pot Shack 3 - 1115 Grosvenor Avenue Saskatoon, SK, S7H 4G2 Tweed Unit R20-1919A 8th Avenue Humboldt, SK, S0K 2A1 Tweed 290 Prince William Drive Melville, SK, S0A 2P0 Tweed 3735 E Quance Street Regina, SK, S4V 3A4 Tweed 101 Centre Street Meadow Lake, SK, S9X 1L2 Tweed 1501 Albert Street Regina, SK, S4P 2S5 Tweed 141-143 2nd Avenue Saskatoon, SK, S7K 2A9 Tweed 241 Broadway Street East Fort Qu’Appelle, SK, S0G 1S0 Vatic Cannabis Co. Hwy 46, north on Range Road 2185 RM of Edenwold, SK, S0G 3Z0 Wiid Boutique Inc. 4554 Albert Street Regina SK, S4S 6B4 * Indicates a new retail store added since last issue
Cannabis in Canada
A snapshot of current users of cannabis
6.3 million
1 OUT OF 10
current cannabis users, consumed cannabis for the first time post-legalization.
Canadians 19+ currently consume cannabis.
Reasons for consuming
59%
Recreational
10%
Medical
31% Both
Frequency of consuming Daily
26%
Weekly
13% 24%
Daily
10% 11%
Less often
Current users’ motivation to consume
17% Make activities interesting 14% Increase creativity 11% Aid concentration 11% Help connect
Monthly
Monthly
Every couple couple months Every months Couple times a year
16%
Couple times a year Less often
Top 3 consumption methods
57%
74% Relax/unwind 41% Remedy/treatment
Weekly
Bud/flower
Have fun 45%
41%
Improve the mood 30%
Edibles
Heighten senses 15%
30%
Improve sex life12% Meditate11%
Pre-rolls
Other 6%
How obtained
53%
38%
Legal Market
Illegitimate Market For more information on Vivintel’s Canadian Cannabis Study, get in touch:
info@vividata.ca
www.vividata.ca
Source: Vivintel’s Canadian Cannabis 2019 Study
Base: Canadian 19+
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Advertiser Index CannTX Life Sciences.....................................................................48 dicentra Cannabis Consulting............................................................5 Leaf Forward....................................................................................46 MJBiz...............................................................................................47 Mackie Research Capital Corp.........................................................2 O’ Cannabiz.....................................................................................28 Pope Scientific Inc...........................................................................14 SkyFoundry.......................................................................................7 Surna Inc..........................................................................................10 Retail Cannabis Forum.....................................................................31 Virox Technologies Inc....................................................................13
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | February 2020
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