Why a cannabis license lottery is not the way to go

Canada’s Prime Minister says legal pot supply issues to be sorted out in months

In case you hadn’t heard, there’s a supply shortage of legal cannabis in Canada and the prime minister is on the case. While noting the dearth of legal weed in Canada “will take a little time to adjust,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blames the delays on municipal governments and others who have been more critical on pot legalization. Expect some relief in the coming months but Trudeau is quick to point out the industry is on the right track to get legal pot into Canadians’ hands as swiftly as possible.

Is that a luxury cannabis container in your pocket ….?

Those days of carrying around your cannabis in a plastic baggie are no more. Bloomberg reports on the sudden surge of container packaging aimed at keeping their commercial weed safe, secure and odourless. One company sees the cannabis packaging market growing to over US$600 million by 2030 as more marijuana users demand products to keep their pot away from children and keep buds from drying out.

Small pot retailers worried about being squeezed out in Ontario

Won’t someone think of the little guys? With Ontario limiting pot shop licenses to just 25 this April through a lottery system, some cannabis industry observers are worried that entrepreneurs might find themselves pushed out of the province. The CBC reports how Retailgo president Koby Smutylo has already taken out two leases in Ottawa to open pot shops later next year, and calls Ontario’s move to limit licenses unfair. As one noted cannabis-focused lawyer points out, if companies don't have pockets as deep as a larger rival, cannabis entrepreneurs could be in a tough spot.

Tilray signs hemp-sourced CBD deal amid Farm Bill legislation

With the 2018 Farm Bill slated to be signed by U.S. President Donald Trump this week, expect a flurry of hemp-related deals to be announced. The first such deal crossed the wire Monday as Tilray announced a supply agreement with LiveWell for the latter company to provide as much as 500 kilograms of hemp-sourced CBD over the next year. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DAILY BUZZ

"If we had the full cornucopia of options of supply, we'd be laughing in our stores."

– National Access Cannabis CEO Mark Goliger on the legal cannabis supply bottleneck that led a lack of available inventory in the company's retail stores.

Cannabis Canada is BNN Bloomberg’s in-depth series exploring the stunning formation of the entirely new – and controversial – Canadian recreational marijuana industry. Read more from the special series here and subscribe to our Cannabis Canada newsletter to have the latest marijuana news delivered directly to your inbox every day