"We have 277 retail cannabis locations throughout the province which I think is a good indicator of increased production"

Late last year, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) declared a cannabis shortage. As a result, new retail licences went unissued, many shelves sat unstocked, and potential customers reverted to the illicit market, much to the chagrin of licensed dispensary owners.

But last week, senior communications officer Heather Holmen from the AGLC declared that the shortage is over.

“Right now in Alberta we have a healthy supply of the product and that’s certainly the result of increased production from licensed producers across the county after some notable supply challenges over the past year,” Holmen confirmed in a statement, FortSaskOnline reports.

“We have 277 retail cannabis locations throughout the province which I think is a good indicator of increased production and being able to provide adequate supply for retailers,” Holmen said.

The AGLC blamed the shortages at the onset of legalization on licensed producers, who they said were unable to fulfill production orders and left licensed retailers without stock.

But do the retailers agree?

“I think, by definition, they’re probably correct that there isn’t a shortage when it comes to retailers’ ability to get cannabis and an assortment of related products,” says Ryan Roch, operator of Lake City Cannabis in Chestermere, just outside of Calgary. “However, on the ground level, the realism is that when it comes to us, we’re still not seeing wide access to products. We’re currently seeing shortage on quite a few licensed producers (LPs) — there’s a lot of overstock of certain items, and very little or no stocking of quite a few.”

Roch says that one issue challenging Alberta dispensaries is the lottery system.

“Even on the order sheet this week, there was limited access — we’re also still ordering quite well, but we’re still ordering under the lottery process right now, and it seems that probably in the last three or four weeks, the amount of guaranteed crates for retailers has significantly decreased over a wide range of LPs,” says Roch.

He continues, “Bear in mind, there’s been an increase in retailers. As it stands right now, as a retailer, I have very few options in terms of making sure I have guaranteed crates, and I have to enter into a lottery system for probably, I would say anywhere close to 60 to 70 percent of the stock that I want to try to bring in.”

With the looming increase of retail outlets, does Roch think the AGLC will be able to handle what is bound to be an increase in demand? “I think so. I really do,” he says. “I think we’re still just experiencing a little bit of growing pain, to be honest.”

Meanwhile, Roch’s focus remains on the clients.

“It’s for our customers, making sure that we get the right things for them. But it’s tough for us. As retailers, we’re pushing hard to make sure that customers aren’t limited to a couple of types of items and that we have a live menu. So we have to take quite a few risks at the ground level here and make sure that that happens.”

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