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Alberta’s marijuana market could fuel 500 cannabis stores within a few years, says an industry expert and provincial regulator.

Considering Alberta’s population is only about one million below that of Colorado, which enacted legalized cannabis nearly five years ago and now hosts about 550 stores, the province should be able to support 500 of the outlets, said Dan Rowland, who advised the city of Denver on its retail rollout.

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If anything, maximizing the number of outlets will ultimately ensure the industry’s success against illicit sellers, he said.

“That sounds like a lot of stores but access is the key to destroying the black market,” said Rowland, who’s now a consultant for Calgary-based retailer Four20 Premium Market.

“One of the first goals is to absorb that black market, and that only happens by opening up a bunch of stores.”

Both markets share a number of similarities, including a dynamic population that’s geared to outdoor pursuits, a Rocky Mountain geography and shared economic traits, said Rowland.