Provincial Updates/
Ontario
Last month, the Ontario government’s proposed its Supporting People and Businesses Act. The Act, if passed, would permanently enable retail cannabis stores to offer popular delivery and curbside pick-up services. This follows earlier moves by the Ontario government to permanently allow bars and restaurants to offer home delivery options for beverage alcohol purchases. Ontario’s sales rose 9.9% in August compared with the previous month to $139.2 million. Toronto topped all cities with $46.7 million in sales in August, nearly as much as all of Quebec.
Manitoba
New regulations are being considered by the Manitoba government for the delivery of liquor and cannabis and the province is looking for the public’s feedback. The new regulations would shift obligation and responsibility from restaurants to third-party delivery companies, such as SkipTheDishes, DoorDash and Uber Eats, to ensure the products get to the right customers safely and responsibly, Justice Minister Cameron Friesen said in early November. The liability currently falls on the dining rooms, lounges or retailers that use those delivery services, Friesen said. Manitoba’s sales increased 11.3% in August compared to the previous month to $14.3 million.
Alberta
The Alberta government’s proposed Bill 80: the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act, 2021 (No. 2) is currently making its rounds through the provincial legislature. The Act, if passed, would discontinue the provincially run Albertacannabis.org e-commerce portal and transition online sales and home delivery of cannabis products to licensed private sector retailers within 90 days of passage and proclamation. This follows recent moves by the governments of Ontario and British Columbia to allow private sector participation in cannabis e-commerce and home delivery. Alberta sales were relatively the same when comparing August sales with July at $60.4 million.
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Cannabis Prospect Magazine | December 2021
Quebec
The province of Quebec slipped to fourth among all provinces, with $52.2 million in sales, effectively flat when comparing August sales with July. Quebec will not allow cannabis vaping products to be sold through regulated channels, though the province might reconsider its position in the future. It is the latest blow to legal businesses trying to eke out market share in Canada’s second-largest province. Quebec’s monopoly cannabis retailer – Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) – will not carry the popular products when they go on sale across Canada in the coming months.
Saskatchewan
In mid-November, Regina City Council voted to approve a report that will “significantly improve” the city’s cannabis retail regulations, according to city staff. The decision comes despite opposition from existing cannabis retailers — who are concerned about over-saturating the market — and the city’s school boards. The number of zones where cannabis stores can operate has now been increased to 13. The required distance of separation between stores has also been lowered from 182.8 metres to just 60 metres. Saskatchewan’s sales rose slightly 1.5% in August compared with the previous month, to $13.4 million.
British Columbia
In June 2021, the government of British Columbia permitted all legal recreational cannabis retailers to deliver their products to customers from July 15, 2021. All authorized B.C. cannabis retailers can now offer direct delivery services and don’t need a separate delivery licence to render the same. In British Columbia, consumers spent $52.3 million in August in the regulated adult-use cannabis market, up 7.1% over July. By municipality, Vancouver, British Columbia saw blistering growth of 21% over July as sales increased to $17.9 million in August.
