From the Editor

Back to (the New) Normal

By David Halpert

It has been a long 18 months, and I promise that this will be the last time I mention the COVID-19 pandemic in an editor’s letter. At the time of this writing vaccination rates are at an all-time high and are poised to go higher in the weeks to come. Roughly 80% of the Canadian population has at least one dose of a vaccine, with just over 70% of the eligible population fully vaccinated. While there’s no certainty that we’ll head into future lockdowns, Canadians remain vigilant in their efforts to limit the spread the virus as local businesses open up once again and Canadians go back to some semblance of normal. Unlike our neighbours to the south, who’ve largely politicized vaccinations, there’s a real opportunity here for Canada to achieve some type of herd immunity, barring any new variants that might come into play (knock on wood!).

While for some, the return to normal will be more gradual, for others it’s a welcome change of pace. One of the biggest changes will be the return of cannabis events this fall, which for a lot of manufacturers and serviceoriented companies, remain the lifeblood of the industry, a chance to reconnect with likeminded colleagues as well as make connections with new potential prospects. If you live within southern Ontario you have to constantly remind yourself that cannabis businesses come from coast to coast to attend these events, and vice versa. For me it’s a double-edged sword, while events act as competition between my publication and other companies’ marketing dollars, just as vital is that these events are a chance for me to reconnect with my many writers, vendors, advertisers, etc. as well as an opportunity to get a better sense of what’s happening at the ground-level when it comes to cannabis, putting a finger on the pulse so thus speak.

Of course with businesses allowed for greater capacities, cannabis retailers can allow for greater walk-in traffic, and with that more sales. Similarly, licensed producers, which in most Canadian jurisdictions have largely been exempted as an essential service, are going back to business as usual in terms of in-house and off-site operations (cannabis retailers were also considered essential services). Now nearly three years since the Cannabis Act has been passed into law, it’ll still be a while before we see the lasting effects on the cannabis industry as restrictions loosen month to month. Paradoxically, there are more cannabis retail stores now than there have every been, roughly 2,500 across Canada, and while it’ll still be some time before we see if sales have been affected, not just in the amount of units purchased but also whether more or less are purchased through brick-and-mortar retailers over online vendors, I can’t help but wonder whether the reasons for purchasing cannabis might change as well, with cases of social anxiety and general anxiety in the months likely on the rise. Either way, it’s a breath of fresh air to see things getting back to normal, even if it’s a new normal.

President / CEO, Straight Dope Media Inc.

@cannabispromag

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