Cannabis Licensing

Regulatory Challenges:

Provincial governments electing not to have brick-and-mortar retail stores in favour of online sales in AB and ON

BC’s hybrid model includes public and private, but regulations favour public sector

Application process is stringent, despite similarities between liquor and cannabis license requirements

AB has 28 private retail stores proposed - suspended licensing due to supply shortage

BC has 289 applications submitted: 159 denied, 127 referred to local gov’t, 2 approved conditionally, and 1 licensed