Albertans will soon see pot shops selling cannabis at some festivals and trade shows.
The province will begin allowing licensed cannabis retailers to operate temporary sales locations at adult-only events come Jan. 31.
The industry welcomed the change, positioning it Tuesday as a way to grow their brands, satisfy customers and erode the market share held by unlicensed dispensaries and dealers.
Beena Goldenberg, chief executive of Moncton, N.B.-based cannabis producer Organigram Holdings Inc., said the move marks “a significant step forward in reducing red tape and increasing operational efficiency.”
“We believe these improvements will foster a more competitive legal cannabis market, ultimately discouraging the illicit market,” she wrote in an emailed statement.
“They will also provide the opportunity for retailers to build their brands outside of the retail store environment, which will further support illicit market conversion.”
Statistics Canada reported in October that by the first half of 2023, more than 70 per cent of the total value of cannabis consumed in Canada was from a legal source, an increase from 22 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018, when legalization occurred.
However, many cannabis companies still lament the strength of the illicit sector and have spent the five years since legalization dropping their prices to compete with one another and the illicit market.
To see whether changes are needed to support businesses in the field or protect Albertans, the province has been reviewing regulations concerning the pot market.
In the last year, it began allowing pot shops to open at 9 a.m., reduced some listing and shipping fees and now lets pot company representatives give cannabis samples to stores to promote products and increase product knowledge.
“We’ve been looking at the cannabis market to determine what’s working, what needs to be improved and what’s redundant or unnecessary, while protecting public health and safety,” Dale Nally, minister of Service Alberta and red tape reduction, said in a news release.
“These changes are the result of our latest work to help curb the illegal cannabis industry and continue providing choices Albertans can trust.”
In addition to loosening restrictions around cannabis sales at events, Alberta will allow pot retailers to keep their products in locked display cases when their stores are closed, preventing stores from having to move all their products into a secured storage room at the close of every business day.
The province will also remove some restrictions on sales and transfers between cannabis retailers, allowing Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis to establish resale markup limits.