Proliferation of cannabis dispensaries worries Canadian authorities

Canada's cannabis industry is in the starting blocks. One year before the legalization of cannabis, medical cannabis dispensaries are already beginning to proliferate. The mayor of Toronto recently called on health inspectors and police to «use every means at their disposal to stop the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries.»

Currently, Canada only allows the sale of cannabis for medical use. But Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the Legalization of recreational cannabis use by spring 2017.

In anticipation of this major development, cannabis retailers and entrepreneurs are seeking to gain as much market share as possible and are engaged in fierce competition to build brand awareness and be ready for the big day.

This business boom is getting out of hand, and Toronto Mayor John Tory describes the ever-increasing number of marijuana dispensaries as alarming. There are reportedly about 100 such dispensaries in this city of 2,600,000 residents. John Tory notes that some retailers are circumventing the law and are already selling recreational cannabis. For now, marijuana can only be obtained with a medical prescription, like in California. A doctor affiliated with the cannabis dispensary authorizes you to purchase cannabis in exchange for a small fee.

Canada is in the face of legal issues between the various stakeholders in the industry. First, medical cannabis dispensaries are demanding the right to also sell recreational cannabis starting in 2017 in order to increase their revenue. They claim they are entitled to do so because they have industry experience and are already growing a substantial amount of weed.

But some dispensaries have no qualms about selling cannabis without a doctor’s prescription. All the customer has to do is register in the dispensary’s system, check the box corresponding to their symptoms (or pseudo-symptoms), and it’s a done deal if they pay in cash.

The mayors of Toronto and Ottawa have instructed their police departments to crack down on all dispensaries that are not in compliance with current law and all those selling cannabis without a medical prescription. They are also concerned about compliance with distance requirements from schools and daycare centers. The city of Vancouver has found a rather playful and lucrative way to penalize dispensaries that are not in compliance: a fine of 250$ per day from the time they open until they obtain a license from Health Canada.

For now, the recreational cannabis sales system The date for 2017 in Canada has not yet been set.