Weeds Gift & Glass - A Transition to Legalization

WEEDS Gift and Glass grew to be Canada's largest cannabis dispensary chain in the six years leading up to legalization

Don and Carol have since made the transition to legalization, with one retail location already licensed in Sechelt, BC, and another about to open in Vancouver.

They discussed the differences between a legacy and a legal shop and the challenges they face today.

You can watch the replay of The State of Craft episode 17 here.

For those who don’t have time to watch the full episode, here is a summary of some of the points discussed.

• Legalization has been a great thing in many ways - less money on police and prison, medicine for seniors and those needing it, and it has removed much of the stigma.
  
  
• Legal cannabis is more expensive, but the trade-off is that there is no longer fear around it.
  
  
• It takes a long time to open a licensed store - about two years.
  
  
• It’s hard to compete with BC cannabis stores. They have access to tax resources, while private business must use their own finances, which isn’t fair.
  
  
• Legal cannabis has led to a lot of waste with over-packaging.
  
  
• Lots of flower needs to be returned. Mold, insects, and mildew are among the products' problems.
  
  
• Consumers often think that because it’s legal, it’s safe. And many producers don’t believe it when they’re told there’s a problem with their products.
  
  
• More testing should be done on products to ensure they are safe.
  
  
• Government should not be involved in the cannabis industry and should not be part of distribution.
  
  
• It’s hard still to compete with the black market since they don’t have taxes and fees.
  
  

This article was written in tandem with Mike F.