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simply become more efficient and experienced at growing.
3. Ontario Retail t
be Booming
In December, the provincial government announced that only 25 licenses would initially be made available and that they would be awarded via a lottery system. When Saskatchewan, a province with a population of 1.2 million people, conducted its retail lottery, it received approximately 1,350 submissions for 51 permits. Expect the numbers from Ontario, with a population of 14.2 million, to be mind boggling. As supply concerns ease as the year moves on, expect more licenses to be granted and the start of a thriving retail industry to be well underway by the end of the year.
4. Race for
New Products
Edibles, topical and concentrates, the Government of Canada dropped the draft regulations for these products just before Christmas. All of them will be legal by the middle of October, 2019, at the latest. Experience in other jurisdictions tell us that these products will be exceptionally popular, and profitable. Expect to see licensed processors jockeying for position in this lucrative market segment.
5. International
Expansion
Legalization of cannabis for medical purposes has been a phenomenon that started sweeping across the entire globe in 2018. At a Federal level, cannabis remains illegal in the United States, prohibiting American companies from expanding internationally. Canadian companies have been taking advantage, spreading their reach into multiple continents. The legalization of hemp in the United States at the end of 2018 feels like a harbinger of things to come for cannabis. Expect Canadian companies to continue to push to take advantage of their head start before the Americans are able to jump into the race.
6. Brands Emerge
More Prominently
Deciding what cannabis to purchase post-legalization has been a difficult decision for many since legalization. Heavy restrictions on promotion as well as the imposition of plain packaging can leave consumers scratching their heads. However, in 2019 expect certain brands to emerge more prominently over others, whether that occurs through creative promotion, word of mouth, or otherwise.
7. Bill Blair to Put His Stamp on His Role
Bill Blair, the former Chief of the Toronto Police Service and a prominent figure in the Liberal Party behind the legalization process, was appointed as the Minster responsible for administering the Cannabis Act in late November, 2018. The Cannabis Act and its regulations provide room for interpretation in many instances and there is also a level of built-in discretion in how the law can be administered. Expect Bill Blair to show Canadians how the government intends to administer the Cannabis Act as the dust on legalization settles in 2019.