Medical marijuana first became legal in Canada in 2001, but the industry initially struggled to grow.
Linton described how he persuaded many people who were in their 40s and 50s that supporting the prohibition of cannabis was to support the black market and crime. Only a criminal would like to keep the market unregulated he argued.
“This shit is everywhere. The question is whether you govern it or not,” Linton said. He added it was hard to ignore its great potential for job creation and scientific opportunity.
Linton said that initially there were great concerns about doctors not prescribing cannabis to patients which led the industry to struggle. Canopy then hired many drug experts from pharmaceutical companies including Novartis and Pfizer to educate doctors regarding cannabis. This helped Canopy vastly expand their business.
With Linton as Co-CEO of Canopy, the company grew quickly. His Co-CEO focused on operations while he focused on growth and outreach. He ascribes Canopy’s success to the fact that it scaled well because of applied technology, including extensive use of databases, Application Programming Interface (APIs), and software.
He noted it’s relatively easier to be a global company if it is designed to scale.
Linton said that Canopy’s ability to deliver high-quality products in the nascent industry is what led it to stand out.
“When you’re a tech nerd, you’re good at not messing up,” Linton said regarding his ability to deliver results.
Canopy and its subsidiaries sell flowers, oils and concentrates, soft gel capsules, and hemp for both medical and recreational uses. One of their subsidies gives discounts to struggling medical patients.