UNO News Net: HOW TO GET RICH WITH POT IN CANADA: the 17 cannabis retailers in Alberta that will have licences on legalization day

By Omar MoslehStarMetro Edmonton

Thu., Oct. 4, 2018

EDMONTON—Get ready to get in line.
When marijuana is legalized on Oct. 17, there will be 17 licensed retailers across the province allowed to open their doors, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) said Thursday.

The AGLC said Thursday that there will be 17 licensed retailers in Alberta come legalization day. (JONATHAN HAYWARD / The Canadian Press)

The regulator has issued 17 interim cannabis licences, which will allow retailers to order and have product shipped to retail locations so they’re ready for legalization. Stores with interim licences that fulfil all conditions (for example, having to put up provincial signage) will be issued a sales licence on legalization day so they can open to the public.
AGLC spokesperson Kaleigh Miller confirmed that all 17 locations have already ordered their cannabis stock.
The approvals were not issued based on when stores applied, but rather on how many background checks had to be completed. Store owners and employees cannot have a criminal record.

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“The licensees that have made it this far or this quickly, it has nothing to do with the order in which they applied … larger companies have quite a few stakeholders, who have to be investigated,” Miller said.
The AGLC is expecting the number of stores to increase after legalization and reach roughly 250 by the end of the first year.
The list of interim locations is online and includes six stores in Edmonton, including two Nova Cannabis locations, Cannabis House, Numo Cannabis Corp., Fire & Flower, and Alternative Greens.
There are two stores, another Nova Cannabis and 420 Premium Market, in Calgary.
Adults will also be able to order online at albertacannabis.org. The online store will be in operation as of 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 17, whereas stores will only be allowed to operate from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

“We did have one gentleman that was in the store express interest in pitching a tent on the 16th because he’s retired and his whole life he’s never been able to buy cannabis legally,” she said. “And he wants to be one of the first ones to be able to buy it legally.”

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Chris Felgate co-owns Devon’s Small Town Buds, the first fully-licensed cannabis dispensary in Alberta, with his wife Nicole. In September alone, they put about 350 hours into preparing the shop for Oct. 17.
In Felgate’s case, because they’re a small operation with two owners, only he and his wife had to undergo due diligence background checks, which are more rigorous for owners.
“That’s kind of what helped us get in front of some of the big companies,” Felgate said. “Some of the big companies have hundreds of people working for them.”
It also helped that they’ve already been operating a vape and accessories shop in the same building since April. The two businesses are separate, but it allowed them to get a head start on preparation.
“This way, we could do all of our renovations and get the project 100 per cent ready,” he said.
Meanwhile, Matt Schmitt, manager of Cannabis House’s 170 Ave. location, expects the shops to be packed on opening day.
“I think it’s going to be crazy … I looked into how things were in Colorado and California and they had just crazy lineups around the block,” Schmitt said.
“We’re part of the six stores making history in Edmonton,” he added. “Everyone’s excited to learn the industry, it’s brand new and a dream job for some of our employees.”