Ontario has on Friday a lottery for cannabis shops. Here, the rest of the country tried and how it turned out

However, there is another important exit: British Columbia. The establishment of the operation of cannabis with the black and gray market in B.C., as well as the slow opening of legal cannabis, means that the province has a private and public sales system that is difficult to exploit.

"They have almost a lawfully unlawful market," Osak said. "They have some publicly owned stores, and now there are recently some private stores. So they have a mixed bag of everything. "

Many questions about the Cannabis licensing system in Ontario remain unanswered, Osak said, especially when it comes to late penalties.

Retailers, as part of their application, must submit a letter of credit worth $ 50,000. If they do not open until April 1, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission in Ontario can receive $ 12,500. Retailers, who are still not open until April 15, will lose another $ 12,500. It is unclear whether shops that have carried out all necessary inspections and properly trained personnel could suffer these penalties if they are faced with an unreliable supply of weed and are forced to close.

"The whole process is burdened with uncertainty," Osak said.

See how the rest of Canada dealt with brick and mortar trade in cannabis and how they have been legalized since:

Read more:

In Ontario, hemp will only have 25 winners. But is this a smart approach or a gold ticket for now?

N.B. The cannabis trader dismisses the staff because the "operational needs" become clear

The Toronto council has opted for a way to shop as well as Ontario limits the number to 25 due to lack of supply

British Columbia

Process: While B.C. does not limit the number of private retailers with cannabis, applicants must take several steps to officially obtain a license, including the payment of a registration fee of $ 7,500 and the approval of their local government or indigenous people.

What it did: Most cannabis users who could not go to their only provincial own store in Kamloops had to buy from a provincial-led online store in the first two weeks of legalization. It turned out to be extremely popular, as the reports of the landscape being in stock are only 24 hours after the launch.

Private traders arrived a few weeks later, with Tamarack Cannabis Boutique in Kimberley first exiting the door.

What was not: The regulations have limited stocks for the sale of products exclusively from the wholesaler of the country. Therefore, stores can not carry cream based on cannabis and dishes; Tamarack's owner, Tamara Duggan, said that these are some of the most popular items in her Kimberley trade.

The introduction of stores in other municipalities was much slower, as companies complained that the licensing process was too complicated. In Vancouver, which is the center of cannabis use, where there are still more illegal stores, three months passed, before the first two private dealers opened their doors – up to long set-ups of enthusiastic customers.

Jaclynn Pehota, the Evergreen Cannabis regulatory advisor, said the private licensing process was not particularly intuitive or user-friendly, and many small businesses may not have enough resources to do so.

Alberta

Process: Alberta has taken on a relatively well-considered approach to the sale of weeds, just like their privatized alcohol trading system. Applicants wishing to open the store must obtain the approval of the municipal authorities and apply for the application process (including verification of the past) from the Alberta Gaming, Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (AGLC).

In the province, it is not allowed to limit the number of stores, although AGLC is expected to see approximately 250 storage applications in the first year of legalization. However, privatization does not relate to the Internet: The only legal website for the purchase of weeds in Alberta is AGLC-managed albertacannabis.org.

What it did: On 17 October, Alberta opened 17 sales outlets. The Edmonton area had only a dozen on the day of legalization, while Calgary had two. There are several possible reasons why the provincial capital has so far overtaken Cowtown, including the existing medical hemp industry (Aurora headquarters in Edmonton) and relaxed public spending laws.. Albertans also have a healthy appetite for buds: New Cannabis, a chain of stores across the country, sold $ 1.3 million in legalization during the first five days of legalization.

Failed: As with other provinces, brick and mortar in Alberta and albertacannabis.org just a month after legalization found themselves starving. At the end of November, AGLC announced a moratorium on the issuance of new storage permits until the supply issues were resolved and claimed that it had received only 20 percent of the cannabis that it had ordered from licensed producers.

Several shops, including Numo Cannabis in Northern Edmonton, had to shut down for weeks because of a scarcity of weeds, while Urban Canna, a small chain in Calgary, could not even open during the first month of legalization. Some Alberta municipalities also put a veto on supplies, and Calgary found himself indoors with a ban on cannabis sales at city borders.

Atlantic Canada

Process: New Scottish Corporation Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) is the only authorized dealer. On the day of legalization, the Crown Corp has opened 11 cannabis bins within existing alcohol stores, one independent Halibax Cannabis trade, and online sales.

What it did: When shops opened in cities and towns in the province on October 17, there were long lines, as officials conducted nearly 13,000 transactions and sold over 660,000 dollars. These routes have lasted several days in some locations.

NSLC spokesman Beverly Ware said in an e-mail that the corporation was "very satisfied with the implementation" and that soon after legalization, it responded to the public's demand for local producers. On October 17th, there were no licensed local producers in the province, and two have since received the green light of Canada's health.

Failed: Several stores with hemp NSLC have been closed early due to lack of it.

As in New Scotland, the rest of the Atlantic Canada opted for government merchants with cannabis. A retailer in New Brunswick, Cannabis NB, has faced similar challenges in supplying NSLC and has recently fired more than 60 employees from 20 stores.

Cannabis spokeswoman NB Marie-André Bolduc told the Canadian media that it is difficult to say whether the supply problems are related to layoffs.

"The decision is representative of traditional new retail activities and long-term fiscal responsibility," Bolduc said.

Quebec

Process: Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) manages 12 stores across the province, including three in Montreal and two in Quebec. Buyers can also buy cannabis on their website.

What it did: 12 stores were opened after the day of legalization and the website was live. In the first week of operation, the province's website reported 53,300 transactions online and 84,850 transactions in stores.

Failed: Stores affected by the lack of care are now open only from Thursday to Sunday. In addition, some customers reported receiving products with a unit mass lower than that indicated on the packaging, according to the SQDC website.

Saskatchewan

Process: Operators in 51 retail stores with cannabis were selected on the basis of a two-step process that combined the open request for proposals and lotteries.

Applicants who completed the first phase of the review examining financial and inventory systems were included in the lottery in order to qualify for the license. The independent consulting firm KPMG was accompanied on the provincial website.

What it did: Advance planning meant that several days were opened on the day of legalization.

Failed: By then, there were not all 51 stores. Currently, only 17 are active; the rest are working through the licensing process, and in the coming weeks more should be issued.

Manitoba

Process: A request for proposals was published in November 2017 and was looking for four start-ups. The province announced in February 2018 successful retailers.

Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis in Manitoba (LGCA) regulates, licensing, reviewing and auditing industry, while processing and distribution is the responsibility of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation (MBLL).

The private sector manages all 16 retail locations across the country, including two in the communities of the first nations and 10 in Winnipeg.

What it did: In December, the province announced that private traders mostly played by rules and that no one had been penalized for legalization, reports Canadian Press.

Failed: The MBLL said in October that it expects the lack of care to last at least six months, as the province, along with others, does not receive as much cannabis as it needs.

In December, RCMP seized all Cannibals from Bonify from Winnipeg, who thought that illegal cannabis had entered the market.

Nunavut

The The only way to purchase is to order online from a private Tweed dealer that does not have stores in Nunavut. The government did not immediately respond to the request for more details.

Yukon

The government manages a single cannabis trade in Whitehorse and an online store. The government did not immediately respond to the request for more details.

Northwest Territories

The Alcohol and Cannabis Commission in the northwestern territories regulates the distribution of alcohol and cannabis by postal order, online store and five bricks and mortar places. The government did not immediately respond to the request for more details.

With files by Joseph Hall, Kevin Maimann, Omar Mosleh, Taryn Grant, Cherise Seucharan and May Warren