It’s great to see that after months of waiting, Rocky View County residents will finally have local options to purchase recreational cannabis.
Since the drug was legalized in October 2018, demand has dramatically outpaced available product – and many Canadians looking to buy cannabis through government-regulated channels were disappointed to discover that a moratorium was preventing retailers from stocking their shelves or even opening their doors.
For those consumers lucky enough to find a store with sufficient inventory, the high price of the commodity was enough of a turn-off to send many of them back to alternative, illegal options.
And it’s not just consumers who have been impacted. We spoke with a number of local retailers who spent months – even more than a year, according to one business owner in Airdrie – waiting to start earning an income after investing in what seemed like a flourishing business opportunity. It’s hard enough to start a new venture without worrying about delayed approvals and inventory concerns.
We’re pleased that our local entrepreneurs have finally received the go-ahead to open their doors and start serving the community. It sounds like these business owners are already seeing a positive response and plenty of new customers, which is nothing but good news for County residents.
Hopefully, this means we’ll see less activity on the black market and more tax dollars supporting our economy.
