The provincial government says it will be ready for legalization of cannabis come Oct. 17.
The Federal Government recently announced the legalization of the substance should roll out for Oct. 17, and the Alberta Government is saying they will be ready.
Since the announcement of the impending legalization, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) has been working to nail down contracts with cannabis producers, as well as creating agreements for distribution and warehousing of the substance.
A press release from the provincial government says the AGLC has been working for months to find the right partnerships.
So far the AGLC has signed contracts with 13 federally-approved companies to provide all of the province’s legal cannabis, with plans to look at more companies in the future.
Specifically, the AGLC says they will be looking into Alberta-based producers for future contracts.
The 13 companies contracted with Alberta’s cannabis production are:
• 7 Acres/The Supreme Cannabis Company
• ABCann Global
• Aphria Inc.
• Aurora
• CannTrust
• Canopy Growth
• Emblem Cannabis
• Maricann Group Inc.
• MedReleaf Corp.
• Organigram
• Starseed Medicinal Inc.
• UP Cannabis Inc.
• Weed MD
Aurora Cannabis issued a statement Thursday morning, confirming the contract to “supply high-quality cannabis products for the adult consumer use market in the province.”
According to the press release from Aurora, the company will supply Alberta with 25,000 kg of pot in the first six months.
“Aurora already is the pre-eminent provider of medical cannabis in Alberta, with a dominant market share, serving more Alberta patients than any other licensed producer,” said Terry Booth, Aurora Cannbis CEO. “We have a brand recognized for quality, which we intend to leverage to capture significant share of the adult consumer market in Alberta and Canada, both organically and through our strategic retail partnerships.”
Adult consumers will be able to purchase cannabis from retailers in person, or online through the AGLC at albertacannabis.org. This will be the only legal way for Albertan to purchase the substance online.
Niaz Nejad, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Gaming & Cannabis, AGLC, says the partnerships formed with the contracts will help fulfils the government’s responsibilities to Albertans.
“The AGLC is committed to providing the Alberta market with access to federally regulated cannabis in a safe and fiscally responsible manner, while helping to shrink the illicit market,” said Nejad.
