Connect with us

Agriculture

Province says it’s time for 10 more cannabis stores in Alberta

Published

5 years ago

2 minute read

From the Province of Alberta

Improvements to Alberta’s cannabis supply support additional retail licences

After seeing improvement in the province’s cannabis supply, AGLC will issue 10 additional retail cannabis licences, bringing the number of retail locations in Alberta to 75.

Although the national cannabis supply shortage has created restrictions for licensed retailers to access a comprehensive selection of inventory, supply challenges have shown some improvement.

Issuing a limited number of new licences still effectively manages the cannabis supply shortage by ensuring there is sufficient inventory available for current retailers, while allowing some applicants in the queue to open their stores.

“After seeing a modest improvement in supply over the last few weeks, we are confident the inventory can accommodate an additional 10 retail locations. AGLC continues to work with our licensed producers and current retailers towards solutions that will support a sustainable marketplace.”

Alain Maisonneuve, President & CEO, AGLC

The additional licences will be issued to the first 10 applicants that have met all licensing conditions after the decision was made to stop issuing licences.  AGLC has maintained a queue of approved retailers on a first-in, first-out basis to ensure an equitable process is adhered to.

While AGLC’s supply levels have seen modest improvement, they are not stable enough to fully open the licensing process or accept new retail cannabis applications. AGLC is in discussions with an additional 12 licensed producers from across Canada to secure additional product.

AGLC is responsible for regulating private retail cannabis, the distribution of cannabis and operation of the province’s only legal online cannabis store on behalf of the Alberta government. In Alberta, AlbertaCannabis.org is the only legal source to purchase cannabis products online.

For more than 20 years, AGLC has been a regulatory leader in the management of Alberta’s gaming and liquor industries. Our commitment to integrity and offering choices Albertans can trust will continue as our responsibilities expand to include cannabis.

Related Topics:

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

Follow Author

More from this author
COVID-19 / 3 hours ago

Japanese study shows disturbing increase in cancer related deaths during the Covid pandemic

COVID-19 / 2 months ago

ArriveCAN bill at least $60 million. Opposition calling for investigation

Agriculture / 3 months ago

Why Are Governments Attacking Farmers?

Agriculture

Bill C-282, now in the Senate, risks holding back other economic sectors and further burdening consumers

Published on April 17, 2024

By

From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

By Sylvain Charlebois

Bill C-282 currently sits in the Canadian Senate and stands on the precipice of becoming law in a matter of weeks. Essentially, this bill seeks to bestow immunity upon supply management from any potential future trade negotiations without offering increased market access to potential trade partners.

In simpler terms, it risks holding all other economic sectors hostage solely to safeguard the interests of a small, privileged group of farmers. This is far from an optimal scenario, and the implications of this bill spell bad news for Canadians.

Supply management, which governs poultry, egg, and dairy production in Canada, has traditionally enabled us to fulfill our domestic needs. Under this system, farmers are allocated government-sanctioned quotas to produce food for the nation. At the same time, high tariffs are imposed on imports of items such as chicken, butter, yogurt, cheese, milk, and eggs. This model has been in place for over five decades, ostensibly to shield family farms from economic volatility.

However, despite the implementation of supply management, Canada has witnessed a comparable decline in the number of farms as the United States, where a national supply management scheme does not exist. Supply management has failed to preserve much of anything beyond enriching select agricultural sectors.

For instance, dairy farmers now possess quotas valued at over $25 billion while concurrently burdening dairy processors with the highest-priced industrial milk in the Western world. Recent data indicates a significant surge in prices at the grocery store, with yogurt prices alone soaring by over 30 percent since December 2023. This escalation is increasingly straining the budgets of many consumers.

It’s evident to those knowledgeable about the situation that the emergence of Bill C-282 should come as no surprise. Proponents of supply management exert considerable influence over politicians across party lines, compelling them to support this bill to safeguard the interests of less than one percent of our economy, much to the ignorance of most Canadians. In the last federal budget, the dairy industry alone received over $300 million in research funds, funds that arguably exceed their actual needs.

While Canada’s agricultural sector accounts for approximately seven percent of our GDP, supply-managed industries represent only a small fraction of that figure. Supply-managed farms represent about five percent of all farms in Canada. Forging trade agreements with key partners such as India, China, and the United Kingdom is imperative not only for sectors like automotive, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology but for the vast majority of farms in livestock and grains to thrive and contribute to global welfare and prosperity. It is essential to recognize that Canada has much more to offer than merely self-sufficiency in food production.

Over time, the marketing boards overseeing quotas for farmers have amassed significant power and have proven themselves politically aggressive. They vehemently oppose any challenges to the existing system, targeting politicians, academics, and groups advocating for reform or abolition. Despite occasional resistance from MPs and Senators, no major political party has dared to question the disproportionate protection afforded to one sector over others. Strengthening our supply-managed sectors necessitates embracing competition, which can only serve to enhance their resilience and competitiveness.

A recent example of the consequences of protectionism is the United Kingdom’s decision to walk away from trade negotiations with Canada due to disagreements over access to our dairy market. Not only do many Canadians appreciate the quality of British cheese, but increased competition in the dairy section would also help drive prices down, a welcome relief given current economic challenges.

In the past decade, Canada has ratified trade agreements such as CUSMA, CETA, and CPTPP, all of which entailed breaches in our supply management regime. Despite initial concerns from farmers, particularly regarding the impact on poultry, eggs, and dairy, these sectors have fared well. A dairy farm in Ontario recently sold for a staggering $21.5 million in Oxford County. Claims of losses resulting from increased market access are often unfounded, as farmer boards simply adjust quotas when producers exit the industry.

In essence, Bill C-282 represents a misguided initiative driven by farmer boards capitalizing on the ignorance of urban residents and politicians regarding rural realities. Embracing further protectionism will not only harm consumers yearning for more competition at the grocery store but also impede the growth opportunities of various agricultural sectors striving to compete globally and stifle the expansion prospects of non-agricultural sectors seeking increased market access.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

Continue Reading

Agriculture

Degrowth: How to Make the World Poorer, Polluted and Miserable

Published on March 23, 2024

By

From StosselTV

Activists have a new goal: “DEgrowth.”

They say “growth is killing us.” They couldn’t be MORE wrong.

“Growth is not killing us. It’s saving us!” says author Johan Norberg. He explains why growth is essential to human progress, especially for poor people. “In poor countries, if you manage to grow by 4% annually over 20 years,” he points out, “that reduces poverty in that country on average by 80%.

But DEgrowth activists insist that growth means “climate chaos.” They say a smaller economy would be “sweeter.” They say “We must urgently dismantle capitalism!” It’s destructive nonsense. This video explains why.

————

To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe

————

After 40+ years of reporting, I now understand the importance of limited government and personal freedom.

——————————————

Libertarian journalist John Stossel created Stossel TV to explain liberty and free markets to young people.

Prior to Stossel TV he hosted a show on Fox Business and co-anchored ABC’s primetime newsmagazine show, 20/20. Stossel’s economic programs have been adapted into teaching kits by a non-profit organization, “Stossel in the Classroom.” High school teachers in American public schools now use the videos to help educate their students on economics and economic freedom. They are seen by more than 12 million students every year.

Stossel has received 19 Emmy Awards and has been honored five times for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club.

Other honors include the George Polk Award for Outstanding Local Reporting and the George Foster Peabody Award.

Continue Reading

Trending

X