The Canadian federal government is determined to steamroll ahead with pot legalization, in order to meet its target date of July 1, 2018. As the day of legal cannabis inches closer, leaders from provinces and local municipalities are voicing concerns about their region’s ability to fund and establish proper regulations in time.
Another significant item of concern for the legal cannabis marketplace next July is likely to be the lack of supply.
Industry experts in finance, as well as licensed producers themselves, have indicated that the amount of cannabis available once legalization is here will fall drastically short of expected public demand.
Currently, Canada has approximately 170,000 medical cannabis patients and producers regularly run out of product, said Aaron Salz to the Ottawa Citizen. Salz was the first investment analyst on Bay Street to specialize in the cannabis industry. He is now a consultant for some larger cannabis producers.
“The industry won’t be able to expand quickly enough to immediately supply all the Canadians who might want to buy recreational marijuana,” he said. “We are going to have a supply shortage. I’m highly confident of…