In a Toronto Star op-ed, Brock University business professor Michael J. Armstrong assailed the Ontario Cannabis Store—crown corporation and holder of the provincial monopoly on cannabis wholesale—for its distinct lack of transparency.
- The OCS has made only four announcements on its website since January, takes weeks to respond to email requests for information and only then redirects the public to its media office.
- Armstrong noted most of what we know about OCS comes from Statistics Canada and from the Ontario ombudsman, who received more complaints about the OCS than any other provincial institution.
- The reason Ontario has allotted REC retail via lotteries has been its claim of continuing supply shortages, but the OCS does not make public data about shipments and inventory, nor does it post its pricing policies as does sister agency the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
- There was also no public tender for warehousing and distribution after the LCBO was separated from the Ontario Cannabis Store.
Twitter—Presumably Paul
Quick Hits
- Police have shut down a huge portion of the country’s physical dispensaries, but online dispensaries are a bigger challenge. Some hope the legal market improving will dry up online demand. Globe and Mail
- MED patients in Halifax say dispensary raids infringe their human rights.
Halifax Today, Global News
