Cannabis Act review comes as North Bay pot stores exceed Tim Hortons outlets
The federal government has announced a review of the Cannabis Act after hearing from people in the industry that changes are needed.
For example, there are more cannabis shops in North Bay than there are Tim Hortons. With a pot shop at nearly every large intersection in the city, retailers are starting to notice.
"There is a certain point where we are a community but that community can absolutely get oversaturated," said Alec Quade of True North Cannabis Co.
"I find that every store has had every complaint that we're not busy enough. There's so many our regulars are going to different spots and then they are not coming back to good old reliables."
Trevor Drouin of Happy Life Cannabis said he expects some outlets will struggle.
"I'm not going to say there's too many, because I'm sure there's room for everyone because I've seen Tim Hortons survive with as many locations as they had," Drouin said.
"I am a bit worried for the bigger franchises with the big overhead. Because of the overhead, it's just like a Starbucks competing with a Tim Hortons."
With a review of the legislation coming, retailers who spoke to CTV News said they would like to see changes to pricing rules.
"That's definitely an issue we would like to see that lowered for sure it would definitely help us with our bottom line," said Drouin.
"There is a tax difference when it comes to different stores and different provinces and I'd just like to be on a level playing field. More savings to our customer is how we look at it."
Another challenge retailers are facing is competition from the illegal market. However, North Bay retailers said that is changing.
"Because is the issues with fentanyl and everything people are getting more scared of, getting more scared of it and coming to the safer dispensaries," said Quade.
"That is exactly what we are we are ….safer than the black market for sure."
A level playing field would make a big difference, said Drouin.
"In the industry, we have to raise some numbers so we can get the (illegal) market level with the legal market," he said.
"The minimums on THC and stuff like that I would like to see changed."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.