CannTrust whistleblower admits backlash, personal woes following company’s licence suspension

CannTrust's former employee-turned-whistleblower is having mixed feelings after learning about the cannabis producer’s recent suspension by federal regulators, BNN Bloomberg’s Jon Erlichman reports. Nick Lalonde spoke out about alleged transgressions at the company where staff at CannTrust’s Pelham, Ont. facility had been asked to install temporary walls in an attempt to hide unlicensed pot production from Health Canada officials. Lalonde has not pursued work in the cannabis industry since leaving CannTrust, but is now working in the cement finishing business. “It’s killing me, but there’s nothing I can do about. If I didn’t leave, I would still be in the thick of things at CannTrust.”

Alberta returns CannTrust products in wake of regulatory suspension

With CannTrust’s licence to produce and sell cannabis suspended by federal regulators, Alberta’s government cannabis wholesaler and online retailer is returning all products to the company. A spokesperson for the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission confirmed to BNN Bloomberg the wholesaler will return its remaining supply of CannTrust products to the Vaughan, Ont.-based company “effective immediately.” The amount of cannabis Alberta held in inventory wasn’t provided by the province’s pot distributor. The move comes a month after Ontario returned products valued at roughly $2.9 million to CannTrust because they were "non-conforming" under the terms of its master agreement with the company.

Convenience store giant Couche-Tard eyes opportunities in the North American cannabis retail space

Convenience store giant Alimentation Couche-Tard wants to be one of the "key players" in the North American cannabis retail sector, the company’s founder and executive chairman Alain Bouchard said following its annual meeting. The Canadian Press reports that Couche-Tard already has a sizable minority stake in cannabis retailer Fire & Flower as well as a partnership with Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth for that company’s privately run pot shops. It has also explored expanding its cannabis retail strategy to the U.S. in certain states where pot is legal, and has begun selling CBD products as well. One place the company won’t be selling cannabis in? Its home province of Quebec, where it is restricted by provincial rules governing the sale of marijuana.  

Calgary set to open more than 200 cannabis stores with no end in sight: city officials

How many pot stores can one large Canadian city handle? At least 200, according to Calgary city officials. The Calgary Herald reports that the city has approved 209 cannabis outlets with no end seemingly in sight where the only restriction is the distance between stores. A total of 284 cannabis stores have been granted licenses by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission as well as 1,248 applications to open up a pot shop in the province. Of those, 457 are pending AGLC approval. By comparison, there is 24 cannabis stores open in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, with plans to expand that to 75 by the end of the year.

DAILY BUZZ

2.3%
- The amount that cannabis prices have declined from January to August, according to Statistics Canada’s inflation data released Wednesday.
  

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