{"id":393,"date":"2021-08-11T14:30:53","date_gmt":"2021-08-11T14:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=175133"},"modified":"2021-08-11T14:30:53","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T14:30:53","slug":"the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=393","title":{"rendered":"The pandemic has changed Canadian cannabis retail for the better"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>The pandemic has changed Canadian cannabis retail for the better | Leafly<\/title>     <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.9.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                  <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>     <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><label for=\"select-province\">Which part of Canada?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__age hidden\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--unavailable hidden\">Sorry, Leafly isn&#8217;t available in your location yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>When the pandemic struck, Canadians retreated to their homes and about a million of them became unemployed. Dealing with social isolation and uncertainty, many people turned to cannabis to ease their anxiety and depression, or just to alleviate boredom. <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the number of licensed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/news\/canada\/provinces-struggle-number-cannabis-retail-stores\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cannabis retail stores exploded coast-to-coast<\/a>. With increased access, and more idle time from various lockdowns, it wasn\u2019t a surprise when cannabis was high demand. What was surprising, is how the pandemic would change the face of cannabis retail forever.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-cannabis-use-up-52-during-the-pandemic\">Cannabis use up 52% during the pandemic<\/h2>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.camh.ca\/en\/camh-news-and-stories\/half-cannabis-users-increased-consumption-1st-wave-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a> by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 52% of existing cannabis consumers reported an increase in their consumption during the pandemic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cannabis retail sales increased across the country, especially in Ontario. Statistics Canada reported that Canadians bought more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bnnbloomberg.ca\/cannabis-canada-weekly-canadians-doubled-pot-purchases-to-2-6b-in-lockdown-filled-2020-1.1566114#:~:text=Canadians%20bought%20more%20than%20%242.6,sales%20figures%20from%20Statistics%20Canada.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$2.6 billion worth of legal, recreational cannabis<\/a> in 2020, more than double the amount from the year before.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the increase in cannabis consumption was so dramatic it raised alarm bells among some health professionals. \u201cWe know that cannabis use has increased since the start of the pandemic,\u201d says Dr. Sameer Imtiaz, co-author of the CAMH study. \u201cBut Canadians need to use it in moderation because, when you start using it more frequently, you start to run into health problems.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-private-retail-hit-hard-by-closures-while-online-sales-soared\">Private retail hit hard by closures while online sales soared<\/h2>\n<p>As significant as the increase in cannabis consumption was last year, private retailers didn\u2019t exactly hit the jackpot.&nbsp;Lockdowns, combined with Canadians\u2019 general unease about leaving their homes, led consumers to purchase their cannabis online.<\/p>\n<p>To limit person-to-person contact in stores, Canadian provinces and territories required physical distancing, increased sanitation measures, and reduced operating hours. <\/p>\n<p>In a few jurisdictions, stores were temporarily closed for in-person service.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" alt class=\"wp-image-175286 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>After cannabis retail became an essential service, stores found new ways to serve customers. (Bright Photography via Village Bloomery)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Government-owned retailers were the primary beneficiaries of that trend; at the time the pandemic started, most provinces and territories prohibited private retailers from providing online services.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur overall sales didn\u2019t grow last year,\u201d says Andrea Dobbs, owner of <a href=\"https:\/\/villagebloomery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Village Bloomery<\/a>, a boutique cannabis retail store in Vancouver. \u201cWe had to downsize staffing and tighten our belts because of lean times.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-cannabis-deemed-an-essential-service-by-government\">Cannabis deemed an essential service by government<\/h2>\n<p>But governments did provide private retailers with a lifeline. <\/p>\n<p>Almost all jurisdictions soon classified cannabis retail as an essential service\u2014and allowed private retailers to remain operational during lockdowns. Governments also allowed them to develop and launch e-commerce platforms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The retailers rose to the occasion by developing online payment and delivery systems that included curbside pick up, home delivery or both. As their online services improved, consumers returned. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt class=\"wp-image-175160 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>E-commerce allowed cannabis retailers to reach customers despite pandemic lockdowns. (Adobe Stock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now, with the economy starting to reopen and Canadians inching closer to normalcy, governments are continuing to allow private cannabis retailers to conduct e-commerce.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, at least one jurisdiction recently gave them the green light to <em>expand<\/em> their online services. In British Columbia, private retailers have been offering online ordering and curbside pick up for more than a year. As of last month, they can also provide home delivery.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-rise-of-independent-e-commerce-and-curbside-pickup\">The rise of independent e-commerce and curbside pickup<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWhen the pandemic started, business dropped around 70 percent,\u201d says Cameron Brown, communications officer for <a href=\"https:\/\/thehunnypot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hunny Pot<\/a>, a Toronto-based cannabis retail company, \u201cso we offered curbside pickup and delivery services as soon as it was allowed.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Many experts believe that e-commerce in private cannabis retail is here to stay in this country\u2014a development that would give businesses in that space a boost.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" alt class=\"wp-image-175167 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>The graffiti wall inside the Hunny Pot\u2019s 2903 Dundas St W location. (Hunny Pot)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>That is not the only way in which the pandemic could ultimately prove beneficial for private cannabis retailers. Many of them believe that, by designating cannabis retail \u201can essential service,\u201d during the pandemic, provincial and territorial governments effectively helped reduce the stigma long associated with the plant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe government\u2019s designation took us from being a fringe business to one that is indispensable,\u201d says Dobbs of Village Bloomery. \u201cIt\u2019s an essential part of people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-finding-the-silver-lining-after-turbulent-times\">Finding the silver lining after turbulent times<\/h2>\n<p>With the diminished stigma, the expansion of retail services and the growing number of brick-and-mortar stores\u2014a development that predates COVID-19\u2014many cannabis industry stakeholders are emerging from the pandemic feeling optimistic about the future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo years from now, the stigma surrounding cannabis will have dissipated and it will be an accepted part of socializing just as alcohol is now,\u201d says Brown. \u201cYou will also see more retail stores spaced out across the country and a better variety of products.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The co-founder of Field Trip Health, a psychedelics company that recently conducted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newswire.ca\/news-releases\/canadians-are-not-ok-83-of-canadians-report-one-or-more-symptoms-of-depression-with-many-turning-to-substances-to-cope-with-negative-emotions-during-covid-19-pandemic-according-to-field-trip-health-s-first-annual-state-of-mind-survey-893881408.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a survey<\/a> in which half of respondents said they had increased their use of cannabis during the pandemic, says the battle against COVID-19 could and should be a transformative event, not just for cannabis industry stakeholders but also for every Canadian who has struggled during the pandemic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a good opportunity to lean into the discomfort and find things to improve our mental health and our lives,\u201d says Ronan Levy. \u201cThere is a silver lining. Every experience in life can be a learning opportunity, and this past year has been a big one. Take advantage of it. Don\u2019t let the world pass you by.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better.jpg\" alt=\"Randi Druzin's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Randi Druzin<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Randi Druzin is an author and journalist in Toronto. She has worked at several major media outlets, including the National Post and the CBC, and has written for dozens of publications, such as The New York Times, Time magazine, ESPN The Magazine, and The Globe and Mail.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/news\/author\/randi-druzin\">View Randi Druzin&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-08-11 10:40:48 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pandemic has changed Canadian cannabis retail for the better | Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? Which part of Canada? Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Sorry, Leafly isn&#8217;t available in your location yet. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. When the pandemic struck, Canadians retreated to their homes and about a million of them became unemployed. Dealing with social isolation and uncertainty, many people turned to cannabis to ease their anxiety and depression, or just to alleviate boredom. Additionally, the number of licensed&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/the-pandemic-has-changed-canadian-cannabis-retail-for-the-better.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}