Canada remains one of the only countries in the world that allows legal and regulated access to recreational cannabis. But five years after the drug's legalisation, the country's cannabis industry is struggling for survival. George Smitherman remembers buying his first legal gram of cannabis in October 2018 from a Tweed shop in Newfoundland.
The cannabis company had made headlines two years prior for signing a marketing deal with US rapper Snoop Dogg, which was hailed at the time as a sign of a new dawn in the cannabis industry. The shop, Mr Smitherman recalls, was "beautiful". "I didn't know if I was in a spa or a jewellery showroom," he said.
He also remembers the juxtaposition of the product he bought versus the striking space he bought it in - all cannabis products in Canada are sold in generic packaging with plain, government-issued labels.
Still, it was an exciting time, Mr Smitherman recalls. Canada's long-anticipated cannabis legalisation had just become a reality. Investment was flowing into a brand new market that many thought would get them rich. Five years later, the industry is dealing with economic struggles far removed from the enthusiasm of those early days.
Take Aurora Cannabis, for example.
The Alberta-based cannabis manufacturer - one of the largest in Canada - announced in August that it will be diversifying its offerings and start selling orchids. That same month, another company, Canopy Growth, sold the multi-million dollar Ontario headquarters it bought in 2017 back to its original owner, candy manufacturer Hershey Canada.
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