Liquor Depot operator strikes exclusive deal to run Aurora Cannabis retail stores

Twitter icon

A marijuana depot is coming soon to a neighbourhood near you.

Edmonton-based producer Aurora Cannabis announced a licence agreement Wednesday with Alcanna — the company that runs Liquor Depot stores — that will give Alcanna exclusive rights to open retail cannabis shops under the Aurora brand name in Canada.

Aurora employees cut clones off mother cannabis plants at the Aurora Sky facility in Nisku, Alta., on July 13. Aurora announced an exclusive retail store deal with Alcanna Wednesday.
Aurora employees cut clones off mother cannabis plants at the Aurora Sky facility in Nisku, Alta., on July 13. Aurora announced an exclusive retail store deal with Alcanna Wednesday.

Alcanna, the largest private sector liquor retailer in Canada, will build, own and operate the stores. The company anticipates 37 of them — the maximum number permitted to a single operator in Alberta — will open across the province on Oct. 17.

Some of its existing liquor stores are already being converted.

Alcanna currently runs 229 liquor stores in Western Canada and Alaska.

Aurora’s 800,000-square-foot facility at the Edmonton International Airport is scheduled to be completed by next month and to produce 8,000 kilograms of cannabis a month or more by January 2019.

The company has committed to supplying up to 25,000 kilograms of marijuana to Alberta’s retail market in the first six months following legalization.

e-mail icon Facebook icon Twitter icon LinkedIn icon Reddit icon
Rate this article: