he Canadian pot industry still has many hurdles to jump before it reaches the success of Colorado’s lucrative legal weed market, according to one expert.

If Ontario opened up hundreds of new pot stores, producers focused on price and quality, and governments dropped taxes and eventually relaxed rules, Canada would have cannabis sales closer to Colorado’s thriving market. That’s according to Michael Armstrong, an associate professor at the Goodman School of Business at Brock University, who has been following the Canadian industry closely since 2018.

A new report from Statistics Canada adds to a growing body of evidence that marijuana legalization dissuades adolescent use.

It would be wrong to state that marijuana legalization causes a drop in teenage use, due to a lack of rigorous scientific studies on the matter. A coloration is developing, however. According to a new report from Statistics Canada, teenage use of cannabis has declined following adult-use legalization in the country.

In case you haven't noticed, the North American cannabis industry has been a borderline mess in recent months. To our north, Canada has been contending with regulatory-based supply issues that have created shortages or bottlenecks. Meanwhile, in the U.S., high tax rates, and to a lesser degree supply issues, have stymied legal-channel sales. No matter the problem, it's opened the door for black-market producers to thrive.

Legalization seems to have put a damper on teens’ enthusiasm for cannabis consumption, perhaps indicating yet again that the best way to discourage teens from doing something is to get their parents into it.

While cannabis use has increased in almost all age demographics across Canada since federal legalization came into force in October 2018, teenagers saw consumption decline, according to new numbers released by Statistics Canada.

Cannabis companies have been struggling amid a cash crunch in the sector. The big players are in a tough spot.

This is set to be an exciting year for the Canadian cannabis industry, but there are still several hurdles the fledgling industry must overcome if it is to live up to pre-legalization hype.

According to data from Brightfield Group’s January 2020 Canadian Cannabis report, one-third of Canadian cannabis consumers were unsure which brands they were purchasing and 50% didn’t know what dosage they preferred in 2019.

The survey data illuminates two problems the government, licensed cannabis producers, sellers, and consumers have experienced since legalization.

“Regulations were so extensive that few brands or products were able to gain traction among customers,” the report states.

When Medicine Hat mayor Ted Clugston got word that one of Canada’s largest licensed cannabis producers, Aurora, was moving to town in 2018, he felt a little nervous. The Hat, a city of about 63,000, is one of the most politically conservative towns in Canada and it has the oldest demographic in Alberta. 

But like most of the province, Gas Town was reeling from the downturn in oil, so Clugston was looking for ways to diversify the local economy. And cannabis, just a few months away from being legalized, was being celebrated as a largely untapped economic force. A trend was emerging that the cannabis industry could save sputtering Canadian towns that had previously relied on manufacturing jobs and natural resource-driven economies.

The cannabis consumer has spoken with their wallets and what they want is affordable marijuana with high THC content.

In recent years, a string of marijuana companies has rushed to establish top-tier, premium cannabis products on dispensary shelves. The belief was that consumers would gravitate towards luxurious cannabis goods, much in the same way as craft beer and aged whiskey dominate a specific foothold within the spirits industry. This would be especially true for older crowds and newcomers, who would buy top-of-the-line weed to assuage any concern about this brave new world of marijuana.

This is set to be an exciting year for the Canadian cannabis industry, but there are still several hurdles the fledgling industry must overcome if it is to live up to pre-legalization hype.

According to data from Brightfield Group’s January 2020 Canadian Cannabis report, one-third of Canadian cannabis consumers were unsure which brands they were purchasing and 50% didn’t know what dosage they preferred in 2019.

The survey data illuminates two problems the government, licensed cannabis producers, sellers, and consumers have experienced since legalization.

“Regulations were so extensive that few brands or products were able to gain traction among customers,” the report states.

Amid layoffs appearing as a constant, The Supreme Cannabis Company is the latest in the industry to let a percentage of its staff go.