Weeding out the weak

N.L. Liquor Corp. approaching notification date for licensed cannabis retailer applicants

“The level of submissions that have been put in, there’s some evidence of a great deal of work put in by a lot of people.”

Sean Ryan, NLC vice-president of regulatory services and social responsibility

Since issuing its licensed cannabis retailer request for proposals in late February, the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. (NLC) received more than 80 applications from across the province.

The window to apply closed on March 29 and successful applicants will be notified on or about May 7 if their application met the criteria. “The level of submissions that have been put in, there’s some evidence of a great deal of work put in by a lot of people,” Sean Ryan, the NLC’S vicepresident of regulatory services and social responsibility, told reporters after making a presentation Tuesday at a half-day cannabis conference hosted jointly by Memorial University’s faculty of business administration, the office of public engagement and the MUN Botanical Garden.

“Very complex, yet very comprehensive and very informative,” Ryan said of the submissions.

But that May notification only means the applicants qualify to begin applying for the licence, a process the NLC estimates will take between five and seven weeks. “That covers everything from the business analysis, the background checks, to community notification — the three-week public notification so that the public can have an opportunity to either put forward their contestations and/ or support, and then it’s evaluated through a process that we do similar to alcohol with the board,” Ryan said.

In addition to offering residents of a municipality where there’s an application to establish a licensed retailer a chance to voice their concerns, Ryan says, it affords the same opportunity to the municipalities that are waiting anxiously to find out more.

“They’re interested in knowing what the face of cannabis is going to look like within their community and equally as much, and what’s important to the NLC, is understanding the social responsibility elements and the impact factors of another controlled substance being retailed in our province. “We’re taking that, in partnership with the communities, very seriously and ensuring that the whole message of responsible use, responsible retailing, is put out there and put out there strong.”

The licence application process also includes site inspections, evaluations of proposed premises, determining merchandise and supply levels, and training and education.

The NLC expects to award up to 41 licences in the first go around.

Asked about the handful of dispensaries openly operating in St. John’s at present, Ryan said the NLC is in a grey area until there’s some legislative framework — be it interim or permanent — to work with police to deal with those retailers.

“Because we can’t lose sight of the fact that all of these operations, no matter how many there are or how prolific they are, they’re all operating with organized crime because they’re not getting their product anywhere else,” he says.

As for dealing with the black market after legalization, Ryan says it will present some challenges.

“It will take time, as did alcohol,” he says. “We’re still dealing with contraband issues with alcohol today and we’ve been retailing that for over 50 years. “There’s lot of challenges to come, but the province is prepared. We’ve done a lot of inter-departmental consultations. We’ve learned a great deal from the public consultations and we’re in good stead.”