Licensed growers who want to sell cannabis clones in British Columbia are going to have to wait – or look to other markets – because the provincial wholesaler has neither immediate plans nor the ability to distribute those products to retailers.
“The Liquor Distribution Branch’s distribution center is not equipped to receive, store or ship clones, as they require significant resources and care to ensure product quality for the end customer,” an agency spokesperson told Marijuana Business Daily.
The Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) is the monopoly wholesale distributor of nonmedical cannabis in British Columbia, responsible for procuring products for private and government-run retailers and the province’s sole online sales channel.
The LDB offers a limited selection of highly priced seeds.
Natural MedCo’s Eve brand – a company that bills itself as “Canada’s premier cannabis brand for all women” – was the first company to get its clones to market, doing so in Newfoundland in late 2018.
Saskatchewan is set to become the second province to carry clones.
The Flowr Corp., a federally licensed cultivator headquartered in Toronto, delivered its first shipment of clones in that province via the wholesale and distribution company Railway Distributing.
Ontario’s cannabis wholesaler has issued a call for new product categories, including starting materials.
“The (Ontario Cannabis Store) is seeking to procure clones for both OCS.ca and private retail stores,” a spokesperson said.
“As part of its recent product call, the OCS asked Health Canada-authorized cannabis producers to identify their ability to supply a wide variety of cannabis products, including clones and seeds.”
Significant demand exists in the regulated home-grow market, however, growth has been stunted so far by highly priced, inconsistent inventory of cannabis starting materials and slow or uncooperative provincial regulators.
The Flowr Corp.’s shares are traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange as FLWR.
