Marijuana Business Magazine February 2019

February 2019 | mjbizdaily.com 19 © 2019 Marijuana Business Daily, a division of Anne Holland Ventures ; this information is current as of Jan. 15, 2019. Marijuana entrepreneurs, for their part, are cheering the change because it offers legal business opportunities for MJ companies that want to diversify into a new area. Also, the new law could open a channel for MJ companies to access public markets and other financial tools unavailable to companies selling Schedule 1 drugs. Newly Legal Canadian Industry Experiences Shortages The Canadian cannabis industry struggled to provide enough supply to meet exuberant demand after recreational use of marijuana became legal. Many store owners in Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland closed their doors as they awaited product shipments, while others considered different courses of action. The problem north of the border is so overt that the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis agency has ceased licensing privately owned stores until the supply issue is resolved, which it says might be up to 18 months. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries predicts product shortages in that province to last for the next six