Mario Toneguzzi: Aurora to supply cannabis to Alberta marketAurora Cannabis Inc. says it has entered into an agreement with the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission to supply high-quality cannabis products for the adult consumer use market in the province.

The Edmonton-based company said it will initially allocate up to 25,000 kilograms of product for the first six months of sales to this market.

Through this agreement, Aurora, which is the leader in the medical cannabis market in Alberta, will play an important role in ensuring sufficient product is available to the adult consumer market in the province, it said.

“The AGLC and Alberta government have been steadfast in their commitment to developing the best possible framework for a well-functioning legal adult consumer use market that prevents cannabis from ending up in the hands of youth,” said Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora, in a statement. “The province’s common-sense approach and this agreement are the result of many months of discussions with the AGLC towards achieving these goals. Consequently, adult consumers in Alberta will have access to a broad selection of high-quality cannabis products from Oct. 17, 2018, onward.”

Federal government legislation legalizing the consumption, sales and production of marijuana comes into effect on Oct. 17.

“Aurora already is the pre-eminent provider of medical cannabis in Alberta, with a dominant market share, serving more Alberta patients than any other licensed producer. Aurora also employs more Albertans than all other licensed producers combined. We have a brand recognized for quality, which we intend to leverage to capture significant share of the adult consumer market in Alberta and Canada, both organically and through our strategic retail partnerships. We look forward to working with the AGLC and becoming a key part of the province’s cannabis infrastructure to ensure Alberta’s successful entry into the burgeoning consumer cannabis market.”

The AGLC is responsible for regulating private retail cannabis licensing, distribution of cannabis to retail stores, and operation of the online cannabis store.

Aurora’s three facilities in Alberta – Aurora Sky, Mountain and Sun – have a combined funded production capacity of more than 250,000 kilograms per year.

Respected business writer Mario Toneguzzi is a veteran Calgary-based journalist who worked for 35 years for the Calgary Herald in various capacities, including 12 years as a senior business writer.


Aurora cannabisThe views, opinions and positions expressed by columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of our publication.