Shoppers Drug Mart, a Loblaws company with over 1300 locations across Canada has opened it’s second online cannabis distribution outlet, this time focused on Western Canadians, specifically Albertans.
Alberta is known to be one of Canada’s open areas for medical cannabis consumption as reported by Health Canada:
| Canada | 17,334 | 19,983 | 21,541 | 22,994 | 24,418 | 25,447 |
| Alberta | 2,008 | 2,369 | 2,571 | 2,777 | 2,979 | 3,099 |
| British Columbia | 4,387 | 4,891 | 5,088 | 5,341 | 5,568 | 5,700 |
| Manitoba | 501 | 634 | 725 | 809 | 877 | 902 |
| New Brunswick | 619 | 708 | 723 | 781 | 820 | 826 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 75 | 88 | 101 | 117 | 122 | 133 |
| Northwest Territories | 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nova Scotia | 826 | 939 | 999 | 1,045 | 1,104 | 1,156 |
| Nunavut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Ontario | 6,091 | 7,024 | 7,541 | 8,025 | 8,540 | 8,882 |
| Prince Edward Island | 36 | 43 | 47 | 47 | 53 | 55 |
| Quebec | 2,417 | 2,890 | 3,344 | 3,636 | 3,940 | 4,257 |
| Saskatchewan | 362 | 385 | 387 | 400 | 397 | 419 |
| Yukon | 7 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 |
Noted in the above table of active medical cannabis licences issued each month, Alberta ranks 3rd behind Ontario and Quebec, without taking into account population.
Contrasting population density with active licences issued, it makes sense that Shoppers Drug Mart is seeking to capitalize on Albertan patients.
Medical Cannabis by Shoppers Drug Mart currently caters to the Ontario and Alberta market, boasting a large selection of Canada’s top medical licensed cannabis producers.
Shoppers employs a staff of medical professionals that help patients with problems as locating the cannabis strains and products that might be best for each condition, application methods and in-depth information about each type of cannabis.
The Shoppers Cannabis Care team can provide information about many strains and classes of cannabis to help you choose your medical cannabis products. Cannabis by Shoppers Drug Mart
The availability of credible cannabis information is an issue plaguing the cannabis industry in Canada.
Alberta SellSafe is an AGLC program is designed to educate and test recreational dispensary staff how to handle cannabis consumers, what type of conversation are okay and social responsibility behind dishing out cannabis to consumers. Recreational dispensary staff are under strict guidelines prohibiting them from recommending cannabis for any conditions or suggesting any health benefits what so ever.
In a similar notion, legal cannabis is a new experience to not only Canadians, but Canadian medical professionals. This not only means uncertainty of medical professionals willing to prescribe cannabis for conditions, but overall a lack of past research deemed credible in the medical community.
Medical Cannabis by Shoppers is a pioneer in Canadian cannabis as the first online marketplace to offer multiple licensed producers’ products to Canadians under one roof online. Previously, medical cannabis patients were subject to signing up with 2 licensed producers in which patients would shop on the companies website to order.
As trusted medication experts, pharmacists have an important role to play in the safe and informed use of medical cannabis. This launch in Alberta is a leap forward for those looking for professional oversight and trusted support in this area Jeff Leger
Shoppers bridges the gap by offering an objective approach to product lines from third party medical professionals employed by Shoppers Drug Mart. With one online application, cannabis patients are subject to browse products from a handful of medical cannabis producers, side by side, easily on one page.
The Loblaws owned brand Shoppers Drug Mart is currently licensed to sell cannabis flower, plants, seeds and oils via their eCommerce website Medical Cannabis by Shoppers.
