Anticlimatic is how the owner of one of the permit holders for retail cannabis in Weyburn describes the impending legalization on Wednesday. Dave Martyn, president of Compass Cannabis Clinic, said as much as it's exciting, it feels like a race to the starting line as retailers struggle to stock their shelves due to a lack of supply.

"There's certainly some structural issues and supply chain issues across Canada that I don't think will be sorted out in the near future," explained Martyn. "I think they may be six to eight weeks from now where government and suppliers are a little more comfortable."

He said Compass will be opening a retail cannabis store in Weyburn after Christmas called Starbuds - a chain already established in the U.S. The two companies announced their partnership in January.

Martyn said they are in final negotiations on securing a lease for a retail cannabis store in Weyburn. He said the reason for the delay is due to the supply of product.

"We believe Saskatchewan will certainly have some issues with supply. We've seen some indications from the provincial government even as recently as Friday that they believe there are supply issues," said Martyn. "So, for us, we felt it was better to make sure that supply was in place and to open on a more realistic timeline so that we could deliver a business that won't open with potentially empty shelves on day one."

Weyburn's other retail cannabis permit holder, Torrance Aitken of Wheatland Cannabis, told Discover Weyburn he is hoping to open his storefront on Government Road in the upcoming months.

A report from SLGA last week said just 20 percent of retail cannabis stores are ready for legalization on October 17.

 

READ MORE: Retail Permit Holder Compass Cannabis Clinic has Ties to Weyburn