By Justine Kelsie

Local entrepreneurs not happy with lottery-style selection for cannabis licenses

Jul 17, 2018 | 5:30 AM

The way the City of Grande Prairie decided to choose who opens a cannabis retail store first is leaving a sour taste in some mouths. 

Three business owners that didn’t make the list of 15 chosen in a lottery-style draw just under two weeks ago presented their thoughts to City Council on Monday, July 16. 

“You are basically creating a gamble. As I mentioned in (the meeting), business is a calculated risk. If we wanted to go to the casino and put our money on red or black, we could have done that,” said Vickram Minhas, co-owner of Urban Leaf Cannabis. 

“You are also creating a false scarcity in the community with cannabis by putting an arbitrary cap on that. There is no rhyme or reason for the cap. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence or research behind it.”

Minhas’ business partner Craig Reuther says the choice to put a cap of 15 for the first year marijuana is legalized doesn’t play well for small businesses. 

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“I hope they eliminate the cap completely and let the free market run its course. That is the whole purpose of legalization in the first place,” said Reuther.

The two are hoping to have a business open by the time October 27, 2018, rolls around. Because they weren’t chosen as the first businesses to get processed, Minhas says they are looking to other municipalities to open up shop like Valleyview, Sexsmith, Clairmont, and Beaverlodge. 

“It is sad because we are local boys. We were born and raised in Grande Prairie. We are trying to start a local business,” said Minhas. 

A City Committee will be looking at the topic at a future meeting.