I have lived through months and months of doom and gloom in my arms-length relationship with the cannabis industry. I joined the industry when it was in a downward trajectory, only for it then to throw itself off a cliff. [It had nothing to do with me.]

So, my daily learning and reflection process has been about the problems. And there have been many.

Ironically, possibly the only ‘sun glint through the pines’ moments of respite of the last year have been:

a) Ontario’s decision to finally approve more store openings; and

b) consumers and patients stocking up for COVID lockdown. [See this remarkable sales spike at OCS in March!]

It was therefore rather refreshing to read this article in the Growth Op: “Let’s cut ourselves some slack in Canada,” it beseeched.

After all, we have gone from zero to 30(?) in our attempt to break the speed record, without a crash, just some scratches along the side. We are still faster and have more road sense than any other nation.

Yes. Let’s pause and see that the direction is positive, even if the speed is underwhelming. I keep recalling the ex-Canadian Health Minister Anne McLellan saying “it will take 10 years to get this thing running smoothly.”

Should it take 10 years? Well, it will. And, perhaps, Canada will still be leading the pack (but watch out for Israel, Malta on the rails).

This Much We Know.