First and foremost, congratulations to Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM), currently owned by Loblaw Companies Ltd., on receiving their sales license from Health Canada on December 7th, which allows them to sell medical cannabis online. Although SDM receiving its sales license should be viewed as a positive for the industry, SDM is replicating and will be profiting off a business model that already exists through Cannmart. This is not an argument about a competitor entering the industry. It is about ethics, morals, and how much as Canadians we are willing to tolerate. The information shared below are occurrences that took place just this past year. Before supporting Loblaw and SDM’s cannabis initiative, consider the following information first:

1. "B.C. Government Sues Drug Companies Over Addictive Opioids"

The B.C. government has launched a class action lawsuit against companies that make, distribute, and sell opioids. The government filed a statement in the B.C. Supreme Court naming dozens of pharmaceutical companies. It also targeted pharmacies that sell opioids, including Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw. "We made a decision that we need to hold manufacturers and distributors of opioids responsible in the opioid crisis," stated Judy Darcy, British Columbia Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. On the opioid crisis section of Canadian Pharmacist Association (CPA), the current role for pharmacists is “assisting recovering addicts by dispensing drugs to treat addiction, such as methadone, suboxone, and naloxone” . In other words, CPA is prescribing alternative opioids to fight the opioid crisis.

2. "Loblaw Shareholders Shoot Down Proposal for Living Wage"

The study called for Loblaw to review the feasibility, cost, and benefits of implementing a living wage policy for its employees, suppliers, and contractors; paying its employees a living wage — one that varies by location and is calculated by its cost of living. However, CEO, Galen Weston Jr., urged shareholders to vote against the idea. Management suggested that the proposal oversimplifies compensation practices and will not give the company the flexibility it needs. Ultimately, the shareholders of Canada's largest grocer rejected the proposal. This study would have been an initial step in evaluating how fair the company's compensation policies are.

3. "Why is Shoppers Drug Mart Training Doctors To Prescribe Medical Cannabis?"

Toronto family doctor, Sharon Cirone, questions whether this medical education should be offered by a drug store chain that is getting in the business of selling medical cannabis. "It's not appropriate and it's not necessary," she said, adding that there are resources (cfpc.ca/cannabis-resources) being developed by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and other medical associations that do not have a vested financial interest in cannabis.

4. "Ontario Corporations Can Afford to Pay Decent Wages"

In 2017 the Ontario Liberal government passed laws requiring the minimum wage to be increased to $15/hour by 2019. During this time, Loblaw CEO, Galen Weston Jr., complained that these increases will cost his company $190 million a year, while his company’s net profit has increased at double-digit rates and will likely exceed $1 billion this year. Weston himself was rewarded with $8.5 million in compensation last year - up 69 percent from the previous year and adding to his $14 billion in net worth. Unfortunately, he has chosen to portray his company as the victim of unfavourable legislation.

5. "Loblaws admits to bread price-fixing scheme spanning more than 14 years"

Canadians learned earlier this year that they were being overcharged for bread, a staple for most families. Loblaw admitted to participating in a scheme to increase packaged bread prices for more than 14 years. The parent company of Loblaw, George Weston Ltd., also admitted to participating in the price-fixing. During this time, the consumer price index for bread increased dramatically more than the average price for any other food. Bread that once cost $1.42 in July 2001, was at $3.04 in March 2015. Based on inflation, prices should have only risen 55 cents over that time.

It is a moral crime that anyone should be overcharged for basic groceries, prescribed more opioids to fight an opioid crisis, and not be fairly compensated, especially in one of the most developed countries in the world. It is appalling that we do not have honest conversations about this. It is even more appalling that the man at the helm of one of Canada’s largest employers is comfortable rejecting measures that would improve the well-being of his employees, both as a moral obligation and as an economic one.

An Alternative

Cannmart's was the first online marketplace designed to provide patients with a variety of symptom appropriate medical cannabis strains, which have been selected by Namaste's AI technology based upon an ever-growing database of medical patient reviews and feedback. With integration of NamasteMD, individuals can speak with a nurse practitioner through the telemedicine app to get better informed and see if medical cannabis is the right choice based on their symptoms. It is important to note that the nurse practitioner makes the decision to approve an individual for a medical license.

By creating a unique offering of strains and products sourced from multiple producers, Cannmart offers medical patients the largest variety of high-quality cannabis products in a single platform. Cannmart has been focused on securing additional products and is expanding its product categories to include prerolls and oils.

Cannmart has been diligently establishing partnerships with licensed producers to bring the highest quality of cannabis to its platform. Cannmart’s 22 supply agreements include: Clever Leaves Colombia, Isodiol International, CannBit Israel, Tetra Bio-Pharma, Phivida Holdings, BRLEV Israel, Atlas Growers, Supreme Cannabis, PharmaCann PTY, Keif Cannabis, Weed Me Inc, AgMedica Bioscience, Custom Cannabis Inc, Maple Leaf Green World Inc, Rocky Mountain Marijuana Inc, BlueSky Biological Inc, GTEC Holdings, Bonify, Lowell Herb Co, Emerald Health Therapeutics, Breton CannaPharms Ltd, and Agraflora Organics. Products from five suppliers are currently available, but this selection will continue to increase in the upcoming months as supply agreements continue to bud.

On November 19th, 2018, Cannmart announced the launch of its Craft Cannabis Program. The program is intended to provide support for craft cultivators who will apply for a micro-cultivator license under the Cannabis Act. Cannmart has initiated a program that offers both regulatory and financial support to micro cultivators in exchange for a supply agreement with the right of first refusal on 100% of their production. Additionally, Cannmart will launch a Craft Cannabis section on its website that will offer patients access to a large variety of premium-quality cannabis strains.

Cannmart intends to also enter the recreational market by applying for a retail licence through the province of Ontario in January. By building a model around creating a marketplace with choice for its customers and providing the highest quality of product, Cannmart will be able to cater to both the medical and recreational markets.

In the end, it is a choice of who we decide to support in this new and continuously evolving industry. Get informed and support wisely.

Disclaimer: I’m a shareholder in Cannmart’s parent company Namaste Technologies.