Illegal Dispensaries Need to Die and Be Reincarnated to ‘Go Legit’

CannCo
CannCo
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read

If you’re currently operating an illegal dispensary in Ontario you have a massive dilemma on your hands. You can keep operating outside the law, or you can murder your business and hope you can bring it back to life.

Earlier this week, the Ontario government confirmed that weed will be sold through private retailers, while they will handle the online sales when the looming legalization date of October 17th arrives.

But if you’re currently operating an illegal dispensary, you can’t exactly run your business illegally until October 16th and suddenly be legitimized at the stroke of midnight.

You need to basically destroy everything you’ve worked for. Here’s why.

Only Those Who are Born Again Have Their Sins Forgiven

There is a government-run program aimed at giving (currently) illegal retailers a chance at a reprieve. However, a non-starter for the program is shutting your illegal operation down while you apply.

“We won’t want to do business with people running an illegal business,” Ontario Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said Monday.

Simply put, those who want to be on the right side of the law need to shut it all down. Completely. And do it ASAP.

For how long? According to CBC, some Ottawa retailers are being told there is no guarantee they will be open next March. But that time is literally getting longer each day, as more and more businesses take a number and get in line, creating more and more of a backlog.

Is it Worth It?

Is this closing-down-period penance for your years of breaking the law? Is it a way for the government to weed out (sorry) the businesses who aren’t serious about the law?

In either case, one thing is clear: illegal weed sellers are currently at a crossroads.

Let’s say you stay the illegal course. Bold move. You’re now facing increasingly harsh penalties if you’re a part of the growing number of busts on illegal growers and sellers. And you need to ask yourself if you client-base is so loyal that you will survive the influx of legal options that are about to spring up in your town.

Or, you can choose the path to salvation. You flip the “Sorry We’re Closed” sign over in your window without being 100% sure when you can flip it back over. Or if you will ever be able to. You might even lose the lease on your location.

You have to risk losing the customer base you’ve worked so hard to make loyal, and reassure them you will be back soon (fingers crossed) and be able to serve them better than ever.

And You Will Definitely Need This When You Re-Open

Even though cannabis will be legal in Canada, legal cannabis businesses are still criminally underserved by major banks. This is why many of them are turning to cryptocurrency.

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