After recently constructing six additional grow rooms at a cultivation facility in Ontario, WeedMD Inc. (TSX-V: WMD; OTCQX: WDDMF) has now completed its first full shipment to pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart (TSX: SC).
WeedMD branded products will be sold through a newly launched Shoppers web portal that allows medical patients to buy marijuana directly without finding a physical retailer.
Chief Executive Officer Keith Merker congratulated Shoppers Drug Mart on the launch of that new platform after receiving approval from Health Canada, and also issued this comment about teaming up with the pharmacy chain:
“As a committed medical cannabis supplier and educator, we are proud to work with Shoppers Drug Mart to expand the reach of our products to patients looking for safe, consistent, quality cannabis from a trusted source.”
In addition to WeedMD, the Shoppers Drug Mart online platform now carries products from cannabis brands such as Aphria (TSX: APHA), Aurora (TSX: ACB; NYSE: ACB), Broken Coast, and Emblem Cannabis.
Shoppers currently only provides products to Ontario patients online due to licensing issues, with plans in the works for the online portal to be available to customers nationwide in the coming months.
Patients must also present their prescription to a pharmacist in-person before finalizing registration to begin placing orders on the website.
Online options for medical users may become critical to the success of marijuana suppliers in post-legalization Canada.
Recent federal reports from StatCan revealed that medical cannabis users consume marijuana more often than recreational users, and that customers also tend to buy much larger quantities from online outlets versus brick-and-mortar retail stores.
In addition to completing the shipment to Shoppers Drug Mart and moving forward with a new phase of construction on extra grow space, WeedMD additionally signed a retail distribution deal with Lifford Cannabis Solutions.
Aside from those construction projects and distribution deals that have become standard in the industry since the Cannabis Act went into effect, the most surprising move from WeedMD was a recent partnership with fast food chain Pita Pit.
Earlier this month, WeedMD and Pita Pit Canada announced the formation of Pioneer Cannabis Corp. to help entrepreneurs seeking to enter the industry with locating retail space, navigating the local and licensing processes, and then training employees with cannabis education.
This new pilot program aimed at helping marijuana startups is being led by Kristie Smith, a former executive with Pita Pit.
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