Your medical cannabis journey simplified: find partnered dispensaries, explore pricing options, earn rewards, and get answers to FAQs, all in one spot.
August 7, 2018 09:37 pm ETEstimated Read Time: 3 Minutes
Now that Canada has finally legalized recreational cannabis, the cannabis industry is on the verge of a significant growth. With that, Shopify Inc. is pushing forward into grabbing a bigger piece of this cake.
The e-commerce firm is attracting marijuana retailers in order to use their software to create their website, manage their transactions and inventory safely. The immersion of Shopify in sales of medical marijuana started five years ago, something which resulted in recent government contracts that made Shopify software responsible for recreational-pot sales in three Canadian provinces, shortly after legalization is in full effect.
Shopify, an Ottawa-based company has a contract to run the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island legal online cannabis sales. Sales will also run from a provincially run warehouse to private retailers. This is a big step into the cannabis market in Canada. Shopify has not said how much these contracts are worth.
Ontario accounts for 13.6 million residents, more than one-third of Canada’s total population. According to a report from Deloitte, it is estimated that the retail market for legal cannabis in Canada could hit $8.7 billion annually.
Harley Finkelstein, Shopify’s CEO, said in an interview, “We didn’t necessarily chase cannabis, per se. We were pulled into this direction,” Finkelstein continued “Shopify did not get into cannabis. Cannabis actually got into retail.”
Apply For Your Medical Marijuana Card Today
Veriheal has satisfied hundreds of thousands of patients nationwide
Get approved or your money back
Appointments available on-demand
Customer support available 24/7
The e-commerce system has the ability to handle a lot of traffic, adapt to legislation changes, and it is also ease of use as important selling points for retail sales. User data is also secured, all your information will be stored in Canada and will not leave the country borders.
Restrictions are in place to make sure that buyers won’t purchase more than 30 grams of cannabis at a time, and also to prevent shipping their cannabis out of a particular province.
When legalization is effective, the company expects that its software will be used in seven provinces at least, including Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan said a program manager from Shopify’s 12-person regulated industries team Greg Gorzkowski.
All buyers will need to declare their age, and it will be verified at the point of the delivery by Canada Post or Purolator. In a demonstration at one of Shopify’s Toronto offices, Gorzkowski said “Already, Shopify is known as that platform that won’t go down. It’s become our focal point and why the provinces have turned to us, we know one day all of Ontario is going to be on the site, maybe not to purchase but to see it.”
Shopify is currently working to increase its business in countries where cannabis is fully legal, unlike in the US, where cannabis is illegal under federal law. The company’s first foreign cannabis order is supplying Jamaica’s Epican Medicinals Ltd. with in-store technology. The company is one step further to become a major player in Canada’s legal cannabis industry.
Anthony is the Marketing Director of Veriheal with a keen sense for sustainable branding techniques and creative marketing solutions meant for the cannabis space. He is inspired by art and human culture and occasionally gives us a sneak peek into what is happening behind the scenes at Veriheal.
Blunts: What are they exactly, and how do they affect your body? If you’re interested in smoking blunts—or already smoke them—this guide is for you. We’ll cover everything you need to know about this popular cannabis intake method, including how they’re made, how they differ from spliffs and joints, risks of use, and alternative intake…
“Stoned,” “high,” “tripping,” and “baked,” are all terms engrained in the cannabis community. These metaphorical descriptions contribute to how we perceive, interpret, and learn from the experiences produced by cannabis consumption. Cannabis experiences, of course, are unique and highly variable. Specific plant strains, the presence of other cannabinoids, different delivery methods, and a user’s individual…
Thanks to the growing wave of legalization, more consumers than ever can grow their own cannabis right at home. Growing essentials that used to be secretive are now bought and sold freely. This includes items, like grow tents, nutrients, LED lighting, HPS lighting, ventilation, and more. Keeping all these items straight is hard enough, but…
Skin diseases plague millions of individuals, inflicting both physical discomforts in addition to mental and social stress. Thankfully, there is no shortage of skin treatment options available on the market. That said, this established market may soon be in for a major shake-up if recent cannabis research is any indication. Traditionally, cannabis research focused on studying…
As more states move toward legalization, accurately detecting impaired driving is of the utmost importance. Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) have long been the go-to method for law enforcement to assess driver impairment caused by substances like alcohol. However, a recent 2023 study published in JAMA Psychiatry raises serious questions about the accuracy of these tests…
We use our own as well as third party cookies to improve your site experience and the services we make available. You can learn more about our use of cookies in our Privacy Policy.
Content Disclamer
The statements made regarding cannabis products on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Cannabis is not an FDA-approved substance and is still illegal under federal law. The information provided on this website is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be considered as a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. We strongly recommend that you consult with a physician or other qualified healthcare provider before using any cannabis products. The use of any information provided on this website is solely at your own risk.