Canopy Growth Corp. is temporarily closing all of its retail stores throughout Canada today at 5:00 p.m. due to the coronavirus outbreak. The closures will affect all 23 corporate-owned Tokyo Smoke and Tweed retail locations in Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, along with the Tweed Visitor Centre in Ontario.
CEO David Klein indicated the company would move all sales online.
“We have a responsibility to our employees, their families, and our communities to do our part to ‘flatten the curve’ by limiting social interactions. This is a big decision but it was also an easy one to make – our retail teams are public-facing and have been serving an above-average volume of transactions in recent days. Given the current situation, it is in the best interest of our teams and our communities to close these busy hubs until we are confident we can operate our stores in the best interest of public health.” – Klein in a press release
Medical cannabis patients can still use Spectrum Therapeutics to purchase medical cannabis from Canopy.
Canopy is the first Canadian retailer to announce a move to online-only sales but the spread of the coronavirus has already had an impact on the cannabis industry, including a decline in the number of vape cartridges imported into the country from China; the postponement or cancellation of cannabis trade shows, conferences, and events; and reports of long lines at dispensaries as many cities and towns move toward social distancing and the closure of non-essential businesses.
In Canada, licensed producers are allowed to sell cannabis online; however, in the U.S. delivery and online sales laws vary from state to state.
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