Cannabis farmgate refers to a retail store where cannabis products are sold directly to customers by a federally licensed producer (LP), usually at their production site. Despite considerable publicity and apparent interest by the industry and consumers, uptake is at a very early stage. Ontario is the only province with cannabis farmgate operations, although Saskatchewan’s retail framework allows it. The BC government will launch a farmgate program in 2022. New Brunswick announced in late August 2021 that it will implement a farmgate program as soon as possible.
The presentation will explain what cannabis farmgate is and could become, looking at the prospects for different licensees, including cultivators. Ideas being discussed include using farmgate stores to promote cannabis tourism and providing tasting and sampling as with wineries and craft breweries. The presentation will review provincial governments’ moves to establish farmgate programming and conclude by considering the outlook for farmgate in applicable provinces. The scope for cultivators’ participation will be discussed with fresh insights from BC’s current consultation exercise.
Takeaways:
- Learn the model’s key components.
- Farmgate in many forms: can it work in any setting?
- Opportunity for co-operative farmgate models and selling other producer’s products.
- The model’s potential as a new sales channel and strategic driver of new business.
- What’s the outlook for farmgate store openings across Canada?
