The Big Picture - Canada: Going to pot?

Marijuana producers, retailers and consumers were all surprised by the demand for the product when cannabis was legalized in Canada in October of last year. Shortages of legal weed sent some disappointed customers back to their former illegal dealers.

“Producers can add more people to try and meet demand,” said Mathieu Gaudreault, a representative of Quebec’s cannabis licensing agency. “But that won’t make the plants grow any faster,” Gaudreault told The New York Times.

Adam Greenblatt of Canopy Growth, one of the largest producers in Canada, said the company is building more greenhouses to meet demand. Other producers say that they lack qualified staff. “It’s hard to find know-how in an industry that was prohibited,” commented Mandesh Dosanjh, head of Pure Sunfarms in British Columbia.