Canadian cannabis consumer show CannExpo is launching 10 Access Grants to increase the presence and participation of Black, Indigenous and people of colour-owned retailers and licensed producers at the 2023 expo.
Sponsored by the Ontario Cannabis Store, successful applicants will enjoy free in-kind registration and one 10×10 booth at the March 24 to 26 CannExpo at Toronto’s Enercare Centre. Selection will take place using a randomized selection process, allowing equal opportunity to all eligible applicants.
Applications are welcomed from authorized Ontario retailers and federally authorized licensed producers who are at least 51 per cent owned and operated by someone who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a person of colour, and may be otherwise unable to participate due to cost or other barriers.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 2o at 11:59 p.m. – find the eligibility criteria and application form here.
“To enable a vibrant marketplace, we must actively increase the participation of Black, Indigenous and people of colour-owned retailers and licensed producers so the industry truly reflects the diversity of our province,” said David Lobo, President and CEO of the Ontario Cannabis Store, Ontario’s sole wholesaler to nearly 1,600 authorized cannabis stores and operator of OCS.ca, the Province’s online cannabis retailer.
CannExpo welcomes consumers, industry professionals, retail store owners, budtenders and newcomers to the cannabis space.
“Cannabis has been legal in Canada for four years now and there is still so much stigma associated with its consumption,” said Kathryn Reilly, CEO of CannExpo. “Through education, exhibitions and networking events, we aim to normalize cannabis through an upscale and fun show for consumers, budtenders and retailers.”
The Ontario Cannabis Store will also be in attendance to promote its new evidence-based education hub for Ontarians, Cannabis Made Clear, which provides education on a range of key cannabis-related topics including responsible use, health effects, the value of buying legal cannabis, and how to have these important conversations with young people.
Find more information about the grants, including how to apply, at cannexpo.ca/ocs-access-grants.