18 SPRING 2019
N
ow that the smoke has cleared on the legalization
of cannabis in Canada, it's clear the burgeoning
retail industry will prove to be anything but a
buzz-kill for local economies.
In fact, a mere six months after the first cannabis shops
opened their doors in Manitoba, one of the province's longest-
running suppliers has already seen its revenues soar, with
plans to expand its already considerable operations.
In 2017, Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. — one of the first cannabis
companies licensed by Health Canada for cultivation for
medical use — posted annual sales of $944,000. By December
2018, with fewer than three months of newly legal retail sales
on the books, those figures had climbed to $7.6 million, with
$5.27 million of that coming in the fourth quarter.
And with average retail transactions among the highest in
the country ($65 in store and $100 online), Delta 9 is already
eyeing additional opportunities through the province and
beyond, with plans in place to ensure production capacity
can keep pace with the steady demand.
"The last year — we called that our Phase One Expansion —
brought us up to 154 modular Grow Pods and 4,200 kg of
annual capacity," says Delta 9 CEO John Arbuthnot. "This
year we're looking to add about 450 additional pods, bringing
our capacity up to about 16,000 to 17,000 kg — so effectively
DELTA 9 CANNABIS
Delta 9 Cannabis fuels economy with high-end
retail outlets and expansion plans
THE FUTURE IS