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SPRING 2019 19 tripling or quadrupling that current capacity number. "And long-term, we have released plans to add up to 1,500 more of those modular pods through 2020 to 2022, taking our production capacity to about 60,000 kg." Delta 9 is now one of the country's only vertically integrated cannabis companies, licensed as a cultivator, processor and distributor for both medical and recreational use. Its first retail location — on Dakota Street in St. Vital — opened to great fanfare last Oct. 17, with lines stretching out the door for the first few days afterwards. Since then, two more retail shops have opened, in Osborne Village and in Brandon, both with Instagram-worthy interior layouts and helpful staff who walk consumers through the purchasing process — while providing information on product varieties and explaining options for consumption. That emphasis on education has helped the company avoid much in the way of community pushback, even though the months leading up to the rollout were rife with hand-wringing from government and concerned citizens alike. "We wanted to shake up that conventional stigma of what is a pot shop," says Arbuthnot. "We wanted to take cannabis and put it into a retail setting, and we wanted to make that well-lit and inviting and very professional, with staff who are knowledgeable and who have followed all of the educational programs and are able to provide that knowledge to the consumer. "I think in a lot of ways we were able to hit that on the head with the launch of the Dakota store. Since then, we haven't got a whole lot of 'not in my backyard' sentiment from the community. I think people, to a large extent, are liking what we're doing." In addition to its retail locations, Delta 9 also fills orders online and provides same-day delivery service. Arbuthnot says he's somewhat surprised by how under-utilised those services have been, with online sales only accounting for about six to seven per cent of overall distribution. "I think some of it is that this is so new, and people are very much enjoying the brick-and-mortar retail experience and everything that goes along with that," says Arbuthnot. "Over time, as people need to lean less on some of the education and other pieces you can only find in store, they may gravitate towards the convenience factor of being able to place an order online and have it delivered later in the day." A fourth Delta 9 retail store is set to open in Thompson by July of this year, and the company has been pre-approved by the province to launch more shops in smaller markets throughout Manitoba. Needless to say, its workforce has grown exponentially — from 35 full-time employees in 2017 to over 250 today — not to mention all the spinoff jobs created while the company follows through on its expansion plans. "That's where the trickle-down really hits the local economy," says Arbuthnot. "This isn't just dollars, this is construction, this is trades, it's plumbers and electrical journeymen and all of those people who actually build out these facilities. There are equipment suppliers and manufacturers — there's a lot that goes into that capital deployment, and those benefits are then spread throughout. "And from there, obviously our goal is not just to spend all this money, it's to create a business that's viable and creating real revenue generation. The economic impact of this project could be in the area of a half-billion dollars a year." ■ Opposite page: Delta 9 Osborne Village – 478 River Ave. Above and left: Delta 9 Brandon – Brandon Shoppers Mall. "We wanted to shake up that conventional stigma of what is a pot shop. We wanted to take cannabis and put it into a retail setting, and we wanted to make that well-lit and inviting and very professional..."

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