High Tide Inc. (“High Tide” or the “Company”) (TSXV: HITI) (Nasdaq: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA), a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks and mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, with 30 retail cannabis stores currently operating in Ontario, welcomes the Ontario Government’s proposed Supporting People and Businesses Act. The Act, if passed, would permanently enable retail cannabis stores to offer popular delivery and curbside pick-up services. This follows earlier moves by the Ontario government to permanently allow bars and restaurants to offer home delivery options for beverage alcohol purchases.
“Along with many other businesses, legal cannabis retailers have seen their bottom lines impacted by the pandemic. As lockdowns were put in place, the Government of Ontario listened to legal cannabis businesses and allowed us to offer curbside pickup and delivery services to our customers on a temporary basis. This decision helped many smaller cannabis retailers stay afloat and limit layoffs, while providing the sector with an important tool to combat illicit market operators, many of whom began ramping up their unregulated delivery services as the pandemic hit,” said Raj Grover, President and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide. “I am pleased that the Ontario government has now decided to make the delivery allowance permanent. Through the pandemic, licensed cannabis retailers have proven that we can operate home delivery in a safe and secure manner that allows adults to have timely access to the regulated and quality-controlled products that they want, while ensuring that unlike illicit market operators, access to youth is strictly forbidden,” added Mr. Grover.
