TORONTO -- Shoppers Drug Mart has received Health Canada's approval to be a licensed medical marijuana producer, opening the door for the pharmacy giant to dispense medical cannabis to patients.
This comes after Shoppers in October 2016 applied to Health Canada to become a licensed medical marijuana producer.
Under the current Health Canada regulations for medical pot, the only legal distribution method is by mail order from licensed producers direct to patients.
In addition to a license to produce, a cannabis sales license from Health Canada is also required to dispense medical marijuana.
A Shoppers spokeswoman says the approval to be a licensed producer is the "first step" in its journey to providing medical cannabis to its patients, and it will share more information about its plans in the coming weeks.
The pharmacy retail chain had already in recent months signed supply deals with various licensed medical marijuana producers, including Aurora Cannabis, Aphria Inc., MedReleaf Corp. and Tilray Inc.
Shopper's parent company, Loblaw Companies Ltd., is also looking to sell recreational pot in Newfoundland and Labrador once it is legal nationally on Oct. 17.
The grocery conglomerate is on a list of potential licensed cannabis retailers selected by Cannabis NL, the provincial body handling pot sales.
