Manitoba, Canada Considers Mandatory Staffing Levels for Cannabis Retailers

Manitoba, Canada is considering changes to the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act that would require a minimum number of employees to work during higher-risk hours and allow retailers to remove window coverings on dispensaries, CTV News reports. The proposed changes come after a Winnipeg dispensary employee was sexually assaulted during a robbery in May, which prompted labor groups to call for stronger workplace safety measures for cannabis industry employees.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe told CTS News that removing the window coverings would improve visibility from outside stores and help ensure workers are not hidden from public view. The proposal would still require that cannabis products not be visible through the windows as officials still “want to protect kids.” Ontario has already eliminated similar rules around window coverings.

“We’re finding that balance where we don’t want cannabis displayed in window fronts. We don’t want kids riding by and seeing cannabis and being enticed into trying a product that’s not appropriate for them, but at the same time, we have to prioritize worker safety.” — Wiebe to CTV News 

However, some industry representatives contend that the mandatory minimum staffing requirements could put pressure on small businesses. Canadian cannabis advocate Steven Stairs told CTV News that “Many family-owned and independently operated stores simply cannot absorb the added labour costs the way large corporate chains can.”

“If passed, these changes risk creating an uneven playing field by placing a heavier financial burden on small businesses while giving larger retailers a competitive advantage,” he told CTV News. “That is not good public policy.”  

John Arbuthnot, vice-president of commercial growth at FIKA Cannabis, added that the company’s “fear is the impact on small business, especially in the cannabis industry, could be drastic, when it comes to the difference between even one or two staff on.”

“You look at the industry in Manitoba; you obviously have high volume shops,” he told CTV News. “You also have a lot of smaller independent shops that realistically cannot take on a second staff member, and still be profitable.” 

A survey released by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832 found that only 8% of cannabis store workers felt safe at work at all times.