In Canada, adults can legally travel under Canada’s cannabis legalization rules with up to 30 grams of dried cannabis across interprovincial borders. With over 90 million domestic air passengers recorded annually in Canada before COVID-19, airports represent a largely untapped cannabis retail market. This article explores whether Canadian airports are ready to host licensed dispensaries — and what the Copilot proposal reveals about the opportunity ahead.
Despite legalization, no cannabis retail stores currently operate inside any Canadian airport. Dispensary licensing in Canada requires applicants to meet strict provincial and federal requirements before any cannabis retail store can open — a process that makes airport locations particularly complex to establish. In early January 2022, the first proposed airport cannabis store in Canada was pitched in Prince George, British Columbia. The Copilot proposal raises a broader question: could airport dispensaries become a scalable retail model across the country?
Copilot: Canada’s First Proposed Airport Cannabis Store
In early 2022, co-founders Owen Ritz and Reed Horton submitted a license application for Copilot. Copilot is a proposed cannabis retail storefront located inside the Prince George Airport (YXS). According to a recent CTV report, the duo has worked closely with provincial and federal legislators to move through the licensing hurdles for a summer 2022 opening.
Why Travelers Already Carry Cannabis
As per Copilot, Canadians already travel with cannabis. One in four Canadians have admitted to already taking a little green with them as they fly across the country. So why not make that a more convenient experience by operating within the airport itself? As the co-founders state, “We aim to offer customers a retail experience that fulfills our mission of making travel (and purchasing cannabis) a less stressful and more enjoyable experience.”
Regulatory Support for the Copilot Application
Although the local RCMP has voiced some concerns over the sale of cannabis within an airport terminal, other regulatory bodies have already expressed their support — including the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, who “determined that the applicant is fit and proper for the purposes of the act.”
While Copilot awaits licensing approval, the proposed airport cannabis store has generated significant interest among dispensary operators across Canada. So are airports the next big space for pot shops?
Why Canadian Airports Are Ready for Cannabis Retail
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Designated Cannabis Smoke Zones
When Canada legalized adult-use cannabis in 2018, many of its airports updated their policies to be in line with these changes. For example, Vancouver (YVR) created cannabis-friendly smoking and vaping zones. The YVR website states, “Smoking and vaping of cannabis is permitted on airport property in designated areas only—outside the terminal building in clearly marked areas.”
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No Different Than Tobacco and Liquor Products
Cannabis Compares Favourably to Alcohol Sales
Airports have always hosted shops and restaurants selling and serving alcohol. Like cannabis, both are highly regulated adult-use products. With limits on how much (if any) you can bring with you over interprovincial and international borders.
RCMP have raised potential concerns about the intoxicating nature of cannabis, especially in regards to interactions with airport staff. But this may be a moot point. In comparison with alcohol, cannabis is far less risky in terms of behaviours.
As per the World Health Organization, “Alcohol consumption is associated with aggressive behavior more closely than the use of any other psychotropic substance.”
On the other hand, research has determined that “cannabis diminishes aggressive feelings in heavy alcohol and regular cannabis users, respectively.” In reality, cannabis may be of much less concern in this regard than other substances already sold at airports.
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The Market Potential is Massive
According to Statista, in 2016, duty-free sales of alcohol and tobacco products at airports were over $85 million and $42 million, respectively. Although duty-free falls within international terminals, there is likely a related opportunity for cannabis within domestic terminals.
At the Toronto Pearson Airport alone, there were 1,177,998 domestic passengers in 2020, while Calgary International hosted 4,339426 domestic passengers in the same year. Considering upwards of 25 percent of Canadians now report consuming cannabis in the last year (2021), the market potential of cannabis retail in Canada becomes immediately clear.
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Reducing Traveler Stress
Copilot plans to market cannabis’s stress-relieving properties as a primary draw for travellers at the proposed Prince George airport location. Traveling, and especially flying, can be a stressful experience. By some estimates, upwards of one in four people are afraid to fly.
A 2018 study published out of Washington State University reported among medical cannabis consumers, 58 percent reported a reduction in anxiety and stress. So having the opportunity to light up before a flight could help a certain demographic chill out before takeoff.
The Future of Cannabis Retail at Canadian Airports
Cannabis may be legal in Canada, but there are no cannabis retail locations yet at any Canadian airports. Millions of Canadians now consume cannabis regularly. Yet, airports remain among the last places where we can’t find legal weed. As a result, domestic terminals represent an untested but possibly lucrative market for retailers. Entrepreneurs interested in entering this space can start by reviewing the cost to open a cannabis dispensary in Canada to understand the financial requirements.
As Copilot’s application goes through several rounds of regulatory approval, many other cannabis entrepreneurs will be taking notes.
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