Canadian cannabis production companies have an opportunity to dominate the market worldwide and put Olds on the map because so many firms plan to locate here, Sundial Growers chief executive officer Torsten Kuenzlen says.
"I'm excited that Olds as a community and the press are progressive and realize this enormous opportunity, as we try to build a couple of other legs for the Olds, the Alberta, and the Canadian industry," he said during a tour of the Sundial facility June 6.
"I mean, I think it's a great chance that Sundial and maybe some of the other leading cannabis brands will be the first truly global Canadian brands. Because when you think about Canadian brands available around the world there isn't much."
He was told that's likely because when Canadian firms get really good and big they tend to get bought up by other, bigger firms; often American ones.
"That's the exciting thing, right? Us going first," Kuenzlen said.
He cited two other big Canadian medical marijuana producers; Canopy Growth Corporation and Aurora Cannabis.
"They're already in the billions and we are hoping to catch them pretty quickly. If we can build big enough competitive advantages, hopefully we can start turning the tables here," he said.
Kuenzlen said he's not worried about the fact that it looks like within the next couple of years, Sundial will be one of five cannabis-related production companies operating in Olds. He welcomes the competition.
"I think it's exciting," he said. "I really think that Olds has the opportunity to be the Silicon Valley of cannabis for the world by attracting talent and making this a place where people who want to enter the industry get great jobs. I think it's phenomenal."
