Motion for authorization to exercise a class action: the SQDC plans to contest

Montréal, May 9, 2024 – The Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) has received a motion for authorization to exercise a class action related to products whose strain “rotates”. The SQDC will take the time necessary to properly analyze the matter. However, at first sight, the company disagrees with the applicant’s claims and intends to contest the application.

The SQDC does indeed sell rotating-strain products. The company clearly mentions this special feature on the information sheets for the products concerned and, more importantly, does not require anyone to choose these products. Customers in search of a specific strain enjoy access to a broad range of single-strain products.

In addition, dropping rotating-strain products would limit consumers’ ability to choose. Several rotating-strain products are among the most affordable for customers. Removing them would run counter to the interests of consumers seeking these products. It should also be borne in mind that that if the SQDC is to fulfill its mission of migrating customers from the illegal market while maintaining a focus on health protection, the company needs to meet its customers’ varied needs.

Furthermore, removing these products would be detrimental to the SQDC’s small producers, particularly the Québec-based and artisanal ones, whose rotating-strain products provide a way to make themselves known and sell their production despite having smaller harvests.

We also note that similar approaches exist in other business contexts. Take, for example, spontaneous chef’s menus in high-end restaurants or cook’s choice meals at rotisseries, where the main is either a breast or a leg as determined by the cook. Customers without a preference can save money while helping the rotisserie prevent waste.

Consequently, the SQDD defends the relevance of its offer of rotating-strain products and hopes they will remain an option for its customers.

About the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC)

The SQDC is a government corporation mandated to distribute and sell cannabis in Québec with a focus on protecting customers’ health and safety. The company is committed to offering quality products and informing and advising consumers on how to minimize the health impacts of cannabis. The long-term objective is to shrink the illegal cannabis market in Québec. By law, all the SQDC’s profits are remitted to the Fonds de lutte contre les dépendances, a fund managed by the Ministère des Finances du Québec, and reinvested primarily in cannabis-related education, prevention efforts and research. For more information, visit SQDC.ca.