When Canada’s Cannabis Act kicks in Wednesday, medical users will no longer be able to cash in reward program points for discounts on their marijuana prescriptions.
The new act forbids reward programs from offering cash discounts on cannabis. As a result, anyone enrolled in a reward program has until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday to redeem their points.
Medical cannabis reward programs operate much like those offered by supermarkets and other retailers, converting earned points into product discounts.
One of the largest is Toronto-based Lift & Co., which offers points in exchange for user reviews of medical cannabis strains.
Company CEO Matei Olaru said it as a kind of Trip Advisor for cannabis, to “help people find products that are right for them.”
Launched in 2015, it was the first cannabis rewards program of its kind in the world. It has proved so popular that users have submitted more than 70,000 reviews.
Producers across the country teamed up with Lift to offer discounts, including industry giants Aphria, Tweed and Spectrum.
But Aphria was warning clients last week to redeem their points as soon as possible if they want cannabis discounts.
Olaru says Lift isn’t wrapping up its program, merely rejigging it to comply with the new legislation.
The biggest change is that users will no longer earn points towards cannabis discounts. Instead, they’ll be entered into draws for gift cards from brands like iTunes, Amazon and Indigo, and other sweepstakes.
Still, he doesn’t see the popularity of the program waning.
“Canadians love loyalty programs,” Olaru said in an email.
“A very small number of existing members have expressed concern, but I think part of that can be attributed to concern that medical products will continue to be available for review on our platform.”
While he knows some members will be disappointed by the change, he said medical product reviews will continue to be a central resource on the website.
Credit: edmontonjournal.com
