OCS publishes inaugural Social Impact Report

April 26, 2024 (TORONTO) — Today, the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) published its inaugural Good All Around Social Impact Report to recap the progress it has made under its first Social Responsibility Strategy from 2021 to the end of 2023.

The Social Impact Report summarizes the OCS’s strategic social responsibility objectives and illustrates how the organization is driving positive change in the areas of environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and cannabis literacy.

Highlights from the OCS’s first three years of social responsibility programming include:

• Distributed $500,000 to six organizations in support of cannabis research and community-based programming through the Social Impact Fund

• Provided 26 equity and access grants designed to increase the presence and participation of equity-deserving groups and small businesses at industry events

• Invested $319,000 in Black-led initiatives

• Drove over 600,000 visitors to the OCS’s Cannabis Made Clear resource hub for unbiased, fact-based and current cannabis education

As a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario and wholesale distributor of legal cannabis in the province, the OCS is determined to operate its business in a way that promotes the responsible consumption of cannabis while protecting youth and vulnerable populations.

Moving forward, the OCS will regularly publish the Social Impact Report to provide ongoing progress updates related to priority social responsibility objectives.

To read the report in full, visit the OCS’s Social Impact Report page. Discover more about the OCS’s Good All Around social responsibility work at OCS.ca/GoodAllAround.

Quotes:

“The OCS has a mission to enable Canada’s largest and most vibrant cannabis marketplace through great customer experiences – including promoting safe access to legal cannabis, educating on responsible consumption and fostering a legal industry that reflects the population it serves. The Social Impact Report isn’t just a reflection of what we have achieved; it is a testament to our entire team’s commitment to environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and improving cannabis literacy through education.”

— David Lobo, President and CEO, OCS

“As a key pillar of the OCS’s corporate strategy, social responsibility has helped to shape and define who we are as an organization. We’re proud to introduce the Social Impact Report as a visual representation of the progress we’ve made through social responsibility programming designed to inform and engage Ontarians as we enable a vibrant cannabis marketplace.”

— Tanya Watkins, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Social Responsibility and Strategic Engagement, OCS

ABOUT GOOD ALL AROUND

Good All Around is the OCS’s social impact platform, providing transparency and accountability around how we are driving positive change and championing a socially responsible cannabis industry. The work included as part of Good All Around is informed by three pillars of social responsibility: environmental sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and advancing cannabis knowledge. Good All Around connects Ontarians to the benefits and contributions of the legal cannabis framework through investments in socially responsible initiatives, innovative community partnerships and open access to fact-based, educational information. For more information, visit OCS.ca/GoodAllAround.