This is the business section of the Cannabis guide. In here, you will find more information on:
If you don't find what you're looking for, contact me at mylene.pinard@mcgill.ca. Most of the information on this page was taken from the Management and Business subject guide, go have a look if you're looking for more business information.
Cannabis industry
Cannabis stats and data
This link opens in a new windowABI/INFORM is a comprehensive database of articles from key trade publications, scholarly journals, conference proceedings, market reports, etc.
This link opens in a new windowBusiness Source Complete is a comprehensive database of articles from scholarly and trade journals, working papers, as well as market reports and industry reports.
Business Model Canvas created by Alexander Osterwalder in 2008.
Market Research Canvas adapted by Amanda Wheatley in 2019.
This link opens in a new windowIBISWorld reports include industry performance, competitors, competitive landscape, product and market information, operating conditions and more.
United States and Canada
IBISWorld is easy to keyword search in, you can type in your industry topic on choice and review the related reports. There are three different report types, including industry reports, iExpert reports, and business environment reports.
Make sure to visit each tab of the report to get a well-rounded understanding of your industry. Often we confuse our product or service to be an industry itself, so you are having difficulty finding a report, try first classifying your industry with a NAICS code.
Reference List
Author, Initial. (Date). Title of Report. Retrieved from Name of Library database.
Ex. Ozelkan, E. (2018, August). IBISWorld industry report 45411aCA: E-commerce & online auctions in Canada. Retrieved from IBISWorld database.
In-text Citation
(Author, Year)
This link opens in a new windowMarketLine is an industry resource with international scope. It's main features include market segmentation, market share, company SWOT analysis, and five forces analysis.
International reports from over 80 countries.
When conducting an industry search, you may start with a basic topic like e-commerce. By searching in all report types you can use the right side filters to guide your search to a more specific topic report.
MarketLine reports are multi-tabbed and contain a lot of valuable information that will help you in your course work. You can export the reports as a PDF or read them online. When reading online be sure to view every tab on the report!
At the top of the website, select Databases and Market Data Analytics to use MarketLine's insight tool on market data for consumer goods and services. The data can be split by category, country, and is available in both value and volume. Distribution graphics are also available.
This link opens in a new windowMintel is an industry database with a focus on consumer goods and services, the reports contain industry background information, an overview of the competitive environment, market shares, and interactive consumer data.
Canada and United States.
Mintel is a keyword driven database and easy to use. Simply search your concept terms and narrow down the type of report you want to use. You can limit content to specific countries, dates, or report types. Note that the larger industry reports are only available for Canada and U.S., though you can find Insight, Trends, and News articles from other countries.
Some industry reports come with an Interactive Databook that can be used to gather more granular consumer data. Each survey question can be explored to adjust the demographics.
To download a Mintel report, you will need to create an account within Mintel using your McGill email.
This link opens in a new windowPassport is a database from Euromonitor International and contains information on industries, consumers, and companies related to consumer goods and services. Reports include history and trends, market share, brand share, retail sales data, consumer lifestyles data, and more.
International.
There are many different ways to retrieve information in Passport, depending on your research question. The keyword search at the top of the page is a great place to start if you are new to Passport. Below are a few tricks you can use to refine your search.
This link opens in a new windoweMarketer is a database that provides reports related to 2-business in multiple industries. You can find articles, trend reports, and statistics.
International.
eMarketer can be easily searches using keywords or by using the advanced filters under the search bar. You can limit your search by Topic, Industry, and Geography. After searching you can also apply additional filters like content type and demographics to get more specific results.
Databases
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada provides data and statistics on a wide range of subjects.
You can browse for data:
Quebec, Montreal
See also: Data guide
A patent is the granting of the exclusive rights to the inventor to make, use, or sell an invention for up to 20 years. A patent application must be filed for the country in which the inventor wishes to protect their invention, meaning a patent given in Canada will not apply to other countries unless those rights are applied for separately.
The inventor who holds the pattern may also sell or license the patent to another organization.
A patent family is a grouping of applications that cover the same technical content, each granting agency may have different categorizations of patent families. You will need to review the patent family definitions in each database.
When starting your business, it can be difficult to decide when to apply for a patent. It is always wise to file an application sooner rather than later in case you are scooped by someone else! Please consult a patent lawyer if you are considering this route. You will also need to conduct a patent search if you haven't already. The tools on this page can help you with the process and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
For more information visit the Government of Canada's guide to patents.
Research professionals from McGill University may consult the Research and Innovation website for information on disclosing an invention and investigating its commercialization potential.
This link opens in a new windowA trademark is a sign or combination of signs used or proposed to be used by a person to distinguish their goods or services from those of others.
For more information visit the Government of Canada Guide on Trademarks.
Remember to consult the Canadian Trademarks Database before you get too far into your start-up process. Be sure to also check business registries and chamber of commerce to make sure your venture name isn't already taken.
You can also use trademark searches to populate a list of competitors by changing the search field to "Goods and Services" and keyword searching for various products.
Pre-legalization
Pre-legalization
Industry classification codes are a numerical method of assigning companies to a category based on their business activities. In North America, we primarily use NAICS (North American Industry Classification System), a 6-digit code to categorize which industries a company is a part of.
You can use NAICS codes in many of our business databases to find reports, articles, and other valuable information. Visit the links below for more information on how to find a code.
McGill Library • Questions? Ask us!
Privacy notice
