"As trusted medication experts, we believe pharmacists have an important role to play in the safe and informed use of medical cannabis, and this is the first step in our journey to provide medical cannabis to our patients," Loblaw said in an emailed statement.

Shoppers Drug Mart can now label and test associated products under the health regulator's Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations.

After the production license, companies require a cannabis sales license to dispense medical marijuana.

Canadian cannabis producers in the past few months have been signing up deals with distributors as the country legalizes recreational marijuana in October.

(Reporting by Shanti S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)