Ontario cannabis consumers hoping for easy access to legal marijuana seeds may finally be getting their wish. Even though the seeds page on the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) website says it is currently out of stock, the expectation is that this will soon change.

OCS is set on providing a wide variety of cannabis seeds and that goal will be advanced thanks to two new deals — with ANC Cannabis in Alberta and British Columbia-based ProgenyBio Agricultural Services — according to Merry Jane.

The hope is these agreements will edge out illegal dealers while supporting craft cannabis producers who opt to jump into the seed game. If nothing else, the move will undoubtedly beef up purchase options for Canada’s largest cannabis marke.

A lack of legal seeds, let alone a consumer-friendly variety of seeds, has long proved a challenge in Ontario and the rest of the country. The next hurdle to clear may be bridging the price and quality divides between legal and illicit seeds.

In the meantime, since larger companies seem focused on flower and other products, OCS’s move to beef up legal seed supplies could open the door for more micro-businesses. Peter Shearer, senior category manager, tells Marijuana Business Daily that the OCS is “going to continue to list more and more seeds until we have a really robust portfolio that is enticing and resonates with consumers who are looking for great genetics.”

Earlier this year, ProgenyBio Agricultural Services announced it was in talks with the B.C. regulator to get its seeds on store shelves.