Fire & Flower (TSX: FAF) announced that it has achieved the milestone of 45 open and operating cannabis retail stores.

The company has achieved this milestone several weeks in advance of its previously stated goal of the end of its fiscal year Feb. 1 and now has 46 open and operating stores across its retail network.

The company is focused on opening new retail stores across Alberta and in the province of Ontario where open licensing has commenced. The company is also closely monitoring regulatory environments and taking steps in provinces across Canada to ensure early market entry when private retail opportunities emerge.

“Fire & Flower is committed to delivering on the targets that we have provided to our shareholders and reaching 45 cannabis retail stores several weeks in advance of when we had anticipated to reach this target is a clear demonstration of our discipline in achieving our goals,” Fire & Flower CEO Trevor Fencott stated.

“Achieving this aggressive goal is a testament to our deep retail experience and strong management team. As the cannabis industry continues to face headwinds, Fire & Flower is well positioned to continue to achieve growth and demonstrate leadership in the category,” Fencott added.