B.C. becomes 2nd province to offer farm-to-gate cannabis sales
A new cannabis retail licence introduced in British Columbia is aimed at improving the quality of products in the legal market, plus supporting Indigenous and rural producers.
The producer retail store (PRS) licence will come into effect on Nov. 30, according to a statement released by the province on Tuesday. Successful applicants will be authorized to sell non-medical cannabis products from stores located at their cultivation site.
“We continue to look for ways to support growth of the legal market while providing safe and accessible options for British Columbians,” Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said in the statement. The new policy was announced just 13 days ahead of Canada’s fourth anniversary of cannabis legalization on Oct. 17.
B.C.’s current framework restricts cannabis producers from operating a retail licence, which Farnworth explains was meant to encourage competition. Ontario never had that restriction in place, making it the first and only province to allow for farm-to-gate cannabis sales.
“Four years ago, our priority was establishing retail stores so that consumers across B.C. would have access to legal cannabis products…At this point our retail store network is well established,” says Farnworth.
The launch of this new policy was three years in the making, and began with a government-to-government agreement between the province and Williams Lake First Nation, the latter of which opened B.C.’s first farm-gate production facility on Secwepemc Territory this year.
Daniel Penny, a project manager with the Williams Lake First Nation says cannabis users will notice the impact of this new framework as soon as it takes effect. Having worked at Unity, a cannabis retail store, and Sugar Cane Cannabis, the 7,000-square-foot production facility, he’s seen first hand how eager clients are to see where and how cannabis grows.
“If craft cannabis is going to have the same success as beer and wine, we need to continue evolving consumption spaces to give people opportunities to touch, taste and smell the product—where tours and testing products are part of the experience,” Penny says.
Not only will the legal farm-gate model allow producers to make meaningful connections with retailers and customers, Penny says it will also lead to higher quality products in stores.
“A lot of products coming into our retail store are about quantity over quality, and some sit on store shelves for months before reaching consumers,” says Penny.
In collaboration with the First Nations Leadership Council, B.C. created the BC Cannabis Products Program in January 2022, with the goal of supporting Indigenous cannabis producers in this budding industry. To date, six First Nations have signed s.119 agreements, including Williams Lake First Nation, though Farnworth says application processing timelines can vary due to things like security screenings and local government or Indigenous Nation recommendations.
While Penny believes there’s still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to B.C.’s legal cannabis market, he’s excited by the past four years of progress.
“We’re excited to continue to grow,” says Penny. “I think there’s a lot of untapped market and people who want to continue learning and getting involved with cannabis. We’ve come a long way in keeping people away from the illegal market and providing safe experiences for consumers.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.