Legal Cannabis in BC means increased revenue and a lot of questions for those in BC. With it now being legal across the nation of Canada, many people are have questions. Especially, when it comes to entering into the cannabis sector. Those looking to start businesses frequently have more questions than answers. Fortunately, BC has issued a private retail licensing guide for applications and operations. So far there are around 650 applications. We’re going to go over some of the points in this guide.
Who’s eligible?
Anyone who can obtain local government support and pass all necessary criminal and police background checks may be eligible for a cannabis business. Cases reviews are on an individual or case-by-case basis.
What is involved in the application process?
Each applicant will have to pay for licensing and application fees. You may start to enter your information ahead of time so that when the application process begins you have a head start. The length for approval is unknown as this is currently a new system.
Licensing Information
To have a recreational cannabis store in BC store owners will have to purchase a license from the province. There will be a total of two different types of retail cannabis licenses. One will be for stores in rural communities, and the other will be for self-contained stores. Currently, BC is not regulating store locations or considering licensing for consumption lounges at this time. Much like the issue of off-site non-medical cannabis sales, these issues will play a greater role in the future.
Operational Information
One of the requirements is to keep cannabinoid products out of sight from youth. This means they cannot be visible through your storefront. Currently, there are no security requirements though anyone in this industry will want to have stringent security to protect their investment.
- Minors, regardless of whether or not they’re with an adult, will not be allowed in retail cannabis stores.
- Current regulations allow operations to take place between the hours of 9 am and 11 pm.
- Retail cannabis purchases will have a cap of 30 grams.
- No store or in-store consumption will be permitted.
- Delivery is also not approved for retail cannabis.
Canada’s regulatory government is creating a seed to sale tracking system which will need to be implemented in all retail cannabis stores. Currently, Canada’s government is working on regulating sponsorship and advertisement in relation to cannabis businesses.
Supply
The only legal place to purchase non-medical cannabinoid products will be the LDB. Recreational cannabis stores will only be able to sell cannabinoid seeds, cannabinoid oil, and dried cannabis that meets Federal requirements. Retail sales of cannabis edibles is currently legal.
Beyond cannabis products, retail stores can sell cannabis accessories such as vaporizers, water pipes, papers, etc. Cannabis will, however, be distributed in pre-packaged product form by the LDB.
Inspections and Compliance
Retail cannabis spaces will have inspections at least once annually. In addition, anytime there’s a complaint about the store an investigation can take place. Police can enter your store at any time. After you have receive a license you may only sell cannabinoid products from the LDB.
Rural Areas
Rural areas in Canada are under consideration for falling under the same guidelines as liquor. The province is looking over the possibility of adding a self-contained non-medical cannabis retail store to existing businesses in rural areas. Many of the same operational requirements will still be the case for companies that take on retail cannabis.
For more detailed information and further resources about Bill C-45, the draft federal act look here. You can also contact cannabisregs@gov.bc.ca for specifics. Also, you may apply for the license from here.
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