Government-run pot shops are expected to be open by the end of the summer to coincide with expected federal legalization, B.C.’s public safety minister said Thursday as he introduced legislation for non-medical cannabis.
Mike Farnworth said the Cannabis Distribution Act gives the province the authority to distribute recreational cannabis to retail stores, which will be operated by a mix of public and private retailers overseen by the province’s liquor regulator.
“This marks a major milestone, and puts our province in position to not only be ready for federal cannabis legalization in late summer, but does so in a way that reflects the province’s goals for legalized cannabis that prioritize public health and safety, particularly for our children and youth,” Farnworth said at a press conference.
The publicly run stores will be called B.C. Cannabis Stores, which the Liquor Distribution Branch said keeps the brand in line with B.C. Liquor Stores. All pot shops must purchase wholesale cannabis from the Liquor Distribution Branch, which will obtain cannabis from federally licensed producers.
Existing private dispensaries will have to apply for a licence through the province, only after an operator has permission from their local government.
“That element is crucial,” Farnworth said. “All stores whether public or private will have to get approval from local government, and after that they are able to get the provincial licence.”
James Whitehead, who owns Medijuana cannabis dispensary on Gorge Road East, said dispensary owners are frustrated that the province has not yet opened the online application portal and that no date has been set.
Whitehead worries the government does not have the team in place to process the applications. He’s also concerned the government is purposely delaying the approval process for private cannabis stores to give government-run stores a leg up.
“I think they’re delaying the announcement because it gives them more time to monopolize the rollout of stores,” Whitehead said. He said he has already applied to operate retail cannabis stores in Alberta, where the online application tool opened in March.
The approval process will include rigorous background checks, Farnworth said. Cannabis business owners with minor criminal convictions will not be excluded from running a retail store but those with serious convictions such as drug trafficking, or individuals with gang ties, will be turned down, he said.
Pot shops that continue to operate after their application is turned down will be targeted by a new community safety unit and can face fines of double the retail value of cannabis found in the store.
“Those who do not get a licence but still think they can continue to operate with impunity, they will find out that they can’t,” Farnworth said.
Farnworth said he’s confident there will be enough cannabis supply to fuel all the stores once they open.
Retail stores will be permitted to sell a maximum of 30 grams of dried cannabis, or its equivalent in oil, to one person at a time.
The Ministry of Finance is still working on setting the retail price of cannabis, Farnworth said, adding it’s important that the tax rate is not so high that it pushes people to the black market.
Changes will also be made to the Motor Vehicle Act to provide police with additional tools to nab drug-impaired drivers. The amendments include a 90-day administrative driving prohibition for drivers with a certain level of THC, a major component of marijuana, in their blood system. New drivers in ICBC’s graduated licensing program will not be allowed to have any THC in their system.
The province is still waiting for the federal government to unveil a road-side saliva test that accurately detects drugs.
Adam Olsen, Green Party MLA (Saanich North and the Islands) and the party’s cannabis and agriculture spokesman, said he’s pleased with the government’s direction and said his priority is to ensure recreational cannabis benefits local companies while mitigating adverse effects on existing business and communities.
Olsen said he has heard concerns from the agriculture industry that legalization could drive up the prices of land in the Agricultural Land Reserve as cannabis growers look to build greenhouses on farmland.
“I will be watching the rollout of these policies closely to ensure existing businesses are not adversely impacted,” Olsen said.
The legislation was crafted after consultation with other jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis, local governments, First Nations communities and through public consultation.
