DIRK MEISSNER
The Canadian Press
Premier John Horgan says it鈥檚 the best of times for cannabis users in British Columbia, but they could be even better.
Since recreational cannabis became legal in sa国际传媒 in October 2018, access to marijuana has become a matter of waiting for the mail to arrive or visiting a licensed dispensary. But something鈥檚 still missing, the premier says.
Horgan said he wants British Columbia to take better advantage of the province鈥檚 worldwide reputation as a producer of top notch, award-winning weed, known as sa国际传媒 bud.
鈥淚 remember being in Amsterdam and seeing all of the sa国际传媒 bud awards that were being given out at the time when the product was illegal, and it鈥檚 ironic we seem to be having more Ontario product being distributed in sa国际传媒 through the legal market,鈥� Horgan said at a recent news conference.
鈥淲e in sa国际传媒 have a legendary product and that鈥檚 not making its way to the legal market.鈥�
Horgan said he doesn鈥檛 want to see the bloom fall off sa国际传媒 bud, which is why the province is looking to introduce initiatives that support the talents of pot growers and merchants in the legal market.
Last month, the sa国际传媒 government provided $675,000 to help cannabis operators in the Kootenays overcome the barriers to operating in the legal economy.
鈥淔or those passionate about the issue, stay tuned,鈥� Horgan said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to work as best we can to ensure that the consuming public gets a quality, safe product, and that we reap the benefits that we can of having a long tradition of cultivating cannabis here in sa国际传媒鈥�
But Ted Smith, a long-time Victoria area marijuana activist who participated in challenges of previous cannabis laws in the Supreme Court of sa国际传媒 and won, said sa国际传媒 has allowed large-scale corporate marijuana producers to dominate the market.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e destroying the whole concept of sa国际传媒 bud with what they鈥檝e done,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f they were interested in helping, they would not only have done a lot more to make sure that small growers could easily get licences, but they would also be having coffee shops and places where people could come and smoke the product.鈥�
The premier said he has tasked Solicitor General Mike Farnworth with finding ways to allow sa国际传媒鈥檚 skilled producers to shine.
鈥淢r. Farnworth鈥檚 seized that and he鈥檚 been talking to small producers across the province who would prefer to have the economic benefit of having jobs here in sa国际传媒 cultivating product that鈥檚 legal in sa国际传媒, rather than have us purchasing from Manitoba, Ontario and Alberta,鈥� Horgan said.
sa国际传媒 still ranks near the top in sa国际传媒 as a supplier of legal marijuana, Farnworth said.
鈥淲e grow a lot of sa国际传媒 bud here in this province,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e grow lots of sa国际传媒 cannabis. As I said, we鈥檙e the number two producer in terms of licences.鈥�
Farnworth said he wants to chip away at the black market stronghold on cannabis in sa国际传媒 but it will take time.
鈥淚n Colorado, it took more than four years for the black market to be reduced to 30 per cent,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to get it down as much as we can. That鈥檚 the whole goal behind legalization.鈥�
Farnworth forecasts improved cannabis revenues in the coming months. 鈥淚 expect the third-quarter sales to be higher than the second-quarter sales,鈥� he said.
Farnworth said there are now almost 200 approved licences to sell legal cannabis in sa国际传媒, which will lead to increased revenues.
鈥淥ne of the key lessons we learned from Washington and Oregon was, do not look at revenue in the first couple of years,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 about revenue. It鈥檚 about getting it right.鈥�
Farnworth has been looking to develop policy to encourage more producers to enter the legal market. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the only province that was pushing for micro-production, small-scale licences,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檙e wanting to encourage is small-scale production in regions of the province like the Kootenays or the Interior.鈥�
Farnworth said the government is working on a policy to open farm-gate cannabis sales in sa国际传媒 similar to wineries, where customers can sample and purchase local product.
鈥淲e want to recognize that [cannabis] underpins local economies,鈥� said Farnworth.
鈥淲e want a strong craft industry in this province.鈥�
