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Until last month, the Ministry of Public Safety was entirely in charge of policy, regulations and compliance enforcement related to BC cannabis licensing.
The change was first reported by Statcann on July 25. The article states that Premier David Eby’s recent cabinet shuffle included the change to cannabis industry oversight. The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General continues to lead policy direction, compliance, and enforcement, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Food takes on responsibility for regulations related to policy and licensing, including the Cannabis Secretariat, which coordinates non-medical cannabis policy across the provincial government.
As of early August, the move hasn’t been widely reported and only a handful of news sources mention it, including Stratcann and various community news sites run by Black Press Media, such as the Nelson Star.
In an August 5, Nelson Star article “B.C. cannabis industry ‘cautiously optimistic’ about ministry change”, Walker Patton, Chief Commercial Officer at Woody Nelson, says the company’s over $1 million in monthly sales isn’t enough to offset competition from the illicit market, which is still siphoning sales away from licensed producers and retailers now nearly seven years after legalization. Patton is hopeful that moving some of the file to Agriculture and Food leads to better days for BC’s cannabis industry.
In a statement to the Nelson Star, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said “I am really looking forward to working with the cannabis sector and finding ways to enhance this growing industry that is contributing to local economies throughout the province”.
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