B.C. Cannabis Industry ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Ministry Change

Policy and licensing for non-medical cannabis has been moved from the public safety ministry over to agriculture.

Forgive Walker Patton for being skeptical about the provincial government’s support for the cannabis industry.

Patton, the chief commercial officer at cannabis producer Woody Nelson, says the Nelson-based company can boast over $1 million in monthly sales. But nearly seven years after legalization in Canada, Patton says that isn’t enough to compete against the unregulated, illicit market.

“It’s like being told that you’re performing in the top one percentile of the class, but you’re still getting a D-minus, and you can’t figure out why.”

He’s hopeful, however, that a small change by the provincial government leads to more bountiful harvests for B.C.’s industry.

Until last month, the Ministry of Public Safety was in charge of regulations related to policy and licensing for non-medical cannabis. That file now belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, although Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger will still oversee compliance and enforcement.

Read the full article at Grand Forks Gazette