Strike Fears Hit B.C. Cannabis Industry, With 2022 Disruption Still Fresh In Mind

British Columbia’s legal cannabis industry is bracing for the potential impacts of a large-scale public sector strike.

The B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) began job action on Tuesday, picketing several government services offices in different parts of the province.

While job action hasn’t affected liquor and cannabis distribution so far, those who work in the industry are already concerned — with memories still fresh of a 2022 BCGEU strike that shut down distribution warehouses.

“It took so many businesses and retailers, producers, farmers, everything to recoup from that, and so this onset of the potential strike has brought on all of these feelings again” said Michelle Cozzuol, founder and CEO of Count Canna.

“Panic buying, we’re dealing with live product, it aging out, being paid, having only one single stream of distribution available — this whole thing has just set in utter panic.”

Cozzuol said communication with the province has been poor and that retailers were scrambling Monday night, unsure if scheduled deliveries would even show up Tuesday morning.

Read the full story at Global News