First of a series on the preservation of a B次元官网网址榗raft cannabisB次元官网网址� industry in B.C.

In the bad old days, B.C. used to supply half of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 marijuana, export it to the United States by the hockey bag, and bring home a bong-full of blue ribbons for its exotic B次元官网网址淏.C. budB次元官网网址� strains from international Cannabis Cup competitions in Amsterdam.

Premier John Horgan argues that this history is the main reason why legal marijuana has fizzled so far in B.C., a year into Prime Minister Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 bold legalization experiment. HorganB次元官网网址檚 government is moving to take over the B次元官网网址渆conomic developmentB次元官网网址� part of legal cannabis from Ottawa, because its ponderous Health Canada licence system for growers is working great for mass-market producers in Ontario and Quebec. And itB次元官网网址檚 killing B.C. bud.

The Central Kootenay around Nelson B.C. is ground zero for HorganB次元官网网址檚 experiment, economic development grants to subsidize and guide illegal growers from the dark side to the light. The $676,000 project is funded by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and administered by Community Futures Central Kootenay.

Energy Minister Michelle Mungall, who holds the Nelson-Creston seat for the NDP, was quoted in a low-circulation , applauding the grantB次元官网网址檚 potential to help growers navigate the federal-provincial-municipal regulations. Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy, another NDP cabinet minister, has expressed her concern that CanadaB次元官网网址檚 wave of stock-market-backed mega-producers is a grave threat to her local economy.

Social Development Min explains why gets the first economic grant for its growers

B次元官网网址� Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc)

Social Development Minister Shane Simpson says this is his ministryB次元官网网址檚 first cannabis-related business venture, and it was a grassroots idea. If it works for the Kootenays, it could work for the Okanagan or the Sunshine Coast, Simpson says.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e seen whatB次元官网网址檚 happened with the craft beer industry in British Columbia,B次元官网网址� Simpson said in an interview with Black Press. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 exploded and become an important part of the local economies in communities right across the province. ItB次元官网网址檚 possible that there could be that same craft aspect to the production of cannabis. B次元官网网址淓verybody talks about B.C. Bud and the reputation it has, so if we can build a craft industry thatB次元官网网址檚 legal, thatB次元官网网址檚 regulated appropriately, then thatB次元官网网址檚 a good thing.B次元官网网址�

PART TWO:

PART THREE:

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B.C.B次元官网网址檚 main legal effort is a monopoly wholesaler run by the Liquor Distribution Branch, with a monopoly online store and a scattering of government-owned retail stores, a few licensed private retailers and a ragtag of unlicensed stores and private dealers. Some insiders estimate that the B次元官网网址済rey marketB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渂lack marketB次元官网网址� ragtag still holds 80 per cent of the B.C. market.

Large-scale licensed national producers, the Budweiser and Coors Light of cannabis, have been noted for missed targets, regulatory cheating, and a shortage followed by a glut of overpriced product, some of it getting mouldy sitting in the warehouse.

Horgan says heB次元官网网址檚 well aware that most of the product Health Canada has made legal for recreational sales is from other provinces. And he recalls telling the Trudeau government well before legalization that B.C. would make its own way on business development.

B次元官网网址淭he federal government said B次元官网网址榳eB次元官网网址檒l take care of economic developmentB次元官网网址�, and we just disagreed with them on that, and we continue to disagree with them on that,B次元官网网址� Horgan told reporters at the B.C. legislature Nov. 28. B次元官网网址淲e have in B.C. a legendary quality product, and thatB次元官网网址檚 not making its way to the legal market.B次元官网网址�

BC Premier explains the struggle of making legal in the land of

B次元官网网址� Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc)

The jokes about the B.C. NDP somehow l are no longer funny. ItB次元官网网址檚 a fact. In her second-quarter budget update, Finance Minister Carole James reported that forecast for B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch income has been lowered $18 million B次元官网网址渄ue to the delayed rollout of private and public cannabis stores and lower-than-anticipated demand.B次元官网网址�

Federal excise tax from cannabis, the dollar-a-gram first take for recreational product, is split three quarters for the province and one quarter for Ottawa. The latest forecast downgraded B.C.B次元官网网址檚 share for the current fiscal year from $38 million to $8 million. Policing and other costs are coming in higher than budgeted.

Horgan acknowledges that the problem is the black market is still here, and the B次元官网网址済rey marketB次元官网网址� that worked through medical dispensaries and compassion clubs, is greatly endangered. One disadvantage is price, with Statistics Canada estimating that legal cannabis is running close to $10 a gram, while illegal product is selling for half that.

Quebec-based Hexo Corp. has a plan for that, and itB次元官网网址檚 more bad news for B次元官网网址渃raft cannabisB次元官网网址� in B.C. Hexo has launched a budget product for national sales called B次元官网网址淥riginal Stash.B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 only sold in the old-school 28-gram or one-ounce bag, at $4.99 a gram.

Next part: A craft cannabis grower navigates the regulatory system.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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