Cannabis producers looking to enter B.C.’s legal market can now use a step-by-step online guide that helps simplify and streamline the licensing process.

The Cannabis Production Regulatory Navigator has been created to help prospective cannabis cultivators and processors work their way through the steps required to get their regulated and approved products to market, a joint Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness and Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General media release.

“This new tool will provide clearer and more accessible information about how to enter the legal cannabis market in B.C.,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Transitioning more cannabis producers to the legal framework will help increase public health and safety, while creating stable jobs that support B.C. families and communities.”

B.C. continues to make progress in reducing unlicensed cannabis production while supporting the economic development of the licensed sector. In 2019, the value generated by licensed cannabis producers in B.C. increased by $600 million, while unlicensed production decreased by 20%.

“The online navigator will help Indigenous, small-scale and craft producers overcome the cost and complexity of attaining the appropriate licences and approvals,” said Michelle Mungall, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness. “Simplifying the regulatory process will help more producers get their businesses running and create job opportunities across the province.”

The Cannabis Production Regulatory Navigator is a guide for businesses of all sizes for cultivating (such as growing and harvesting) and processing (including manufacturing and packaging) for commercial purposes in B.C.

“When the Cannabis Act came into effect in October 2018, transitioning legacy growers, often unaccustomed to regulation, were challenged with the prospect of navigating three jurisdictions of government, plus the standard rules required to operate a successful business in B.C.,” said Paul Kelly, manager, Cannabis Business Transition Initiative Program, Community Futures Central Kootenay. “The province’s new navigator puts much of it in one place, providing an excellent tool to demystify the pathway to cannabis production licensing.”

To date in B.C., there are 66 standard cultivation licence holders, 10 micro-cultivation licence holders, five nursery licence holders, 51 standard processing licence holders and two micro-processing holders.

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