B.C. greenlights cannabis delivery for all retailers starting next month
Cannabis retailers in British Columbia can start delivering recreational cannabis products to their customers beginning next month.
The B.C. government announced Thursday that all licensed non-medical cannabis sellers will be permitted to deliver their products starting July 15.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General says it’s another reason for cannabis consumers to “go legal” when buying cannabis in B.C.
“Since the federal legalization of non-medical cannabis, we’ve been working to support a strong and diverse cannabis industry, shrink the illicit market and keep products out of the hands of children and youth,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, in a statement Thursday.
“Allowing direct delivery to consumers isn’t just an advantage retailers have told us is vital to the viability of their sector, it’s also a way we can further our public safety goals,” Farnworth added.
The announcement follows the government’s decision last August to allow cannabis retailers to sell their products online.
Only adults will be allowed to receive cannabis delivery orders, and anyone who appears to be under 19 years old will have to present two pieces of identification, the province says.
The customer will not have to be a resident at the address or the person who placed the order. However, they will have to provide their name and signature to take delivery.
SECURITY VERIFICATION ELIMNATED FOR CANNABIS WORKERS
The province says it is also removing security verification requirements for cannabis workers to help eliminate delays in hiring. The province says the change will allow cannabis retailers to hire staff more quickly to implement delivery and will reduce costs for industry and government.
“Government has consulted, listened and really delivered,” said Jaclynn Pehota, executive director of the Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers, in the statement Thursday.
“Knowing retailers can start hiring without delay and be ready to better meet customers’ needs when delivery becomes an option is incredibly welcome news,” Pehota said.
“Adding convenient home delivery to the mix of knowledgeable staff and regulated product can only serve to make the legal cannabis sector the source of choice for more people,” she added.
Since 2018, the B.C. government has completed security screening on more than 7,000 prospective cannabis workers and has not identified any significant risk of links to organized crime, according to the province.
Prospective retailers will remain subject to security screening when applying for a licence, according to the ministry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.