NELSON, B.C – Cannabis producers in the region are optimistic that the provincial government will help lower the barriers for smaller growers and cultivators.
In a last-minute Saturday afternoon meeting in Nelson, solicitor general and Minister for Public Safety, Mike Farnworth met with representatives for the local cannabis industry.
On the agenda for the meeting, organized by local MLA Michele Mungal, was how black- and grey market producers can get a foothold in the legal economy that will see its one-year anniversary this October.
Industry players have expressed concerns over too stringent licensing requirements and high application fees as barriers to getting the product onto the government-regulated marketplace.
Jim Leslie, dispensary owner and vice-chair of Kootenay United Cannabis Association says many new ideas were aired.
“The provincial government is very much behind out producers, processors, and retailers.
They want to see policy to make sure our rural economies are successful”, he told MyNelsonNow.com after the meeting.
With the frameworks governed on the federal level, the producers see a powerful ally in actors like Farnworth.
“It has already been a significant amount of time, and few applications have been approved. It is a tremendous stress for us who try to make this a proper transition”, Leslie said.