Breadstack Webinar, ABLE BC’s 2024 Advocacy Report, Updates from Surrey & Maple Ridge, and more --------------------------------------------------------- |
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Cannabis Industry Update: November 13, 2024 |
Dear ABLE BC cannabis members and industry colleagues,
Here's the latest news for the private cannabis industry: -
2024 Provincial Election
- Breadstack eCommerce Webinar for ABLE BC Members
- Order Your 2025 ID Checking Guides
- 2024 Advocacy Report: Resiliency in Action
- SPARK: BC Liquor & Cannabis Conference
- ABLE BC Advocacy on Behalf of Maple Ridge Cannabis Retailers
- Surrey City Council Approves 12 Private Cannabis Retail Stores
- Reminder: Scheduled BC Cannabis Wholesale System Outage
- Welcoming Jesse Sidhu to ABLE BC!
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Provincial & Federal Enforcement Actions
- Canna Winter Clothing Drive
- go2HR on Tap: Regulatory Requirements for Workplace First Aid
- Member Spotlight: Inspired Cannabis Co
- Out and About with ABLE BC
- Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars
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2024 Provincial Election
After three days of counting mail-in and absentee ballots and mandatory recounts for a few key ridings, Elections BC confirmed that the BC NDP has secured 47 seats in BC’s Legislature. Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin has invited David Eby, leader of the BC NDP, to form BC’s next government. Premier Eby’s new cabinet will be sworn in on November 18.
ABLE BC congratulates Premier Eby and all MLAs elected to the legislature. We look forward to working with government and all elected officials in the months ahead. Over the next few weeks, the NDP transition team will be working on new mandate letters and determining the composition of the next cabinet. ABLE BC will work with new Ministers and MLAs to ensure that the issues that matter most to our industry remain at the forefront of these discussions. If you have questions about how ABLE BC works with government, please contact ABLE BC's Executive Director, Jeff Guignard, at jeff@ablebc.ca. |
MLA Brenda Bailey, MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, Premier David Eby, Byron (GM of The Junction Pub), Jeff Guignard |
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People Working Well The CMHA BC and go2HR have created a resource for tourism and hospitality employers and employees dealing with mental health challenges at work. |
| Liquor Industry Update Newsletter
Sign up for our Liquor Industry Update Newsletter to learn more about our advocacy for liquor businesses. Click here to read past liquor newsletters. |
| ABLE BC Member Portal
The Member Portal is your hub for all resources and benefits available to ABLE BC members. Contact bo@ablebc.ca if you need help logging in. |
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Breadstack eCommerce Webinar for ABLE BC Members We are pleased to announce a new ABLE Expert and Benefit Provider for our cannabis retail members, Breadstack eCommerce!
Breadstack offers powerful, innovative, and modern e-commerce solutions for private cannabis retailers. ABLE BC members have access to the best pricing and service from Breadstack, including subscription discounts, integration with COVA and Greenline POS, and more! Discover the power of Breadstack's e-commerce solutions at our exclusive ABLE BC member webinar on Wednesday, November 20 at 10:00 am. Hear from industry experts about how Breadstack can elevate your business, connect with other ABLE BC cannabis members, and be entered into a draw for tickets to MJBizCon! Webinar Details: - Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
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Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
- Location: Virtual - attend from anywhere!
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Speakers: Riel Roussopoulos (Breadstack), David Brown (Stratcann), Spensir Sangara (THC Canada), Bo Chen (ABLE BC)
- Cost: Free
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Order Your 2025 ID Checking Guides The NEW 2025 North American ID Checking Guide and NEW 16th Edition International ID Checking Guide are now available to order through ABLE BC.
Place your order before January 10, 2025, to secure our group buying discount! |
ID Checking Guides help you and your staff make accurate, on-the-spot verification of driver’s licenses and ID cards – your best protection against ID fraud. These books also help ensure you are kept updated on the latest versions of all ID formats. |
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2024 Advocacy Report: Resiliency in Action
Read ABLE BC’s 2024 Advocacy Report: Resiliency in Action to learn more about how the ABLE BC team and Board of Directors work to support our members. |
SPARK: BC Liquor & Cannabis Conference
We are excited to announce the return of SPARK! Join us on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre for BC's premier liquor and cannabis conference.
The highly anticipated third annual SPARK conference returns revamped and revived with a focus on liquor primaries, private liquor stores, and now private cannabis stores!
Get pumped for a full day of advocacy updates, networking with like-minded business owners, and learning from industry experts in the liquor and cannabis fields. |
Stay tuned for more details, including registration, sponsorship opportunities, and programming. |
ABLE BC Advocacy on Behalf of Maple Ridge Cannabis Retailers
ABLE BC is working with municipalities across BC to reduce business licensing fees for cannabis retailers, as Powell River has recently done.
This week, we wrote to Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy to express our strong support of reducing the $5000 business licence fee for cannabis retailers. We look forward to sharing updates as they are available. We will continue to push for more opportunities in other communities across BC. |
Surrey City Council Approves 12 Private Cannabis Retail Stores
Earlier this year, ABLE BC worked with the City of Surrey and the Surrey Board of Trade to open more opportunities for private cannabis retailers in the province’s second most populated city. In April, Surrey approved a policy framework to allow up to 12 private cannabis retailers, two in each neighbourhood. Now, Surrey has approved 12 stores from eight retailers. The retailers can now move forward with obtaining rezoning permits, business licences, and provincial licensing.
“This is an opportunity for small businesses to get a start in this industry,” said Jeff Guignard, ABLE BC Executive Director, speaking to Global News on November 5, “to offer legal, tested, regulated cannabis products out to Surrey’s consumers, and also return something to the tax base of Surrey as well.” We commend the City of Surrey on opening retail opportunities to responsible, legal operators. We congratulate the 12 stores that will be operating in Surrey soon. |
Reminder: Scheduled BC Cannabis Wholesale System Outage
On Friday, November 15, 2024, starting at 6:00 a.m., the BC Cannabis Wholesale website will be temporarily out-of-service to accommodate an update to the e-commerce platform hosted by Shopify. The update is required to transition the BC Liquor Distribution Branch’s (LDB) cannabis wholesale and retail e-commerce websites to Shopify’s global platform, as Shopify decommissions its existing Canadian platform and associated technical support. There will be no change to the website user/customer experience with this update.
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Welcoming Jesse Sidhu to ABLE BC!
We are pleased to introduce you to Jesse Sidhu, ABLE BC's new Manager of Membership & Events!
Jesse comes to us with over a decade of experience in non-profit management, event and conference planning, and member development. "He's been an exceptional addition to our team," says Jeff Guignard, ABLE BC Executive Director, "and I can't wait for all our members to connect with him. Jesse is your main point of contact for membership questions, sponsorships, and events. You can reach Jesse at jesse@ablebc.ca or 604-688-5560 ex 3. |
Provincial & Federal Enforcement Actions
The Community Safety Unit (CSU), which carries out compliance and enforcement under the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act (CCLA), is continuing work to address illicit cannabis operations in BC. Recently, the CSU closed down several unlicensed cannabis stores operating on Okanagan Indian Band land near Vernon.
Last month, federal RCMP investigators arrested six people and seized thousands of illicit cannabis products from two unlicensed operators on Vancouver Island.
We appreciate the RCMP and CSU’s continued enforcement efforts that support legal and responsible cannabis operators. Earlier this year, ABLE BC and the CSU presented a webinar on Provincial Efforts to Address Illicit Cannabis Operations. If you missed this webinar, a recording is available in the video library of the member portal.
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) has issued a $1,000 fine to a licensed cannabis retailer for selling cannabis below minimum pricing requirements. We encourage all retailers to review cannabis legislation and regulations and the terms and conditions of your licence.
If you are not sure if your store is in compliance, or you have questions about the CSU or enforcement actions, please reach out to Bo Chen, Head of Cannabis Membership, at bo@ablebc.ca.
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Canna Winter Clothing Drive Give back this holiday season! Join us in collecting new or gently used winter clothing and blankets to donate to those in need.
Participating stores will collect donations from November 18 to December 18. Volunteers will pick up donated items and deliver to Lookout Housing & Health Society. |
go2HR on Tap: Regulatory Requirements for Workplace First Aid
go2HR is a regular contributor to the ABLE BC Cannabis Industry Update newsletter, providing tips and guidance on current HR trends, new legislation, employee recruitment and retention, and more. To read the latest instalment, sign in to the member portal or sign up for the newsletter.
go2HR is excited to share their recorded webinar series on new regulatory requirements for workplace first aid. With the changes that took effect on November 1, 2024, now is the time for bars, pubs, and retailers to understand the new standard, update their first aid programs, and ensure compliance. The 3-part webinar series covers essential topics, including: - An overview of the new regulatory requirements,
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How to conduct a first aid assessment,
- Required procedural updates and industry best practices, and
- How to meet the new, mandatory first aid drill.
Click here to access the recordings and valuable resources including presentation slide decks, helpful one-pagers, templates, and examples of a completed assessment and procedural updates for a fictional tourism and hospitality business.
Questions? Contact the Health & Safety team to book a free First Aid Consultation.
go2HR, the HR and health and safety association for the BC Tourism and Hospitality Industry, has a wealth of free resources to support cannabis retailers. We invite you to connect with us to learn more about how you can support your employees at hr@go2HR.ca.
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Member Spotlight: Inspired Cannabis Co |
Inspired Cannabis Co is a family-run business whose mission is to plant roots in the communities they operate, and support local businesses and families whenever possible. Inspired Cannabis joined ABLE BC because they wanted to be a part of the only organization making advocacy decisions based on business needs and input from their members. Policy and regulations are changing constantly in BC, and the folks at Inspired Cannabis believe a membership with ABLE BC is the best way to stay informed and up to date. |
Out and About with ABLE BC
The ABLE BC office will be closed from December 23, 2024 - January 3, 2025 so our team can enjoy the holidays. Because of this closure, we'll be sending out the December Cannabis Industry Update newsletter early. So keep an eye on your inbox on December 4!
Even when our office is closed, we will still keep you informed on any urgent issues or updates for the cannabis industry. If you have questions during our holiday office closure, please reach out to Jeff Guignard at jeff@ablebc.ca. |
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Bo Chen visiting A Little Bud in White Rock |
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Jeff Guignard speaking to Global News about Surrey approving 12 cannabis stores |
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Bo Chen, Ann Brydle, and Jeff Guignard at the BCRFA Hall of Fame dinner |
Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars Check out these upcoming events: -
Radicle Femmes Holiday Networking, Vancouver, November 13
- Restaurant Industry Social Mixer, Pemberton, November 14
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Breadstack & ABLE BC Webinar, Virtual, November 20
- Growing Relationships, Mission, February 10, 2025
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SPARK: BC Liquor & Cannabis Conference, Vancouver, March 5, 2025
- BC Tourism Industry Conference, Vancouver, March 5-7, 2025
- BCHA Summit, Vancouver, April 22-23, 2025
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Help Our Cannabis Advocacy! Join ABLE BC! Do you own a cannabis retail store? Sign up now for an ABLE BC Cannabis Membership to support the work we do on your behalf.
As ABLE BC works to support BC’s cannabis retailers, we meet regularly with various officials at the LDB, LCRB, and with elected officials in the federal, provincial, and municipal government. With your support, we are making meaningful headway amending regulations and policies that support industry growth.
ABLE BC Cannabis Members have access to several benefit programs that offer exclusive discounts and are designed to help your business thrive. In addition to our benefit programs, we offer expert advice, regular webinars, and many networking opportunities.
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