Licensed cannabis retailers will soon be able to deliver cannabis to your home in BC

Photo: The Canadian Press

Starting next month, you can get legal cannabis delivered straight to your door by licensed cannabis retailers.

Cannabis retailers will be able to deliver non-medical cannabis products directly to consumers starting July 15.

The change builds on an August 2020 move allowing cannabis retail stores to sell their products online, providing more economic opportunities for retailers.

This gives consumers a new way to purchase non-medical cannabis from a legal source in their community, helping support B.C’s legal cannabis industry and strengthen their local economy, the Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers says.

“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,” Mike Farnworth, B.C.'s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, said in a press release.

In response to industry feedback and as a result of experience gained with respect to security verification since legalization in 2018, B.C. is also removing security verification requirements for cannabis workers.

This will eliminate delays in hiring and enable legal retailers to more quickly implement delivery. It will also reduce costs for industry and government.

“Knowing retailers can start hiring without delay and be ready to better meet customers’ needs when delivery becomes an option is incredibly welcome news. Adding convenient home delivery to the mix of knowledgeable staff and regulated products can only serve to make the legal cannabis sector the source of choice for more people,” said Jaclynn Pehota, executive director of the Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers.

Since 2018, the 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.

Prospective licensees and associates will remain subject to rigorous security screening when applying for a licence.

Only adults will be allowed to receive delivery orders, and anyone who appears to be under 19 will have to present two pieces of identification.

The recipient 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.