BC’s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch is considering changes to two areas of cannabis regulation: market controls and sales at events. Local governments will have received a discussion paper from LCRB, with background information, questions for consideration and an invitation to schedule a meeting to discuss these issues by August 1, 2025.
Feedback received during this engagement process will inform policy development regarding these issues. Any local governments that did not receive the discussion paper are asked to contact the LCRB.
Background:
Engagement on Cannabis Market Controls
The provincial framework for non-medical cannabis currently includes market controls:
- Licence Cap: limits the number of cannabis retail store licences a company, person or group can hold to eight (8)
- Tied House: prohibits financial or other arrangements between cannabis retail store licensees and federally licensed producers.
- Vertical Integration: restricts federally licensed producers’ ownership of cannabis retail stores.
Market controls are intended to support diversity in the legal market, prevent well-capitalized companies from dominating the retail market, foster a competitive marketplace and create economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs and Indigenous people.
As part of this work, the LCRB will also consider the possibility of introducing provincial distancing criteria for cannabis retail stores. Currently, local governments and Indigenous Nations have authority to set restrictions on where cannabis retail stores (CRSs) are located, but there are no provincial rules that set a minimum distance between cannabis retail stores. Several industry groups have been advocating to the Province for a minimum distance between CRSs similar to distancing requirements under B.C.’s liquor framework. This would potentially require CRSs to be a set distance from another CRS in all communities.
Engagement on Cannabis Sales at Events
The LCRB is considering enabling licensed cannabis sales at events such as music festivals. This initiative falls under the Province’s work to provide cannabis tourism opportunities, which has been ongoing since the release of a 2022 discussion paper.
Last year, the Province took its first step in gradually enabling cannabis hospitality and tourism experiences in B.C. by allowing the promotion of cannabis-friendly spaces and cannabis consumption on public patios where smoking and vaping tobacco is already allowed, subject to Indigenous or local government bylaws and other rules.
Provincial Commitment to Local Authority
The LCRB oversees provincial liquor and cannabis regulations. These are the rules and laws that govern B.C.’s private retail sale of liquor and cannabis. In acknowledgement of the role that Indigenous Nations and local governments play in shaping B.C. communities, the LCRB has committed to maintaining local authority with respect to the initiatives being considered.