Excited, happy, relieved.
That’s the reaction of Angela Duke, manager of Kelowna’s Cannabission, in response to the BC General Employees’ Union’s decision to stop industrial action at cannabis distribution warehouses that choked off supply to retailers.
“We’re very pleased,” Duke said Wednesday.
But while there is a sense of relief in the industry, the strike has some shop owners rethinking how they will source product in the future.
“Up until this point, I feel like a lot of people were happy just to order from the liquor branch,” said Max Whalen, manager of Kelo Cannabis.
“But after being left out to dry, I think we’re now seeing the industry come together; now I’m asking myself, ‘Will I ever again order products that can be delivered directly to me through the government?'” The answer is probably no”.
Flora Cannabis manager Tania Robinson says they would also prefer to buy product directly from suppliers.
“We want to support local, that’s our brand we want to support your local pot shop, so we want to be able to buy and sell what local producers have to offer,” he said.
A policy change from the provincial government, in the works prior to the strike, is making direct access a reality for the first time, albeit in very small quantities.
These artisanal cannabis growers had planned to start getting approved and have products approved for direct delivery to stores starting August 15th. Retailers estimate that about 40 craft cannabis products, or store keeping units (SKUs), are now available to order, but supplies are limited.
Magi Cannabis director Josh Beckett told Glacier Media that the BC government approved his company as an artisanal cannabis supplier earlier this month. The next stage for him was to get the government to approve specific products that he could sell and deliver directly. Those approvals came Monday.
Canadian Cannabis Retailers Association executive director Jaclynn Pehota told Glacier Media that to be eligible for the province’s direct delivery program, craft growers must produce a maximum of 3,000 kilograms a the year.
He said he knows about a dozen producers who have been approved by the government to start supplying products, out of more than 70 producers who are eligible.
Meanwhile, consumers may not be out of the woods just yet, as it may take a week or two for stores to see a return to normal supply levels.
with files from Glen Korstrom, Business in Vancouver