New classes of products: edibles, topicals and extracts

• It will take time before a full suite of products in the three new classes will be available. Consumers should expect that, initially, there will be a limited selection, with new products appearing gradually in licensed retail stores beginning in late December 2019 at the earliest.
• Edibles, topicals and extracts will have the same child-resistant and plain packaging and labelling requirements that are in place for existing cannabis products, which include the standardized cannabis symbol for products with THC in a concentration greater than 10 micrograms per gram, health warnings and THC and CBD content.
• Those who consume edible cannabis should understand that the effects take longer to set in, they will last longer and the harmful effects of overconsumption can be serious.
• Before experimenting with edibles, exercise caution and learn what to expect. Start low and go slow – start out with a small dose of THC (e.g., 5mg or less) and be patient to avoid overconsuming.
• Exercise the most caution with products containing more than 200 mg/g (20%) of THC, such as shatter, wax or distillates. Higher levels of THC can cause greater levels of impairment and increase the risk of experiencing serious adverse effects.

Public and private retail

• As of Oct. 18, 2019, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) has issued 144 private cannabis retail licences. More licences will be issued in the coming months.
• Currently, there are seven public BC Cannabis Stores operating in B.C.
• Based on feedback from applicants, the LCRB continues to assess ways to improve the application process for cannabis licences, while maintaining the integrity of the regulatory scheme and the safety of British Columbians. This has reduced timelines on many applications.
• To ensure British Columbians can identify legal sources of non-medical cannabis, the LCRB has created an online map of licensed retailers and has developed an easily recognizable “Licensed Cannabis retailer” window decal that will help the public identify retailers licensed by the Province.
• To date, Community Safety Unit (CSU) officers have visited more than 165 unlicensed retailers for the purposes of education and to raise awareness about cannabis laws, the penalties and consequences for violating federal and provincial regulations. 
• The CSU has increased enforcement, including seizures of cannabis and records, against several cannabis storefronts that continue to operate without a provincial licence.
• There have been more than 148,000 online transactions through the BC Cannabis online store.
• The LDB is currently working with 37 licensed cannabis producers and is servicing 100 wholesale customers (public and private retailers).

Labour market

• As of Oct. 17, 2019, there were more than 1,500 authorized workers licensed to work in cannabis retail in B.C.
• Nearly 60 federal production licences have been issued in British Columbia alone.
• To help inform future British Columbia labour market data, B.C. will post a request for proposals on BCBid for an organization to conduct labour-market research on the training and labour needs of B.C.’s legal cannabis industry.