According to the BCFCC, the provincial and federal governments are failing to support craft cannabis farmers in transitioning to the legal market. (Submitted photo/Richard WIllem)

By Jennifer Olson

lobbying

B.C. Craft Farmer’s Co-op wants larger role in promoting provincial cannabis

Mar 8, 2024 | 11:43 AM

For years, the B.C. Craft Farmer’s Co-op has approached the provincial government in collaborating to establish a B.C. craft cannabis brand, aimed at promoting British Columbia’s renowned craft cannabis.

Despite years of advocacy from the BCFCC, the province has consistently ignored suggestions from the Co-op. They have instead recently enlisted a Toronto-based accounting firm to help define craft cannabis, along with initiating a public survey.

BCFCC president Tara Kirkpatrick released the following response to the Deloitte survey:

“Deloitte’s corporate survey makes the mistake of asking respondents to define ‘craft cannabis’ instead of defining ‘British Columbia Craft Cannabis‘. It’s unfortunate that the provincial government appears to be asking the wrong question. Have they missed the point of what has made ‘B.C. Bud’ a great international brand for generations? If not more than the plant, our province’s cannabis culture is unique in the world because of the people growing the cannabis and the place it is grown. Let’s start with protecting and celebrating our global brand, local and Indigenous farmers.  Let’s start with defining B.C. craft cannabis instead.”

On the BCFCC website, their mission clearly states that they strive to help maintain B.C.’s top position as an international cannabis leader and innovator. The co-op wasn’t contacted upon the launch of the survey, despite having ongoing communication with the provincial government.

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“The BCFCC was never notified about the survey,” shared BCFCC vice president and High Mountain Organics micro-cultivator Richard Willems.

“I found out from seeing it on the news. We were actually quite surprised. Nobody contacted us to discuss it as a craft cannabis co-op.”

According to the BCFCC, the provincial and federal governments are failing to support craft cannabis farmers in transitioning to the legal market. Approximately 20 craft cannabis producers have ceased operations due to high costs and other insurmountable challenges.

Craft cannabis businesses risk extinction before initiatives like a BC craft cannabis brand are even implemented. Ignoring recommendations from the expert cannabis sector could result in the loss of billions of dollars in economic opportunities for B.C. Only approximately 100 craft cannabis farmers have transitioned to the legal market since legalisation in 2018. A B.C. craft cannabis brand and designation would honour B.C.’s cannabis culture and aid in national and international marketing, as tourists are more likely to seek out B.C. bud over products from other provinces.

“Now that cannabis is legal, we have all these mega corporations coming in putting huge money into the business,” Willem explained.

“What’s happening to all of those who originally built the brand, all the farmers out there, some of them putting their entire livelihoods into this? The product that is B.C. bud correlates to small farmers growing the product and focusing on the quality of the product, not just about high volumes, shareholders investments or the bottom line. It’s more than that. It’s a total missed opportunity because having such a name across the world can be creating a huge industry out here in B.C., especially with the forestry industry going down.”

Willems goes on to describe what a B.C. craft brand would encompass.

“A B.C. craft brand would be recognised by B.C. craft producers and have a whole system of rating and categories such as ‘women-owned’, ‘sustainable’, ‘First Nations-grown’, etc.,” explained Willems.

“Consumers will know exactly what the product is. They will know that it’s grown 100% in this province by craft farmers, versus something that gets imported from the United States or mass-produced back east, etc. Let’s help our own farmers and bring this industry to the point where it is up there competing with B.C. wine and everything else that draws people here. We want people to visit B.C. to see the sights, to see what’s beautiful in B.C. and also to enjoy B.C. craft cannabis.”

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