Watch Live: CityNews at Six Vancouver

Pot producers calling on the province and the feds to keep marijuana jobs in BC

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A number of groups are petitioning the province and the federal government to make sure pot producers are a part of the legalization process.

A letter is being sent to BC Attorney General David Eby and Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Ian Dawkins is with one of those groups behind the letter, The Cannabis Commerce Association of Canada.

He says there could be some serious problems if craft marijuana experts are left out of the conversations around legalization.

“All of the cannabis economy that currently kind of fuels a lot of rural British Columbia is going to end up shifting. All of those jobs are going to go to large cannabis producers out of Ontario.”

He says there are already tens of thousands of jobs in BC related to pot, though not all of them are legal.He believes the time is now to make sure that “BC bud” can thrive.

“Giving our craft cannabis sector here in British Columbia the tools to thrive, just like what we gave craft wineries and craft breweries.”

He says there are clear benefits to having marijuana grown and sold here.

“I think most consumers, no matter what they are consuming, if they had their druthers they would prefer to consume something that is local. Something that supports local jobs. Something that probably has less of an environmental impact because it is local.”

Marijuana is set to be legalized at some point this year.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today