Legislation

Following federal legalization of cannabis on October 17, 2018, through the Cannabis Act, British Columbia (BC) introduced legislature to regulate the market in their province – the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act, the Cannabis Distribution Act, the Cannabis Control Regulation and the Cannabis Licensing Regulation. In BC, the Province has determined it will allow personal cultivation, some public consumption of vaped and smoked cannabis, and outlined a model for retail sales. Like most other provinces and territories BC is raising the minimum age to possess, purchase, and consume cannabis to 19 years old.

BC has a government-run wholesale distribution model. The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) is the wholesale distributor of non-medical cannabis in BC. However, the retail model is a combination of both public and private retail. British Columbians from across the province can also purchase non-medical cannabis from the LDB’s online BC Cannabis Store.

How to Start a Cannabis Business in British Columbia?

From November 30, 2022, the Producer Retail Store licence came into effect which allows federally licensed producers to sell non-medical cannabis products in stores located at their cultivation site.

Municipalities have the ability to ban private retail operations or further limit the nature and scope of these operations depending on their municipal bylaws and regulations.

The federal government is responsible for licensing and regulating cannabis producers and processors. Information on the licensing process can be found on Health Canada. All retail and marketing licences are issued by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB).

British Columbia Cannabis Market Stats

As of May 2025, there are 239 federal licence holders, including 123 micro-business licences, and 495 cannabis retail licences have been issued including 81 licences to businesses throughout Vancouver.

Data collected by Statistics Canada show that retail sales in British Columbia reached about $43 million in December 2020, then decreased to $37 million in March 2021 and exceeded $50 million in October. Total retail sales reached about $550 million in 2021, nearly $670 million in 2022 and exceeded $790 million in 2023, peaking in August at around $75 million. In 2024, total retail sales were slightly lower at $782 million. In the first two months of 2025, $118,826 worth of cannabis has been sold.

British Columbia legal cannabis market is projected to reach $1 billion in annual sales by 2025, with about $950 million recreational sales.

British Columbia Cannabis Market Infographics

Source: cannabusinessplans.ca