People who grow, process and retail cannabis in the Kootenays say they’re feeling a little more optimistic after a meeting with the province’s minister in charge of the industry.
Minister for Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth — who’s responsible for liquor and cannabis retailing in the province — and his cabinet colleague, local MLA Michelle Mungall, met with about a dozen people involved in the local cannabis trade on Saturday afternoon in Nelson.
“It was wonderful,” says Chris Campbell, who owns the Nelson Potorium, at the end of the 90-minute meeting. “I am very happy to hear Mike came to try to resolve some issues and try and discuss to see if they can be resolved. He’s here to help out.”
“I think the meeting today was a great opportunity, and a lot of great ideas came up at the table,” added Brett Pope, who’s with the Kootenay United Cannabis Association, a local group that advocates and lobbies for local producers. “I think he’s ready to go to bat for us.”
Mungall organized the meeting to give local industry players a chance to speak directly with the man who makes the provincial rules. Since the legalization of cannabis nearly a year ago, the black-and-grey market companies in the Kootenays have struggled to find a place for themselves in the new world order.
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