Che' LeBlanc started growing cannabis before he sat at a desk in high school. He learned the craft at the foot of his father, who was also a grower. "One of my first memories are in fact crawling up the rows of plants with the bright lights hanging above," said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc lives south of Nelson, B.C., near the U.S. border, and growing cannabis has been a passion for him his entire adult life. He's not the only person in this mountainous region of B.C. who is skilled at growing cannabis. "The Kootenays have some of the best growers I've ever seen," he said. "There is a reason B.C. bud is recognized internationally. Part of it is the climate and the rest is the community."
The B.C. government has also recognized the pool of skilled growers in the Kootenays. To that end, it's funded a pilot project aimed at helping veteran cannabis growers obtain licences to open legal operations. The province's motivation is to one day capture a portion of the tax revenue the growers generate as legal, licensed businesses.
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