Cannabis Cultivators of British Columbia (CCBC) is a provincial industry association that represents federally licensed cannabis growers across the province, including outdoor, greenhouse, and craft producers. The organization advocates for policies that support sustainable, quality-focused cultivation and fair regulation. Its work centers on securing full agricultural recognition for cannabis, improving market access and competitiveness, and ensuring that BC producers can succeed within the legal framework while contributing to rural development, public health, and the province's global cannabis reputation.
In 2024, Canada's legal cannabis sector generated nearly $29 billion in total economic output, contributed $16 billion to national GDP, and supported more than 230,000 jobs. These figures place the industry on par with sectors such as dairy and automotive manufacturing. Cultivators form the foundation of this supply chain, accounting for roughly 90 percent of the sector's GDP contribution through production activity alone, highlighting their central role in value creation and employment.
British Columbia is a national leader in cannabis production, with more than 200 licensed producers responsible for approximately 25 percent of Canada's legal output. Despite this strength, the province remains underrepresented in international markets, accounting for only 14 percent of cannabis exports. This growth has occurred organically and without access to U.S. markets, which remain closed due to federal prohibition. As a result, Canada, and BC in particular, has a unique opportunity to build a tariff-protected export economy based on agriculture, health innovation, and sustainable manufacturing.
With coordinated support from the provincial government, BC cannabis producers are well positioned to displace illicit sales, expand international market share, and reinforce the province's leadership in the global cannabis economy.
CCBC recommends that the BC government formally recognize cannabis as a priority economic sector and ensure producers have equitable access to existing provincial economic development programs. The association also calls for the creation of a provincial cannabis designation that guarantees product origin, helping build consumer trust and strengthening long-term competitiveness and global positioning for BC cannabis.
Further recommendations include harmonizing Canada's cannabis excise stamp system into a single national stamp to reduce costs, simplify compliance, and improve inventory flexibility. CCBC also urges the expansion of Direct Delivery eligibility to include BC producers of all sizes, along with a reduced markup structure and a non-competitive listing model.
To support international growth, CCBC recommends streamlining Canada's cannabis export framework by reducing export permit wait times and introducing a master export permit system. This would improve global competitiveness while lowering administrative burdens for both producers and regulators. The association also proposes amending the excise duty remittance system so taxes are collected at the wholesale distribution level, allowing governments to receive revenue more reliably while improving efficiency and preventing future arrears.
Additional recommendations include modernizing the Producer Retail Store, or farm-gate, licensing program to lower barriers to entry and operation for licensed producers and ensure broader, more equitable participation across the sector. CCBC also calls for federally licensed cannabis cultivation to be added as a qualifying agricultural use under the BC Assessment Act, ensuring cannabis is treated fairly alongside other regulated crops and enabling fuller use of Agricultural Land Reserve lands.
Finally, CCBC advocates for stronger enforcement against illicit cannabis retailers, including online operators, along with expanded public education on the benefits of legal sources. The association recommends modernizing rules for non-activated cannabis products to better reflect real-world risk and reduce costs, as well as exempting sealed, excise-stamped cannabis products from the 30-gram public possession limit to support compliance and reduce advantages held by the illicit market.
Read the full 2026 Policy Paper at the link here.
For more information:
Cannabis Cultivators of BC
cannabiscultivatorsbc.org/
