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BC changes visibility rules to improve cannabis store safety

Published on May 19, 2023 by oz. staff

The BC government has officially announced provincial changes to cannabis rules for cannabis retailers.

In a May 19 bulletin, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) says it’s repealing the visibility requirements from the Cannabis Licensing Regulation. The LCRB says it will removing the requirement in s. 5 (1)(p.1) to improve the visibility into cannabis stores and increase safety for store operators, staff and patrons.

“The lack of visibility into some licensed or authorized cannabis stores is putting cannabis store operators, staff and patrons at risk,” says the province in its bulletin.

“Display rules in the federal Cannabis Act are still in place. The LCRB will instead have a term and condition prohibiting window displays of cannabis and cannabis accessories to people outside the store.”

The province says the change will give licensee and authorization holders more flexibility, while ensuring that cannabis and cannabis accessories will not be displayed to people outside the store, in keeping with the federal Cannabis Act.

Employees and owners of cannabis stores have been raising concerns about safety related to lack of visibility with the window coverings.

“Our owner has been really  passionate about safety and not just agreeing with what Health Canada thinks is best in terms of safety issues. Because, the city was really lobbying for no window coverings in the beginning. And Health Canada just completely wrote that off,” Kayley Nelson, General Manager of Evergreen Cannabis in Vancouver, told Global News.