A B.C. First Nation located in a semi-remote area on the Fraser River southwest of Williams Lake is exploring potential operations within the cannabis industry.

Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek/Dog Creek) Kukpi7 (Chief) Patrick Harry said the nation (SXFN) has signed a letter of intent with a B.C. First Nations company to explore cannabis production that would provide economic and medicinal benefits for his community.

“We still have some work to do but our nation is interested and I would say as a leader in my community I think I have a responsibility to explore the opportunity within the cannabis sector as we see the numbers across Canada are favourable,” he said.

A national cannabis retailers group has persuaded the B.C. government to make legal stores safer, and now it wants to level the playing field with black market marijuana sellers who can deliver to their customers.

The Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers (ACCRES) first called in January for a change to B.C. regulation requiring opaque or covered windows for retailers, similar to federal tobacco legislation designed to keep any glimpse of products or brands from those under 19. The move demonstrates the law-enforcement focus of federal and provincial marijuana regimes, with unintended consequences that may increase risk of crime.

Pure Sunfarms, the joint venture between veteran vegetable grower Village Farms International Inc. (TSX and NASDAQ: VFF) and medical cannabis company Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: EMH), began shipping its products to Saskatchewan Wednesday.

A chain of cannabis stores says if they and other legal retailers were allowed to deliver pot, they could nip illegal dealers in the bud.

Hobo Cannabis, a licensed retailer with five locations in B.C., says it and other legal vendors are at a disadvantage against unlicensed competitors who deliver weed — which is against the law.

Harrison Stoker, vice-president of the Donnelly Group, which owns Hobo, said it's a long-standing complaint from the legal sector.

The sticky situation has only become worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, he added, as more consumers want many types of goods delivered.

The B.C. government has relieved one regulatory burden from recreational marijuana stores, and imposed another one.

After hundreds of cannabis retailers frosted or masked windows under license terms the province imposed in late 2018, Attorney General David Eby announced June 18 that “non-transparent walls” are no longer required. The change applies to private retailers and government-owned BC Cannabis stores, which used frosted glass.

An Okanagan-based catering company is pairing cannabis with fine local food, similar to how many restaurants and catering companies offer wine pairings. 

Stratus Cannabis Catering operates in customers' homes, so as to offer a safe space for guests to consume cannabis, according to chef Brent Pillon, who co-owns the business with his wife Jenna.

When told of the arrangement, however, the province of B.C. advised caution, pointing out the sale of non-medical cannabis is only permitted by licensed retailers. It recommended anyone wishing to pursue this type of business consult a lawyer.

Pilon said each event starts with getting to know the people they're cooking for. 

It took the owners of ARCannabis more than 18 months to become a fully licensed marijuana dispensary in Vancouver.

Tonny Dinh and Joe Le first applied when the process opened in the city prior to the legalization of marijuana in Canada on Oct. 18, 2018.

Finally, after seemingly endless paperwork, applications and background checks, the shop officially opened in April this year.

But that's not the path all shops have taken. Many have forgone the legal route yet continue to operate within city limits, much to the dismay of business owners who have chosen the legitimate process.

The City of Vancouver says 16 cannabis retailers are still operating unlicensed storefronts, while 24 are fully licensed.

"It does frustrate us," says Dinh.

Growers of the world-famous “B.C. Bud” cannabis who want to go legal still have a long, uphill path through three layers of government, but the B.C. government’s latest effort to help them is getting high marks.

Legal cannabis stores in B.C. are now able to have transparent street-front windows, the government announced June 18.

Previously, to the chagrin of many cannabis retailers, all exterior storefronts had to have at least translucent glass so no one from the public could see inside.

The requirement for non-transparent windows also rankled municipal politicians in cities such as New Westminster, where there were bylaws that required all retailers to have transparent exterior windows.

The requirement put cannabis retailers in the Catch-22 situation where in order to conform to city bylaws, they had to break provincial law; and in order to conform to provincial law, they had to break city bylaws.