
186 cannabis retail store licence applications have been received by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) as of October 16, but none have been approved yet. Only one government-run BC Cannabis Store is open in Kamloops.
Local governments and Indigenous nations are a crucial part of the licensing process and with municipal elections occurring on October 20th 73 applications are awaiting approval from local government or Indigenous nations.
Following is the status of licences. Due to the continuous assessment of licence applications these numbers are subject to change daily.
Region | Applications Where Fee Has Been Paid | Applications Referred to Local Government or Indigenous Nation | Applications Approved with Conditions² | Licences Issued |
Vancouver Island/Powell River/Gulf Islands | 43 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
Greater Vancouver/Sunshine Coast | 35 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Surrey/Fraser Valley | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Interior and the North | 78 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
Location Not Yet Specified | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 186 | 73 | 0 | 0 |
¹ The paid application is missing required information/documentation and LCRB staff have notified (or are in the process of notifying) the applicant regarding missing information/documentation.
² Conditional approval is a decision from the Province that an applicant will receive a licence if they pass a final inspection. For more information, see Conditional Approval.
Photo courtesy of Aura Cannabis.