50 cannabis retailers in British Columbia have have either had to shut their doors or curtail operations to the bare minimum as a result of the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) strike that started on Aug 15 and is now in its 12th day. The union is picketing in front of all the major BC Liquor Distribution centres thereby shutting down BC’s cannabis distribution monopoly.
Jaclynn Pehota, Executive Director of the Retail Cannabis Council of BC (RCCBC) estimates that if the strike continues “by August 30, 2022 up to 70% of legal storefronts will have closed their doors. It is likely that 30% of them will not reopen one the job action is resolved.”
Some of the stores that have been impacted to date include:
- Kush Klub closed
- City Cannabis – 2 locations closed
- Mood – 1 location closed
- Rural Leaf – 1 location closed
- Burb – 3 locations closed
- Eggs Canna – 2 locations close
- Stick and Stone closed
- heat and herb closed
- Flora closed
Pehota states, “This strike represents a critical blow to the BC cannabis sector, people are losing their livelihoods and RCCBC is concerned that many of them will not reopen their doors. We are losing market share to unregulated operators and we anticipate that will escalate as store closures accelerate.”
The association is seeking immediate direct financial relief from the provincial government so that store owners can pay staff and cover their hard costs. If relief is not forthcoming, Pehota fears that many of these businesses will close forever, and BC will permanently lose market share to the illicit market.