The B.C. government will allow home delivery of cannabis products starting this summer.

In a news release today (June 17), the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General announced that licensed cannabis retailers will be able to deliver "non-medical cannabis products" directly to their customers as of July 15.

The province okayed online sales by licensed cannabis retailers in August 2020.

All deliveries must be made by employees of licensed retailers or licensees themselves, meaning third-party delivery services such as those commonly used by restaurants cannot be utilized. Deliveries can be made by motor vehicle, by bicycle, or on foot.

As well, deliveries can only be made to residential addresses or via curbside pickup directly outside a retailer's outlet between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. Although the person receiving the product does not have to reside at the delivery address or be the person who placed the order, all deliveries must be to adults—who will have to provide a name and signature—and people who appear to be under the age of 19 will be required to show two pieces of identification.

Mike Farnworth, the minister of public safety and solicitor general, said in the release that taking business from illegal cannabis sellers is one of the goals of the initiative. "Since the federal legalization of non-medical cannabis, we've been working to support a strong and diverse cannabis industry, shrink the illicit market and keep products out of the hands of children and youth," Farnworth said. "Allowing direct delivery to consumers isn't just an advantage retailers have told us is vital to the viability of their sector, it's also a way we can further our public safety goals."

In a June 9 release, Farnworth warned consumers that February 2021 testing conducted on cannabis products seized from illegal sellers in Metro Vancouver revealed the presence of contaminants such as pesticides and "unacceptable" amounts of bacteria, fungi, and substances such as lead and arsenic.

“In addition to the potential health risks, if you buy illegal cannabis, you could also be supporting organized criminal operations that pose a danger to our communities," Farnworth said in the June 9 bulletin.

In today's home-delivery announcement, the ministry also said it is dropping the security-check requirement for employees of licensed cannabis retailers. The security verification has been in place since 2018, when recreational cannabis was legalized in Canada.

"This will eliminate delays in hiring, benefiting business owners," the release stated. "It also enables legal retailers to hire staff more quickly to implement delivery and will reduce costs for industry and government."

The statement further noted: "Since 2018, government has completed security screening on more than 7,000 prospective cannabis workers and has not identified any significant risk of links to organized crime."

A June 11 Vancouver Police Department (VPD) statement said it had accompanied provincial Community Safety Unit investigators when they inspected an unlicensed East Vancouver cannabis seller's premises. The VPD said officers found two handguns and approximately $150,000 worth of cannabis and psilocybin (so-called magic mushroom) products.