Looking out for the little guy: B.C. tries to help small growers go legit

Looking out for the little guy: B.C. tries to help small growers go legit

Cannabis growers in the B.C. are getting some help to transition out of the black market as part of a newly announced program that could see participants qualify for loans of up to $500,000. B.C.’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction has set aside $675,000 to help an estimated 2,500 small growers join the legal cannabis industry. The money will be disbursed through the Community Futures Central Kootenay, a non-profit organization focused on economic development. “This program recognizes the potential for the Kootenay region to support people with local and sustainable employment opportunities,” Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, said in a release. “It will help cannabis businesses get off to a good start with a solid and sustainable plan to create jobs that support local families,” Simpson said. A team of “cannabis business advisors” hired by Community Futures will be available to help growers — some of whom could qualify for loans of up to $500,000 — transition out of the black market. “A failure to transition these producers would not only jeopardize our goal to reduce the illegal market, it would also be a lost opportunity to create stable jobs that support families and…