Direct delivery information for suppliers

    WELCOME

    Welcome to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch's (LDB) cannabis supplier information page for the LDB Direct Delivery Program. On this page you will find the necessary information and instructions to successfully register your business and non-medical cannabis products for participation in the program. Please note that participation in the LDB Direct Delivery Program is limited to those cannabis industry participants that meet the specified eligibility requirements.

    If you are not eligible for direct delivery and would like to submit product applications for the LDB Central Delivery Program, please see the following page for details: https://www.bcldbcannabisupdates.com/bcldb-cannabis-supplier-information

    Eligibility for Direct Delivery

    Here are some of the key eligibility criteria that must be met to be eligible for participation in the LDB Direct Delivery Program. Full eligibility criteria can be found at the Terms and Conditions section below.

    • The raw materials for the products produced by a processor for direct delivery must be directly sourced from eligible licensed cannabis cultivators located in the province of British Columbia.
    • Subject to some exceptions as fully described under the Terms and Conditions tab below, to be eligible for the LDB Direct Delivery Program, BC cannabis cultivators must produce less than 3,000 kg of dried, unpackaged cannabis on an annual basis (calendar year). 
    • The annual production volume of cultivation sites under common ownership may be counted towards the total production volume cap. See the details related to the definition and calculation for annual production volume in the related sections below.
    • The eligible BC cultivator must be registered for the program with the LDB prior to a direct delivery product registration request being made.  The cultivator will be asked for documentation to show that they remain eligible for the program on an annual basis or as otherwise required.
    • For each product submitted by the processor, the raw materials must be directly and solely sourced from an eligible BC cultivator and the cultivator must be declared at the time of registration.  
    • As of December 23, 2022, the LDB is not currently permitting the registration of any products containing synthetic or semi-synthetic Delta-8 THC.
    • There are different categories of direct delivery participation with different terms and conditions applicable to each.  Applicable categories include: Standard Direct Delivery, Section 119 Indigenous Nations Direct Delivery, and Production Retail Store Direct Delivery. Cultivators must declare the direct delivery category or categories that they intend to participate under at the time of registration. 
    • Please review all sections below and attached agreements for a comprehensive list of eligibility, terms and conditions, and responsibilities.

     

    Terms and Conditions for Direct Delivery

    Here are some important terms and conditions related to participation in the LDB Direct Delivery Program. Full eligibility criteria can be found at the Terms and Conditions tab below.

    • Only a Licensed Producer that has registered with the LDB, has signed the LDB Supply Agreement for non-medical cannabis, and holds a federal cannabis processing license may complete the direct delivery transactions for all cannabis product categories except for plants and seeds.
    • The holder of a nursery or cultivation license may act as the Licensed Producer and perform the direct delivery transactions for plants and seeds if properly registered with the LDB and after signing the LDB Supply Agreement for Non-Medical Cannabis.
    • Cultivators may use third-party processors located in any Canadian jurisdiction as Licensed Producers to perform the direct delivery transactions.
    • The Licensed Producer is responsible for communicating product availability to cannabis retail stores, accepting / processing retail store orders, delivering product to the stores according to orders received, accepting product returns from stores, completing the financial transactions with cannabis stores, reporting sales to the LDB, and remitting applicable markup, fees, taxes, and applicable deposits to the LDB.
    • The Licensed Producer must maintain accurate product information and pricing with the LDB. In addition, the Licensed Producer must charge the wholesale price of the product as registered with the LDB at the time of the sale. It is the responsibility of the Licensed Producer to know the registered wholesale price and to charge the correct price. See the pricing guide in Wholesale Pricing tab below for details about the calculation of the wholesale price and other pricing policies. 
    • Please review all sections below and attached agreements for a comprehensive list of eligibility, terms and conditions, and responsibilities.

    FAQ

    January 26, 2024: The latest edition of the BC Cannabis Wholesale Quarterly Sales Report is now available to review and download from the bcldb.com corporate website. BCLDB Corporate | Celebrate Life Enjoy Responsibility

     

    January 18, 2024: The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) would like to advise Cannabis Licensed Producers (LPs) of a recent amendment to B.C.’s Recycling Regulation (BC Reg 449/2004) that may require action on your part, and provide a reminder of your obligations under the regulation. Please see the attached file below for the full content.

     

    November 06, 2023: The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) has recently received feedback from the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) related to direct delivery invoicing to stores. Please see below file for a reminder on the direct delivery invoicing requirements for eligible licensed producers.

     

    August 23, 2023: The latest edition of the BC Cannabis Wholesale Quarterly Sales Report is now available to review and download from the bcldb.com corporate website. BCLDB Corporate | Celebrate Life Enjoy Responsibility

     

    July 6, 2023: Please be advised that on July 9, 2023, enhancements to the returns submission process and the vendor reference functionality will be implemented. This may require changes to how you submit returns and sales information to the BCLDB.  See the 'Vendor Communication for July 9 System Updates' file below for a summary of the changes.  The Direct Delivery User Manual in the General Information and Instructions section has been updated accordingly and an updated Returns Template is posted in the Sales and Returns Reporting section of this website.

     

    May 24, 2023: The LDB is pleased to announce a change to the pricing process to facilitate a reduced timeline and more flexibility to re-price direct delivery only products.    Permanent cost and wholesale price changes for direct delivery only products may now be processed in a shorter 2-week timeframe.  More details can be found in the Wholesale Pricing Guide and 'DD-Only Permanent Cost Change Application' form in the Wholesale Pricing section below.

     

    December 1, 2022: As of December 23, 2022, the LDB will not permit the registration of any products containing synthetic or semi-synthetic Delta-8 THC.

    Direct Delivery overview

    • The LDB Direct Delivery Program is a provincial initiative that helps promote economic development in the province and encourages the transition of small-scale cultivators to BC's regulated cannabis market. Both cultivators and processors (often referred to here as Licensed Producers) have important roles in the provincial program.
    • Under the program eligible cultivators will register with the LDB and then Licensed Producers may register products made from eligible cultivator inputs.  Once the Licensed Producer and products are registered with the LDB for direct delivery and activated in LDB's systems, direct delivery sales may occur in the province.  The Licensed Producer is responsible for communicating with licensed or authorized cannabis retailers and completing the direct delivery sales transactions and deliveries for orders placed. Licensed Producers must also report sales to the LDB on a weekly basis and remit markup, fees, deposits, and taxes for those sales.  Licensed producers must maintain accurate product information and pricing with the LDB for registered products
    • A product may be registered for direct delivery and may also be submitted for consideration as a central delivery listing.  Please follow the process specified on our Supplier Site for Central Delivery, should you want to submit an application for the central distribution method. The central delivery page is located here: https://www.bcldbcannabisupdates.com/bcldb-cannabis-supplier-information

    Registration Roles and Responsibility Matrix/Checklist

    See the attached checklist for an overview of the steps required to register products and sell through the direct delivery channel.

    Direct Delivery User Manual

    See the attached user manual for detailed instructions of various components of the program.

    Please review the Direct Delivery Terms and Conditions for program eligibility requirements for cultivators and processors.  The Terms and Conditions apply to both cultivators and processors.  By signing and submitting the cultivator registration form and/or Supply Agreement, you confirm that you have reviewed, understand and accept the Direct Delivery Terms and Conditions.

    Please see attached file for Terms and Conditions for BC Cannabis Direct Delivery program.

    Cultivator Overview

    The eligible BC cultivator must be registered for the program with the LDB prior to a direct delivery product registration request being made.  The cultivator will be asked for documentation to support their eligibility during initial registration and on an annual basis.

    There are core eligibility requirements that apply to all direct delivery program participants as outlined under the Terms and Conditions tab of this page. 

    There are different categories of direct delivery participation. The cultivator must declare the direct delivery category or categories they intend to participate under at the time of registration. In addition to core eligibility requirements, each category of participation has different requirements that must be met to participate in those specific categories, which are set out in the Terms and Conditions.  The categories are:

    • Standard Direct Delivery,
    • Section 119 Indigenous Nations Direct Delivery,
    • Production Retail Store (PRS) Direct Delivery

    Upon submission of the Cultivator Registration Form, the LDB will review the information and will notify the cultivator, in writing, of the results of their registration in the Program. 

    Question about cultivator registrations and eligibilities can be sent to regemail@bcldb.com

    Please see attached file for Cultivator Registration Form below.  

    When completing this document, please ensure you fully complete the following:

    • Your organization’s legal name (page 1);
    • Contact information in Section 25(b) on page 10;
    • Signatory information below the signature block on page 13;
    • Scan and save the document as a PDF and rename the file following the naming convention ‘LP Name_Supply_Agreement_Date’

    Please submit the completed agreement via cannabis.vendor@bcldb.com

    • Cannabis Vendor Registration Form (Vendor Registration Form)

    The Licensed Producer must access and complete the form below. You can enter information for two sites in the form. If you have more than two sites and associated Health Canada licenses, please print and attach additional forms.

    Include scanned copies of CRA excise license and Health Canada license(s).

    File naming: Save the form(s) and supporting document scans as follows: <LPname_VendorReg_DDMMYYYY>

    • Direct Deposit Application Form
    • Pre-authorized debit (PDA) Agreement

    Submission: Email to cannabis.vendor@bcldb.com

    Access and complete the form below.

    • Complete a row for each product that is being registered.
    • Pricing is required at the inner pack and master pack (case) level. Specify the pricing components as listed (supplier product cost and applicable excise tax).
    • Make sure your landed cost for the case results in the correct per unit cost for the specified case pack.

    Description and accolade guidelines:

    • Content should not contain medical claims
    • Do not use slang or offensive language
    • Content should be written in a style that appeals to adults (not minors)

    NOTE: BCLDB will reject content that fails to comply with guidelines and product registration will not be completed.

    File naming: Save and submit this form as <LPname_BCLDB_attributes_DDMMYYYY> in an Excel readable file format.

    Submission: Email to cannabis.vendor@bcldb.com

    Please see attached the Direct Delivery Supply Chain Requirements. 

    Should you also be distributing products through the LDB Central Delivery channel, please consult the Central Delivery Supply Chain Requirements on the Central Delivery Supplier site: https://www.bcldbcannabisupdates.com/bcldb-cannabis-supplier-information

    Pricing Policy for Direct Delivery

    Licensed Producers are required to maintain accurate product costing and pricing with the LDB, for products sold through the BC Direct Delivery program.  Markup, fees, applicable deposits, and taxes will be calculated and remitted to the necessary provincial and federal authorities by the LDB based on the registered wholesale pricing in LDB systems on the date the order is accepted from the retail stores by the licensed producer.  

    Permanent cost and wholesale price changes (for dual distributed products: central and direct) and Limited Time Offers (for all products) must be submitted in advance of the effective date of the cost and price change according to the LDB pricing calendar.  Wholesale prices take effect on the first day of the LDB fiscal period if submitted in advance of the pricing deadline for that period.  Please see the LDB pricing calendar for the specific dates and deadlines.

    Permanent cost and wholesale price changes for direct delivery only products may now be processed in a shorter 2-week timeframe.  A direct delivery only product is defined as: a product that is only distributed through the direct delivery channel, the wholesale lifecycle status (for central delivery) is Product Exit, there are no outstanding LDB purchase orders for central delivery, and there is no inventory of the product remaining in the LDB distribution center.  See the updated Wholesale Pricing Guide and separate submission form for direct delivery only cost and price change applications.

    A Limited Time Offer is a reduced-price offer for a full LDB fiscal period.  The retail store will pay the reduced wholesale price for the full duration of the specified period.  After the end of the period, the LDB will charge back the discount from the regular wholesale price to the Licensed Producer's account for all units sold during that period.

    Only one price applies to each product regardless of the method of distribution.  Therefore, you must charge the same price for the sale of the same product (sku) that is sold via Direct Delivery and Central Delivery. 

    All pricing applications must be sent to cannabis.pricing@bcldb.com More information can be found in the Wholesale Pricing Guide. If you have any further questions regarding this, please contact the Wholesale Pricing team at cannabis.pricing@bcldb.com

    The attached Direct Delivery Product Returns policy applies for all sales through the BC Direct Delivery program.  Please review to be aware of the return requirements for the DDLP (Direct Delivery Licensed Producer).

    Licensed producers must complete the attached sales and return reporting templates and upload the reports on a bi-weekly basis (every 2 weeks) for any sales and returns processed during the prior two-week period.  The file must be completed accurately and the file must be in the .xlsx format to be successfully uploaded.

    If no sales or returns were processed during the prior two-weeks, you must inform the LDB via an email to cannabisreporting@bcldb.com.  A simple statement that 'no direct delivery sales were processed during the prior two weeks' and/ or 'no direct delivery returns were processed during the prior two weeks' along with confirmation of your vendor name and LDB Site ID is sufficient.   These nil returns and sales submissions are used by LDB to confirm that we have received your required bi-weekly reporting.

    To report actual sales and returns, please make sure all fields are accurately populated.  One sales report may now be used to submit sales transactions to multiple retail locations but the file requires one unique vendor reference number.  Returns must still be submitted in separate files, one file for each retail location.  This information will be used to calculate applicable fees, deposits, taxes, and markup that will be deducted from your account.  The Licensed Producer is required to charge the wholesale price registered with the LDB at the time the order was accepted from the retail store.  Please ensure you are aware of the applicable wholesale price and charge the appropriate amount when invoicing and processing the financial transaction with the retail store.

    You must have access to the Direct Delivery SFTP site to upload your weekly reports.  Please contact our Vendor Relations team (cannabis.vendor@bcldb.com) if you have not been set up for the Direct Delivery SFTP site.  Should you have questions related to the report submission itself please contact cannabisreporting@bcldb.com

    Note: detailed instructions are available in the Direct Delivery Program User Manual which is posted above in the General Information and Instructions section.

    Under the British Columbia Recycling Regulation, in order to sell or distribute products with packaging and/or distribute paper that makes its way into the residential waste stream (e.g. curbside “blue box”) in British Columbia, producers must have an approved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Plan.

    The below document outlines details of British Columbia's recycling requirements.

    Please refer to Return-It site https://www.return-it.ca/beverage/recycling for the full details and the up-to-date Container Deposit and CRF (Container recycle fee) for non-alcoholic beverages.