Quebec to launch «small batch» pilot project for cannabis microproducers

The Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) is launching a «small-batch» pilot project to facilitate the market launch of new products by small-scale producers.

The program will allow cannabis shipments weighing less than 40 kg—provided that the product or strain is new to the Quebec market—to be sold in the province outside of the current product calls and applications.

Products will be limited to 3.5-gram packages starting at 25 $CA (5.42 €/g), and manufacturers must comply with the SQDC’s guidelines on eco-friendly packaging.

To determine which products will be approved under the program, the SQDC will also take into account farming methods, as well as proximity to Quebec.

The program was announced this week, and the SQDC expects to be able to accept products for review by mid-September, with 10 small batches to be selected by the end of September.

The products will be available to consumers during the first test phase, from November 21 to January 15, 2023, at select SQDC locations. The SQDC will then follow up with the Quebec Cannabis Industry Association (AQIC) and the industry at large in February 2023 to assess the program’s success.

If the pilot project proves successful for producers and consumers, the SQDC plans to fully implement the program in April–May 2023.

Pierre Leclerc, CEO of the Quebec Cannabis Industry Association (AQIC), who consulted the SQDC Regarding the development of this project, he says he is excited about the opportunities the program will offer to microbreweries and other small-batch producers seeking to enter the Quebec market.

«We are very pleased and happy that the SQDC is moving in this direction, and we are delighted with this collaboration,» Pierre Leclerc told StratCann.

«It's a good way to introduce interesting new genetic findings in the Quebec market. I think this could be a significant opportunity for producers in Quebec and across Canada.»

"The program is a good example of Quebec listening to the needs of cannabis producers," he said. Although it is designed with micro-growers in mind and the province may give greater priority to local products, it is open to all Canadian producers who can meet the province’s requirements for small batches and new genetic strains.

«The program was launched after some microbreweries requested such a program and informed the SQDC of the challenges they faced in doing business with it. The entire program was therefore designed around the needs of microbreweries, but it is not limited exclusively to them.»

Louis Sirois, president of Laboratoire InoVert—a standards development organization in Quebec—and president of Groupe Conseils Sirois, believes the program will help the province identify new products that resonate with consumers.

«They want to offer something different, something that provides good value and can deliver new and unique products. It’s a good way to introduce new and interesting genetic products to the Quebec market. I think this could be a significant opportunity for producers in Quebec and across Canada.»

«Then, if it's good, it can find a long-term place in the market.».