For episode 40 of The State of Craft, we welcomed Pierre Leclerc, CEO of AQIC, to discuss the ins and outs of the Québécois cannabis industry. We were fascinated to learn about Québécois LPs' unique challenges and what Pierre and his team at AQIC are doing to help support them. Read ahead for a quick recap of our main conversation points.
4:31 - Pierre Leclerc has over twenty years of experience as an entrepreneur and manager in the forestry, lighting and artificial intelligence industries. He understands the realities of entrepreneurs, and his wealth of experience in provincial politics makes him a high-level strategic advisor. Pierre notably held the position of Chief of Staff in the Quebec government, where he actively worked on Quebec's first cannabis legislation. He joined AQIC in 2020 and has been "working on undoing" the legislation he was a part of with the Ministry of Health since then.
8:54 - AQIC stands for Quebec Hemp and Cannabis Industry Association. They are the official voice and representation of the Quebec industry on a provincial, federal, and international level.
11:28 - The main differences in Quebec are the minimum age to purchase is 21 (the oldest in the country), there are no topical products, no vapes, and a 30% THC cap, which includes extracts.
26:55 - Another challenge in Quebec is that it's the only provincial government in the country that applies the framework made by the WHO made about tobacco to cannabis, too. It makes it very risky for businesses to invest in cannabis as they could have their government loans pulled for doing so. It also means that Quebec cannabis businesses can't apply for any government programs or measures. The Quebec government also won't accept any lobbying from the industry, so while AQIC can have forums with other provincial governments, they can't with their own.
56:42 - Pierre believes the federal government should create a national cannabis research fund that would provide the industry with reports and findings. He also believes Canada should be a global leader in the legal cannabis industry, but instead, it doesn't advocate for its own policies, which Pierre finds disappointing. He suggests that Canada host international cannabis forums every year and invite other nations to discuss policy.