You’ve Come a Long Way Bud

From Island Farm and Garden Magazine – March to May 2025

It’s no secret the mild climate of Vancouver Island and the rural islands creates some of the best conditions for growing cannabis in Canada. For example, Dabble Cannabis is harnessing the Cowichan Valley’s unique Mediterranean climate to cultivate premium sun-grown cannabis. While the smaller indoor growers are blending traditional growing techniques with innovative practices to produce unique, high-quality products.

For cannabis retailers like Mood Cannabis and Coast Range Cannabis, sourcing locally isn’t just about quality—it’s about supporting a thriving community of passionate growers. But what sets Island-grown cannabis apart? What challenges do these small-scale producers face in an ever-changing industry? And how do these partnerships shape the future of cannabis on Vancouver Island?

To answer these questions, we spoke with Island Good retailers Cory Waldron from Mood Cannabis (locations in Nanaimo) and Sheila Rivers from Coast Range Cannabis (locations in Comox Valley) who are at the forefront of the Island’s craft cannabis movement.

 

Can you share a bit about the Island growers you work with and what sets their products apart?

Cory Waldron (Mood Cannabis): One of the growers that we source our island-grown products from is Kevin Varner, of Royal Harvest Craft Cannabis, located just outside of the Duncan area. One of the things that sets their products apart from others includes their unwavering commitment to growing high-quality, award-winning cannabis, in other words, exceptional BC Bud, as it’s known to many BC consumers. Royal Harvest also consistently offers unique and rare genetics to the BC market. Being what is called a “micro” grower, means that the products are hand-crafted, and not produced in a mass-scale so to speak. Every bud is hand-trimmed, hang dried, and cold cured for just the right amount or time, resulting in a fantastic cannabis offering.

Sheila Rivers (Coast Rangel Cannabis): At Coast Range, we focus on locally sourced goods from all over Vancouver Island. We bring in products from Victoria Cannabis Co., BC Weed Co. (Victoria), Papa Joe’s Organics (Sooke), Sitka Weed Works (Sooke) Green Mile Original (Sooke), Dabble Cannabis (Cowichan Valley, female-led and family-run), Good Buds, Weathered Islands, Salt Spring Magic and many more throughout the seasons. Our Island growers and producers consistently supply us with unique offerings, and customers (and staff) come in again and again to purchase. Their quality control is outstanding, and they are best known for their incredible flavour. 

How does sourcing locally impact the quality and uniqueness of your offerings?

Cory: As a retailer, we really strive to offer freshly harvested and packaged products to our consumers, and we find that Royal Harvest products are always fresh and unique. We like to support Island-growers as much as possible and it’s nice to be able to source out high-quality cannabis that other retailers may not have. Anytime you can offer unique and quality products at a reasonable price that others don’t have it’s a winning combination.

Sheila: Sourcing local keeps our offerings as fresh as possible. Most of the island growers and producers are craft micro growers, meaning they don’t output as much as the larger companies. This allows them to grow smaller harvests with unique genetics. A lot of the times when we order direct, we are the only ones carrying that particular strain of bud.

What challenges and opportunities do Island growers face in the cannabis industry?

Cory: Within cannabis legalization, BC and Island producers/growers have faced numerous challenges, including steep excise taxes, price compression, and distribution hurdles. It’s challenging for small-scale cannabis farmers to wear all the hats from growing, marketing, sales, and distribution, but there’s some passionate growers out there like Kevin, who are relentless in their pursuit of supplying the market with great products.

As far as opportunities for Island growers, like Royal Harvest, they can share their story of cultivating premium products. Consumers, especially those seeking high-quality cannabis, are able to source out purity, potency, and an unparalleled experience.

Sheila: The Island growers face a lot of challenges. It is an underdog story against not only the larger companies but illegal ones too. While competition in the legal market is tough, it becomes even more difficult when dealing with the unregulated market. These local farmers have established their operations in line with Health Canada regulations, offering tested, regulated products at great value.

However, it’s inspiring to witness the positive impact these island growers are creating, from more jobs to increased tourism.

How do partnerships with Island growers align with your values?

Cory: When I started my business plan for Mood, it was then and still is today, my goal to be able to

provide locally-sourced and Island-grown craft cannabis. Our relationship with growers like Royal Harvest is very much in alignment with our values and beliefs that cannabis consumers on the Island should be able to access high-quality, Island-grown BC cannabis. It’s great to have a relationship where I can call Kevin directly to find out what upcoming products will be available, what genetics he’s offering, growing methods, etc. That’s generally not the type of relationship that cannabis retailers have when sourcing from large, licensed producers from other parts of Canada. I love the fact that Royal Harvest offers full transparency about their products.

Sheila: For Coast Range we choose local goods first. It’s important for our stores to offer unique fresh goods, while being able to tell customers about the farms we have visited and how passionate the growers and producers are. It’s a wonderful mix when you can offer a story with the product you are selling, and it gives our team confidence in what they are recommending. 

Are there any specific stories or successes from these partnerships that you’d like to highlight?

Cory: We’re excited to showcase this unique aspect of the local cannabis industry and shine a light on the positive impact of these collaborations on our Island community. The craft cannabis community in BC is a close-knit group, often coming together for conferences and social events that focus on building relationships. I love attending these gatherings, where it’s all about connecting with growers, producers, processors, and retailers. It’s an opportunity to meet the growers, explore their products, sample them, ask questions, and even place orders on the spot. Growers, like Kevin, have done an amazing job at not only growing excellent cannabis, but they really care about the cannabis community and making sure that BC consumers are getting the best of the best. This industry can be challenging, but the relationships we build along the way make it easier—and fuel my passion for retail and the plant.

Sheila: We have visited Dabble Cannabis in the Cowichan Valley. This stunning farm offers scenic views and a guest house on their property. We were able to see and smell their beautiful harvests and get a real sense of the family that runs it. Dabble has kindly come up for a rep visit, educating customers and staff on their products. Dabble is our #1 selling extracts brand and is now the first Island producer to offer legal edibles including infused mini chocolate waffle cones!

Thank you to Cory and Sheila for taking the time to share their valuable insights on the growing Cannabis industry on Vancouver Island and the rural islands. Mood Cannabis and Coast Range Cannabis are setting the standards for cannabis retailers by supporting Island growers and prioritizing quality, sustainability, and community. It’s all Good, Island Good!