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The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch is aiming to put 150 different strains of cannabis into its wholesale inventory when recreational weed becomes legal Oct. 17, the agency said Wednesday, and that is only a start.

Other provinces have lined up more limited options, but the LDB has signed 31 licensed cannabis producers from across the country, 12 of which are in B.C., to memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to supply its wholesale operations, essentially all that responded to its bid process.

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The goal, said LDB spokeswoman Viviana Zanocco, was to have the “right mix” of cannabis quality and selection at prices that users will be accustomed to once legal recreational sales get under way.

“The B.C. marketplace is very sophisticated, very knowledgeable,” Zanocco said. “Customers are used to having a lot of selection, so we wanted to make sure we have a safe, reliable supply.”

The list of suppliers includes local, smaller-scale producers such as Whistler Medical Marijuana Corp. (which will brand its recreational product under the Whistler Cannabis Co. name) to major producers such as B.C.-based Tilray, Canopy Growth Corp. and Aurora Cannabis.