VICTORIA — British Columbia's legal cannabis operators will be allowed to deliver directly to buyers starting on July 15.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the government wants to shrink the illegal market and allowing delivery to consumers is an advantage retailers have said they need.

The government says only adults will be allowed to receive delivery orders, and those who appear to be under 19 will have to present two pieces of identification.

Recipients will also have to provide their name and signature to take delivery.

In addition to the new delivery system, the government is removing security verification requirements for workers in the non-medical marijuana industry.

The Public Safety Ministry says in a statement it has completed security screening on more than 7,000 prospective workers since 2018 and hasn't identified any significant risk of links to organized crime.

Jaclynn Pehota, executive director of the Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers, says the change means retailers can start hiring to meet customers' needs when delivery becomes an option.

"Adding convenient home delivery to the mix of knowledgeable staff and regulated product can only serve to make the legal cannabis sector the source of choice for more people," she says in the statement.

Only cannabis retail store licensees and their employees will be authorized to deliver cannabis. Delivery is limited to residential addresses in B.C. or to curbside pickup between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2021.

The Canadian Press