Privacy Policy

Effective date: [Insert date]

Kootenay Collective Cannabis Society respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect personal information through our website, member records, inquiries, applications, and related Society activities.

Kootenay Collective Cannabis Society is a British Columbia society incorporated under the Societies Act with incorporation number S0084079 and registered office at 404 Third Street, Nelson, BC V1L 2P4.

This policy is written for a Canadian audience and is intended to reflect the principles of British Columbia’s Personal Information Protection Act and, where applicable, Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. BC’s PIPA governs how organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate, and PIPEDA applies to private-sector organizations collecting, using, or disclosing personal information in the course of commercial activity.

Kootenay Collective Cannabis Society is a regional cannabis society focused on education, collaboration, professional knowledge-sharing, and the promotion of the Kootenays as a leader in craft cannabis. The Society’s purposes include educating the public about the history, heritage, physical landscape, sustainability practices, cultural significance, and regional economic contributions of Kootenay cannabis.

We collect only the information reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Name

  • Email address

  • Phone number

  • Business or organization name

  • Job title or role

  • Mailing address or facility address

  • Cannabis licence number

  • Living Wage certification status

  • Membership eligibility information

  • Product or lot qualification information

  • Buyer, retailer, or commercial inquiry details

  • Messages, comments, or other information you submit through website forms

  • Website usage information, such as pages visited, browser type, device information, referring pages, and general location data derived from IP address

  • Age-gate confirmation information, such as whether your browser has confirmed that you are 19+

We may collect this information through general contact forms, membership applications, buyer inquiry forms, email correspondence, Society records, meetings, events, or other communications. We may use personal information to:

  • Respond to questions and inquiries

  • Review membership applications

  • Confirm membership eligibility

  • Communicate with members, applicants, buyers, retailers, producers, partners, and stakeholders

  • Evaluate buyer, retailer, partnership, or producer inquiries

  • Administer Society activities, records, meetings, programs, and communications

  • Assess product or lot qualification information for Society-related programs

  • Maintain accurate member and applicant records

  • Operate, improve, and secure our website

  • Comply with legal, regulatory, accounting, governance, and reporting obligations

  • Prevent misuse, fraud, or unauthorized access

  • Send updates or newsletters, if you have consented or where otherwise permitted by law

We do not sell personal information.

Because the Society operates in the cannabis sector, some information we collect may reveal a person’s or organization’s connection to federally licensed cannabis production, cannabis purchasing, cannabis retail, cannabis-related business activity, or interest in the cannabis sector.

We treat cannabis-related information carefully and use it only for legitimate Society purposes, such as membership review, program administration, buyer inquiries, product or lot qualification, sector development, or communications with stakeholders.

By submitting information to us, applying for membership, making an inquiry, using our website, or otherwise communicating with us, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this policy.

In some cases, consent may be implied where the purpose is obvious and you voluntarily provide the information. BC PIPA recognizes implied consent where the purpose would be obvious to a reasonable person and the individual voluntarily provides the information for that purpose.

You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal, contractual, governance, or operational limits. If withdrawing consent affects our ability to provide a service, assess an application, maintain membership, or respond to an inquiry, we will explain the likely consequences.

Our website is intended only for visitors who are of legal age to access cannabis-related content in the jurisdiction where they are located.

We may use an age gate to ask visitors to confirm that they meet the legal age requirement applicable to them based on their current location. The age gate may use a cookie, local storage, or similar technology to remember the visitor’s confirmation and avoid repeatedly asking the same question.

The age gate is not a full identity verification system. It is a compliance and access-control measure, not a guarantee of a visitor’s age or legal eligibility.

Our website may use cookies, analytics tools, and similar technologies to help operate the site, remember preferences, understand website traffic, improve performance, and support security.

At launch, we may use basic website analytics provided by our website platform. In the future, we may use additional tools such as Google Analytics, email marketing analytics, social media integrations, or similar services.

These tools may collect information such as:

  • IP address

  • Device and browser type

  • Pages viewed

  • Time spent on the site

  • Referring websites

  • General location information

  • Interactions with website content

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Some website features may not work properly if cookies are disabled.

We may offer email updates or newsletters in the future.

If you subscribe, we may use your name, email address, organization, and communication preferences to send updates about the Society, regional cannabis initiatives, membership, events, programs, or related activities.

You may unsubscribe from marketing or newsletter communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the email, if available, or by contacting us at info@kootenaycollective.org.

We may still send non-marketing communications where necessary, such as membership, governance, application, transactional, or legal notices.

We may disclose personal information only where reasonably necessary and permitted by law, including to:

  • Website hosting and technology service providers

  • Email, form, database, CRM, or communications providers

  • Professional advisors, such as lawyers, accountants, consultants, or auditors

  • Directors, officers, staff, contractors, or volunteers who need the information for Society purposes

  • Government, regulatory, law enforcement, or legal authorities where required or permitted by law

  • Partners or program administrators, where necessary for a specific Society initiative and where appropriate safeguards are in place

We do not disclose personal information for unrelated third-party marketing.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services. In the future, we may embed or connect third-party tools such as social media feeds, maps, videos, event tools, forms, payment tools, or similar services.

Third-party websites and services are governed by their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal, or similar risks.

No website, email system, or digital storage system is perfectly secure. The internet remains the internet, unfortunately.

Some service providers may store or process information outside British Columbia or outside Canada. If information is processed in another jurisdiction, it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction.

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required for legal, governance, accounting, tax, regulatory, dispute-resolution, or Society recordkeeping purposes.

Membership, application, and governance records may be retained for longer periods where necessary for Society administration, legal compliance, or historical recordkeeping.

When personal information is no longer required, we will delete, anonymize, or securely dispose of it where reasonable.

You may request access to personal information we hold about you. You may also ask us to correct personal information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.

BC’s PIPA gives individuals the right to see and request correction of personal information held by an organization.

To make a request, contact: info@kootenaycollective.org

We may need to verify your identity before responding. We may also be unable to provide access in some cases, such as where disclosure would reveal personal information about another person, confidential commercial information, legally privileged information, or information we are otherwise permitted or required to withhold.

If you have a concern about how we handle personal information, contact us first at: info@kootenaycollective.org

We will review the concern and respond as appropriate. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia or, where applicable, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of the website or continued interaction with the Society after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.