BC Herbalists Association

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BC Herbalists Association A nonprofit, volunteer-run, professional association dedicated to providing leadership & standards of education & practice for professional herbalists in BC.

The purpose and goals of the Canadian Herbalist’s Association of BC is to:
Monitor and maintain the educational qualifications and the practice of ethical Herbal Practitioners
Strive to promote better health with herbs
Advance the understanding and knowledge of the practice of Herbalism
Aim to increase the acceptance of herbal medicine through public awareness and the cultivation of research in the field of herbal medicine
Provide a collective voice for all herbal practitioners at the government level by providing input for Sector Studies and an application to the Health Protections Branch for recognition as a profession
The CHA of BC also works to unite herbal professionals worldwide; assisting in the protection of the character and status of all herbalists. The posts on our page are intended to promote education in herbal medicine, to share information about the CHA of BC and its members. We do not accept postings from members wanting to promote or sell products or treat diseases. To learn about becoming a member of the CHA of BC visit: http://www.chaofbc.ca/wp/membership/

Dear friends and herbal community,✨ Meet Marisa Marciano — Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Herbalist, Educator & Medicin...
10/12/2026

Dear friends and herbal community,

✨ Meet Marisa Marciano — Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Herbalist, Educator & Medicine Maker ✨

Marisa has spent over a decade shaping botanical medicine education in Canada. After graduating from CCNM–Boucher in 2011, she served as clinical and academic faculty and later as Chair of the Botanical Medicine Department. Alongside her Vancouver clinical practice, she integrated botanicals with nutrition, lifestyle, and pharmaceutical care while championing the holistic foundations of herbalism.

Her passion for teaching has led her to develop herbal curriculum for the Holistic Institute of Nutrition, Pacific Rim College Online, and numerous nutraceutical brands. She also brings a strong commitment to community care, volunteering her clinical skills with First Nations communities and long‑term care facilities throughout the lower mainland.

Marisa is the co‑author of The Botanical Medicine Manual and creator of TheNaturopathicHerbalist.com, a trusted resource for students and clinicians seeking reliable Western herbal information. Today, she operates Herbal Energetics on the Sunshine Coast (shíshálh Nation), crafting small‑batch organic tinctures with a focus on sustainability, ethical sourcing, and high‑quality preparations for practitioners.

Her intentions for her 2‑year term with BCHA include:
• Strengthening member education & resources
• Supporting mentorship pathways
• Listening deeply to the evolving needs of our herbal community

We’re honoured to have Marisa’s experience, insight, and dedication guiding our work. 💚

If passed, the Bill would return NHPs to their own regulatory category so they are no longer evaluated by the same stand...
10/06/2026

If passed, the Bill would return NHPs to their own regulatory category so they are no longer evaluated by the same standards as drugs.

The Bill is now before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA), and this is an important opportunity to tell federal decision-makers why a distinct, proportionate approach to natural health product regulation matters to you.

We don't know how long the HESA will be working on this, so time is of the essence.

Send a letter now.

We’ve created a short letter template you can copy, personalize and send to HESA and your MP.

Your personal experience matters. If you’re a herbalist, student, educator, business owner or someone who relies on NHPs, add a few sentences about how product availability, rising costs or reduced botanical diversity affect you.

Find the letter template + contact information at the link below
https://tr.ee/phlG99

Please personalize it, send it, and share this post to help others do the same.

🍃 Protect Natural Health Products in Canada 🍃The Standing Committee on Health is reviewing the regulation of natural hea...
10/02/2026

🍃 Protect Natural Health Products in Canada 🍃

The Standing Committee on Health is reviewing the regulation of natural health products (NHPs). Bill C-224 would move natural health products out of the "therapeutic products" category, which was created for pharmaceutical drugs.

Natural health products have a different history of use, risk profile, and purpose than pharmaceutical drugs and should not be regulated under the same framework.

✅ Natural health products include essential nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin C, as well as herbal and traditional remedies.

✅ The "therapeutic products" category carries penalties of up to $5 million per day and grants Health Canada broad powers designed for high-risk pharmaceuticals.

✅ Bill C-224 would restore NHPs to their previous regulatory category (pre June 2023), ensuring they continue to be regulated under a framework that reflects their unique nature and long history of use.

📣 We encourage our community to support Bill C-224 and help protect natural health products and Canadians' access to them.

Your voice matters.

🔗 Send an electronic letter and find additional action steps to take in support of Bill C-224 here: https://nhppa.org/bill224/
📖 A full copy of Bill C-224 is available in our bio

BCHA welcomes you to review our three available director positions:• One-year Director (Oct 2026 to Sep 2027)• One-year ...
10/02/2026

BCHA welcomes you to review our three available director positions:

• One-year Director (Oct 2026 to Sep 2027)
• One-year Director (Oct 2026 to Sep 2027)
• Two-year Director (Oct 2026 to Sep 2028)

If you are an RHT or Herbal Advocate member, we warmly encourage you to consider joining the Board. Your voice, experience, and commitment help shape the future of our association and herbal medicine.

To express interest or ask any questions, please email us at [email protected].

Dear BCHA Member,Join us for the 2026 BCHA Annual General Meeting on 18 October 2026 at 10:00 AM PST.We will be discussi...
09/28/2026

Dear BCHA Member,

Join us for the 2026 BCHA Annual General Meeting on 18 October 2026 at 10:00 AM PST.
We will be discussing important updates about the association, incurred and upcoming changes, and future events.

Our 2025–2026 Board has been honoured to serve you and the association over the past year, and we look forward to gathering virtually with you. Send us an email at [email protected] to receive the Zoom meeting link.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Dear Herbal Community, the next Student Herb Club meeting will be on ✨Tuesday, September 29th, from 6:00–7:00 PM, and wi...
09/22/2026

Dear Herbal Community, the next Student Herb Club meeting will be on ✨Tuesday, September 29th, from 6:00–7:00 PM, and will focus on Fall Transition: Immunity, Rest, and Back‑to‑Routine ✨.

In this meeting, we will:
🌿 Focus: Supporting the shift from summer to autumn, navigating schedule changes, and priming the immune system for the colder months.
🌿 Herbal deep dive: Immune modulators & antimicrobials — Reishi, Astragalus, Garlic.
🎬 Featured video: Fire C***r — Rosemary Gladstar

✔️ Register through the link in our bio, or visit our website to become a student member and continue connecting, learning, and thriving on your herbalist path.

📷 courtesy of Canva

Dear friends and herbal community,✨ Meet Alina Baker — Clinical Herbalist, Registered Acupuncturist & Educator ✨Alina is...
09/14/2026

Dear friends and herbal community,

✨ Meet Alina Baker — Clinical Herbalist, Registered Acupuncturist & Educator ✨

Alina is a qualified Clinical Herbalist with the BCHA and a Registered Acupuncturist with the CTCMA of BC, serving individuals in‑person on the traditional territories of the Sahtloot, Sasitla, Ieeksun, and Puntledge First Nations, and virtually around the world. She is honoured to join the BCHA Board as of October 2025.

Alina completed her clinical training in the Diploma of Phytotherapy and Diploma of Acupuncture programs at Pacific Rim College and has been in practice since 2021. She currently works under the mentorship of internationally renowned medical herbalist Chanchal Cabrera, RH (AGH).

Blending Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Herbalism with modern scientific research, Alina offers grounded, evidence‑based support for individuals navigating a wide range of health challenges. She has a special interest in supporting people through a cancer journey, providing a comprehensive and compassionate roadmap toward wellness.

Beyond clinical practice, Alina teaches classes and workshops aimed at increasing health literacy and deepening awareness of the healing power of Nature.

More about her offerings can be found at alinabaker.ca.

We’re grateful to welcome Alina’s insight, dedication, and heart‑centered approach to the BCHA Board. 💚

The BC Herbalists Association is proud to share an opportunity from Forage & Faire Apothecary in Abbotsford. Over the pa...
09/02/2026

The BC Herbalists Association is proud to share an opportunity from Forage & Faire Apothecary in Abbotsford. Over the past four years, their apothecary has become a vibrant wellness hub in the Fraser Valley, with more and more community members seeking support.

Their team offers short, complimentary consultations for everyday concerns, but some situations deserve more time, depth, and specialized care. To better serve their community, Forage & Faire is creating a Referral Network of trusted practitioners across BC and Canada.

If you’re a practitioner who would like to be included, they’re requesting:

• A 3–5 sentence bio
• A point‑form list of your specialties
• Your availability format (in‑person, virtual, or both)
• Optional photos

This network will be shared both in‑store and online to help individuals find the right practitioner for their needs. We encourage practitioners to reach out and join this collaborative effort. Contact Forage & Faire apothecary at

📷 courtesy of Canva

✨️ Dear Herbal Community, the next Student Herb Club meeting will be on Tuesday, August 25th, from 6:00–7:00 PM, and wil...
08/25/2026

✨️ Dear Herbal Community, the next Student Herb Club meeting will be on Tuesday, August 25th, from 6:00–7:00 PM, and will focus on Anxiety Regulation & Herbal Resilience. 🪻

In this meeting, we will:
Focus: How to integrate herbs for anxiety regulation and resilience. What
roles do anxiolytic herbs play? Let’s explore.

Herbal deep dive: Anxiolytics — calming nervines, grounding herbs, and supportive allies.

Featured video: Herbal First Aid for Anxiety Relief — Suzanne M. Tabert

👉🏼 Register through the link in our bio, or visit our website to become a student member and continue connecting, learning, and thriving on your herbalist path.

📷 courtesy of Canva

Our submission has been sent.The British Columbia Herbalists Association has now formally submitted its response to Heal...
07/13/2026

Our submission has been sent.

The British Columbia Herbalists Association has now formally submitted its response to Health Canada's consultation on the proposed Natural Health Product Compounding Policy and Raw Materials Policies.

Our submission outlines the BCHA's concerns, recommendations, and rationale, with a focus on:

🌿 Protecting individualized herbal medicine

🌿 Using clear, practical, and proportionate regulatory language

🌿 Preserving practitioner clinical judgment

🌿 Preserving the distinction between federal oversight of health products and provincial oversight of health practitioners—including the longstanding exemption for practitioner compounding within traditional, complementary, and integrative healthcare.

🌿 Considering the cumulative impact of recent regulatory changes on practitioners, patients, and small Canadian businesses

While the public consultation is now officially closed, we encourage practitioners, patients, businesses, students, and members of the public to engage with key federal decision-makers. Government consultations are strongest when decision-makers hear from a diversity of voices.

If you're interested in reading our full submission, it's now available through the link below as part of our Consultation Toolkit. You can also find a list of other politicians to engage with + their official email addresses.
https://tr.ee/ikVwNy3zdj

Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, expertise, and thoughtful feedback throughout this process. We also encourage you to continue sharing your perspectives.

Address

Box 8326, Victoria Main
Victoria, BC
V8W3R9

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