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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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CBD Oil Canana

What Is CBD? Here’s What to Know About Cannabidiol

Since CBD seems to be on everyone’s lips — literally — let’s run through what CBD is, what CBD does to your body, and what the health benefits are.

CBD Oil Canada

What is CBD, or cannabidiol, that everyone’s buzzing about? If you don’t already, you’re about to see this stuff everywhere. We’re on the edge of a CBD explosion. The U.S. market for CBD products is estimated to be worth $2.1 billion by 2020, up 700 percent from 2016; the World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its list of banned substances; the Food and Drug Administration approved an epilepsy medication containing CBD oil for the first time, causing the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to shift its stance — albeit very slightly — on CBD.

You can rub CBD oil on your skin or drop it under your tongue; you can eat it as a sugarcoated gummy or drink it as a Goop-approved cocktail. There’s evidence (some scientific, plenty anecdotal) that it helps with epileptic seizures, opioid addiction, PTSD, arthritis, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, chronic pain, and much more. If you believe the hype, CBD can do just about anything for your physical and mental health — and it won’t get you high as a kite. Since CBD seems to be on everyone’s lips — literally — let’s run through what CBD is, what CBD does to your body, and whether CBD is legal.

What is CBD?

The cannabis plant contains more than 100 different chemical compounds known as cannabinoids, which interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system in ways that researchers are still working toward understanding. One of those cannabinoids is CBD, or cannabidiol (pronounced cann-a-bid-EYE-ol). CBD is non-psychoactive, which means it won’t get you high — and there’s a growing body of evidence that it has a number of health benefits.

CBD vs. THC: What’s the difference?

The main one is that CBD will not make you high. Of all those different cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, the two best known are CBD and THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. CBD and THC are both found in marijuana, but it’s the THC that’s responsible for weed’s mind-altering effects. THC is psychoactive; CBD is not. As long as your CBD products don’t contain THC — or contain very small amounts of it — you can reap their potential benefits without going full Pineapple Express.

What are the benefits of CBD?

1. Can Relieve Pain

Marijuana has been used to treat pain as far back as 2900 B.C.

More recently, scientists have discovered that certain components of marijuana, including CBD, are responsible for its pain-relieving effects.

The human body contains a specialized system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is involved in regulating a variety of functions including sleep, appetite, pain and immune system response.

The body produces endocannabinoids, which are neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors in your nervous system.

Studies have shown that CBD may help reduce chronic pain by impacting endocannabinoid receptor activity, reducing inflammation and interacting with neurotransmitters.

For example, one study in rats found that CBD injections reduced pain response to surgical incision, while another rat study found that oral CBD treatment significantly reduced sciatic nerve pain and inflammation.

Several human studies have found that a combination of CBD and THC is effective in treating pain related to multiple sclerosis and arthritis.

An oral spray called Sativex, which is a combination of THC and CBD, is approved in several countries to treat pain related to multiple sclerosis. In a study of 47 people with multiple sclerosis, those treated with Sativex for one month experienced a significant improvement in pain, walking and muscle spasms, compared to the placebo group.

Another study found that Sativex significantly improved pain during movement, pain at rest and sleep quality in 58 people with rheumatoid arthritis.

2. Could Reduce Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are common mental health disorders that can have devastating impacts on health and well-being.

According to the World Health Organization, depression is the single largest contributor to disability worldwide, while anxiety disorders are ranked sixth.

Anxiety and depression are usually treated with pharmaceutical drugs, which can cause a number of side effects including drowsiness, agitation, insomnia, sexual dysfunction and headache.

What’s more, medications like benzodiazepines can be addictive and may lead to substance abuse.

CBD oil has shown promise as a treatment for both depression and anxiety, leading many who live with these disorders to become interested in this natural approach. In one study, 24 people with social anxiety disorder received either 600 mg of CBD or a placebo before a public speaking test.

The group that received the CBD had significantly less anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort in their speech performance, compared to the placebo group.

CBD oil has even been used to safely treat insomnia and anxiety in children with post-traumatic stress disorder.

CBD has also shown antidepressant-like effects in several animal studies.

These qualities are linked to CBD’s ability to act on the brain’s receptors for serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and social behavior.

3. Can Alleviate Cancer-Related Symptoms

CBD may help reduce symptoms related to cancer and side effects related to cancer treatment, like nausea, vomiting and pain.

One study looked at the effects of CBD and THC in 177 people with cancer-related pain who did not experience relief from pain medication. Those treated with an extract containing both compounds experienced a significant reduction in pain compared to those who received only THC extract.

CBD may also help reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, which are among the most common chemotherapy-related side effects for those with cancer. Though there are drugs that help with these distressing symptoms, they are sometimes ineffective, leading some people to seek alternatives.

A study of 16 people undergoing chemotherapy found that a one-to-one combination of CBD and THC administered via mouth spray reduced chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting better than standard treatment alone. Some test-tube and animal studies have even shown that CBD may have anticancer properties.

For example, one test-tube study found that concentrated CBD induced cell death in human breast cancer cells.

Another study showed that CBD inhibited the spread of aggressive breast cancer cells in mice.

However, these are test-tube and animal studies, so they can only suggest what might work in people. More studies in humans are needed before conclusions can be made.

4. May Reduce Acne

Acne is a common skin condition that affects more than 9% of the population.

It is thought to be caused by a number of factors, including genetics, bacteria, underlying inflammation and the overproduction of sebum, an oily secretion made by sebaceous glands in the skin.

Based on recent scientific studies, CBD oil may help treat acne due to its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to reduce sebum production.

One test-tube study found that CBD oil prevented sebaceous gland cells from secreting excessive sebum, exerted anti-inflammatory actions and prevented the activation of “pro-acne” agents like inflammatory cytokines.

Another study had similar findings, concluding that CBD may be an efficient and safe way to treat acne, thanks in part to its remarkable anti-inflammatory qualities.

Though these results are promising, human studies exploring the effects of CBD on acne are needed.

5. Might Have Neuroprotective Properties

Researchers believe that CBD’s ability to act on the endocannabinoid system and other brain signaling systems may provide benefits for those with neurological disorders.

In fact, one of the most studied uses for CBD is in treating neurological disorders like epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Though research in this area is still relatively new, several studies have shown promising results.

Sativex, an oral spray consisting of CBD and THC, has been proven to be a safe and effective way to reduce muscle spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis.

One study found that Sativex reduced spasms in 75% of 276 people with multiple sclerosis who were experiencing muscle spasticity that was resistant to medications.

Another study gave 214 people with severe epilepsy 0.9–2.3 grams of CBD oil per pound (2–5 g/kg) of body weight. Their seizures reduced by a median of 36.5%.

One more study found that CBD oil significantly reduced seizure activity in children with Dravet syndrome, a complex childhood epilepsy disorder, compared to a placebo.

However, it’s important to note that some people in both these studies experienced adverse reactions associated with CBD treatment, such as convulsions, fever and diarrhea.

CBD has also been researched for its potential effectiveness in treating several other neurological diseases.

For example, several studies have shown that treatment with CBD improved quality of life and sleep quality for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Additionally, animal and test-tube studies have shown that CBD may decrease inflammation and help prevent the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

In one long-term study, researchers gave CBD to mice genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease, finding that it helped prevent cognitive decline.

6. Could Benefit Heart Health

Recent research has linked CBD with several benefits for the heart and circulatory system, including the ability to lower high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is linked to higher risks of a number of health conditions, including stroke, heart attack and metabolic syndrome.

Studies indicate that CBD may be a natural and effective treatment for high blood pressure.

One recent study treated 10 healthy men with one dose of 600 mg of CBD oil and found it reduced resting blood pressure, compared to a placebo.

The same study also gave the men stress tests that normally increase blood pressure. Interestingly, the single dose of CBD led the men to experience a smaller blood pressure increase than normal in response to these tests.

Researchers have suggested that the stress- and anxiety-reducing properties of CBD are responsible for its ability to help lower blood pressure.

Additionally, several animal studies have demonstrated that CBD may help reduce the inflammation and cell death associated with heart disease due to its powerful antioxidant and stress-reducing properties.

For example, one study found that treatment with CBD reduced oxidative stress and prevented heart damage in diabetic mice with heart disease.

The Bottom Line

CBD oil has been studied for its potential role in treating many common health issues, including anxiety, depression, acne and heart disease.

For those with cancer, it may even provide a natural alternative for pain and symptom relief.

Research on the potential health benefits of CBD oil is ongoing, so new therapeutic uses for this natural remedy are sure to be discovered.

Though there is much to be learned about the efficacy and safety of CBD, results from recent studies suggest that CBD may provide a safe, powerful natural treatment for many health issues.

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/CBD-Oil-Canana_b_1065.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/178811353431

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Here’s what we know about who uses cannabis in Canada, and how

New figures from Statistics Canada provide some of the clearest pictures of cannabis consumption in the country to date

People marking 4/20—national weed day—this year are more likely to reach for the traditional dried cannabis product than for a vape pen, according to new survey results from Statistics Canada.

Edibles were the second most common product, followed by hashish.

The results are from the first round of a new survey from the statistical agency which looks at who’s consuming cannabis, how they’re getting it, what products they’re using and how they’re behaviour might change after legalization. It provides one of the clearest pictures of cannabis consumption in the country to date.

Here’s a rundown of some of the other results:

Here’s who’s consuming marijuana in Canada

Across the country, 14 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older reported using marijuana in the previous three months – that’s a total of nearly 4.2 million people. Of those who used it, 40 per cent used it “daily” and 30 per cent used it “once or twice”.

Young people are also more likely to use cannabis than older Canadians, according to the results. Nearly one in every four people under age 35 reported using it in the past three months, compared to around 10 per cent for those aged 45 and older.

Use was also slightly higher for men (16 per cent) than for women (12 per cent).

Canadians’ choice of cannabis

Majority of people consumed the dried flower (76 per cent). Newer gadgets such as vape pens and concentrates were less common. Regardless of the type, nearly a quarter of the respondents said they spent more than $250 on cannabis products in the past three months.

How Canadians get their pot

Canadians are also more likely to go to those they know to get their supply, according to the survey.

More than 30 per cent of respondents got their cannabis from a friend or family member, while an additional 20 per cent got it from an acquaintance. Dispensaries (19 per cent), online producers (14 per cent) and authorized retailers (11 per cent) were less common.

While the survey allowed for multiple responses, more than 70 per cent said they got their weed from only one source in the previous three months.

Half of the consumers, however, said they’d change how they buy their weed after legalization.

How legalization might change consumption

If weed was legalized tomorrow, nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said it wouldn’t change how much they consume, regardless of whether they’re regular users or not, the survey found.

Legalization will also mean more to those who are already using it. Of those who haven’t used cannabis in the past three months, only six per cent said they’d likely try it or increase how much they consume. For more regular users, that number jumped to 24 per cent.

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Heres-what-we-know-about-who-uses-cannabis-in-Canada-and-how_b_1064.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/173182112311

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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A look at each province's rules for marijuana legalization

A look at each province’s rules for marijuana legalization

As cannabis culture is celebrated across Canada, the annual 4/20 day carries a special significance for cannabis advocates looking forward to looming legalization.

The federal government’s initial desired timeline planned for a July 2018 legalization date, but a Senate vote in June suggests that Canadians might have to wait until at least early August to purchase recreational weed.

Here’s a breakdown of the rules you can expect in your province when the recreational use of pot is no longer illegal:

ALBERTA Age of legal consumption: 18+ Where to buy: Privately-run retail stores and government-operated online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, subject to restrictions from landlords Where to smoke?: Prohibited in cars, in areas frequented by children, and wherever tobacco is restricted. Other notes: No possession limits in private residences Alberta marijuana legalization laws

BRITISH COLUMBIA Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Both government and privately-run storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, out of public sight Where to smoke?: Prohibited in cars, in areas frequented by children, and wherever tobacco is restricted Other notes: Landlords can restrict cultivation and smoking on their properties B.C. marijuana legalization laws

MANITOBA Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Privately-run storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Not permitted Where to smoke?: To be determined Other notes: Legal age is one year above drinking age. It’s prohibited to sell cannabis to someone who is impaired by alcohol or other substances. Municipalities can hold a referendum to ban cannabis stores in their community. Manitoba marijuana legalization laws

NEW BRUNSWICK Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences Other notes: 11 cannabis stores will open in July 2018. No possession limits in private residences. All cannabis must be securely locked up in user’s home. New Brunswick marijana legalization laws

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Privately-run licensed storefronts and government-operated online sales Grow your own?: To be determined Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences Other notes: Successful bids for private cannabis retailers will be announced by May 7, 2018 N.L. marijuana legalization laws

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Privately-run liquor stores and government-operated online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: On private property and in private residences. Smoking will also be allowed on trails, highways, streets, roads and in parks when they are not in use for public events. Other notes: Cannabis will initially be sold in existing liquor stores, with possibility of cannabis-only stores in the future. Individual communities will be able to enact cannabis restrictions and/or prohibitions. Landlords will also be able to declare their properties smoke-free. N.W.T. marijuana legalization laws

NOVA SCOTIA Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: Only where tobacco may be smoked, subject to landlord restrictions Other notes: 9 cannabis stores currently confirmed in: Amherst, Dartmouth, Halifax, Lower Sackville, New Glasgow, Sydney River, Truro and Yarmouth Nova Scotia marijana legalization laws

ONTARIO Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: Only on private property, subject to landlord restrictions Other notes: 40 cannabis stores will be open by July 2018, 80 by 2019 and 150 by 2020 Ontario marijuana legalization laws

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated retail locations and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, so long as they’re not accessible to minors Where to smoke?: Only on private residences, with some exceptions for certain public spaces Other notes: PEI will have four government-owned retail locations for cannabis in 2018 in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague, and West Prince P.E.I. marijuana legalization laws

QUEBEC Age of legal consumption: 18+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Not permitted Where to smoke?: Only where tobacco may be smoked, with the exception of university and CEGEP campuses Other notes: Six companies signed on to provide the Quebec government with at least 62,000 kg of cannabis during first year of operation Quebec marijuana legalization laws

SASKATCHEWAN Age of legal consumption:19+ Where to buy: Privately-run storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, subject to landlord restrictions Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences, restricted use around minors Other notes: Number of retail licenses issued will be restricted for first three years of legalization

Saskatchewan marijuana legalization laws

YUKON Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales. Grow your own?: Up to four plants, out of public sight Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences, subject to landlord restrictions Other notes: Whitehorse recently amended zoning bylaws to allow government-operated cannabis sales in only one area: Marwell. Licensing of private retailers will follow in the future Yukon marijuana legalization laws

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/A-look-at-each-provinces-rules-for-marijuana-legalization_b_1063.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/173182112146

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Weed could be a valuable weapon in the fight against Canada’s opioid epidemic

In 2017, Canada broke a national record for the number of apparent opioid deaths, with those occurring between January and September surpassing the number of deaths from all of 2016.

For almost 10 years, there have been a smattering of studies published examining the potential for cannabis to be used in the fight against the growing North American opioid crisis, given its aptitude for chronic pain relief. The legalization of weed in Canada this coming summer has thrust this debate back into the spotlight.

“Our research is showing that patients that go through the proper dosing methodology, approximately 80 per cent of those patients will reduce or stop using opiates,” said Bryan Hendin, the founder and president of the Toronto-based medicinal marijuana clinic, Apollo Clinics.

What does the research say?

The most recent studies that support this theory were published early in April in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal, and highlight how legalizing cannabis in certain American states coincided with a reduction in opiate prescriptions in those states.

The first study examined how legislation that let people use weed to treat specific medical conditions could be linked to a six per cent drop in prescribing opioids for pain. The second found that Medicare patients living in states with medicinal weed dispensaries filled about 14 per cent fewer prescriptions for daily doses of opioids than those in other states.

“It’s definitely a viable option. The research definitely shows that cannabis works on opiates … to reduce or substitute opiates for a better quality of life,” said Dr. Michael Verbora, the medical director with Aleafia Medical Cannabis Care.

Cannabis contains several compounds, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychoactive component in cannabis) and cannabidiol (CBD). Beyond the psychoactive effects of these compounds, research released in 2008 has demonstrated that they also impact the bodily systems in charge of pain regulation.

An additional study was released by the International Journal of Drug Policy in 2017which further explored the use of medical cannabis as a substitution for several prescriptions. The patients involved in the study reported it to be a successful substitute for many prescription drugs, including opioids.

In conducting its own study involving over 300 chronic pain patients over three years, Apollo clinics concluded that participants reported a 20 per cent reduction in the severity of symptoms and a dramatic reduction in opiate use, though it depended on what Hendin referred to as the “dosing methodology” behind this treatment.

What do the experts say?

Several cannabis clinics across Canada have trialled a method known as the “substitution method,” but according to Hendin and Verbora, this strategy can be “incredibly effective” for patients only when properly employed.

“The answer is, definitely maybe,” said Hendin. “It has everything to do with the actual handling of the medical cannabis.”

He went on to explain how an understanding of the product and the limitations of the patient are key to whether or not the substitution method is successful.

“You have to spend time working with the patient, going through the process. If you don’t go through that process, you’re just throwing a dart at a board. There’s no strategy to it,” he said.

A patient that suffers from severe anxiety, he added, shouldn’t be prescribed a cannabis strain with high levels of THC, for example. Furthermore, if a patient suffers from schizophrenia, prescribing cannabis with high THC could also pose several negative consequences.

Verbora agrees that in implementing this method, it’s vital to “go about it slow because otherwise, it can cause a number of unpleasant side effects.”

Patients with severe mental-health conditions or are pregnant should also exercise caution when considering cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain.

However, Verbora adds that while several studies have proven its efficacy in treating opioid dependency in patients — as long as caution is exercised amid certain medical nuances — there are several financial barriers to accessing cannabis in Canada that aren’t in place for other prescription drugs, including opiates.

Is Canada ready to use cannabis to fight the opioid crisis?

Canada is currently the second-largest, per-capita prescriber of prescription opioids in the world. As these numbers have continued to escalate, calls for employing cannabis as part of a solution to this problem have grown louder and louder.

One Windsor doctor, Dr. Christopher Blue, for example, has become known for prescribing cannabis to patients with chronic pain and trauma. In addition, the former B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake, who’s now the vice-president at a marijuana company, has been vocal in pushing for further research into using cannabis to treat opioid dependency.

“I’m not saying it’s the answer to the opioid crisis. I’m saying it’s one of the options we should explore,” said Lake, who chose not to run in last spring’s provincial election.

“It’s very promising and deserving of further research and there’s no better place to do that than in British Columbia,” he said.

At the same time, Canada is quickly approaching legalizing recreational cannabis sometime this summer, and the federal government just recently launched several research projects to better understand the impacts of medical cannabis on the human body and mind.

While the research indicates that weed could be part of the solution to opioid dependency in Canada, both Verbora and Hendin admit that there are some financial barriers for patients who wish to access medical cannabis.

Currently, medical cannabis prescriptions are not covered under most insurance plans and are subject to a number of sales taxes, unlike many other prescription drugs including opioids. For example, some medical marijuana patients are bracing for an uphill battle in their bid to convince the federal government to exempt medicinal cannabis from excise taxes.

Their lobbying effort will begin once MPs start debating the government’s budget implementation bill, which in its current form would apply the taxes to all but a small group of cannabis-based drugs.

“It’s a bit biased, and it’s counter-productive. There should be no taxes on it,” said Verbora. “The reality is, patients don’t want to be sick and most patients don’t choose to be sick. It does appear discriminatory.”

Verbora and Hendin remain confident that even legalization in the recreational market could have an impact on opioid consumption as more Canadians opt to try weed instead.

“Quite possibly, we could see a reduction of opioids consumed. We have seen unbelievable reduction,” said Hendin.

Furthermore, Verbora predicted that recreational legalization might prompt a reduction in consumption of alcohol and tobacco in Canada as well. He notes that patients hoping to reduce their consumption of opioids with medical weed should consult their physician first.

While he emphasizes that the opioid crisis in Canada requires a more layered approach than relying only on substituting opioid prescriptions with cannabis, he believes it can serve as a “very viable alternative.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Weed-could-be-a-valuable-weapon-in-the-fight-against-Canadas-opioid-epidemic_b_1062.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/172851591321

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Stick with your dealer? Or buy pot legally? How legalization will affect the black market

When it comes to buying pot in Canada, it is safe to say that it is readily available to the public. It is estimated that Canadians spent on average $5.7 billion on marijuana last year — 90 per cent of it for illegal, non-medical purposes, according to Statistics Canada.

So how will legalization affect the black market?

As well, experts predict that at first, just like Colorado, which legalized recreational pot in 2014, there won’t be enough supply to meet the demand.

Once there’s enough supply, then we can expect to see a downgrade of the black market. But Greg Engel, the CEO of Organigram, one of Canada’s biggest medical marijuana producers, says the black market is never going to go away completely.

“It’s taken now four plus years since that program launched. Some of the estimates I’ve heard or seen is that there are roughly somewhere between 10 and 15 per cent of the black market remaining,” Engel said.

Another important point: the legal market will only be able to successfully compete with the black market if the buying experience is positive, Engel added.

This includes access to retail locations. Are they close and easy to get to? What about online shopping? If the transaction is seamless, then it will encourage more people to buy legally. As well, will there be a wide variety of product?

“The extent to which [the black market] gets reduced is going to depend on the consumer end of things,” Trina Fraser, an Ottawa-based lawyer at Brazeau Seller Law who specializes in cannabis business law, said.

“The more we can match what the black market is offering or even beat it, that is going to be how we take a significant chunk out of it.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Stick-with-your-dealer-Or-buy-pot-legally-How-legalization-will-affect-the-black-market_b_1061.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/172434940356

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Tilray signs on to supply medical cannabis to more than 650 Pharmasave locations

Tilray President Brendan Kennedy is photographed with some of the Tilray product line such as capsules, oils, and dried marijuana at head office in Nanaimo, B.C., on Thursday, November 29, 2017. , The Canadian Press

Licensed marijuana producer Tilray Canada has signed a letter of intent to supply medical cannabis to Pharmasave, a co-operative of more than 650 independently owned pharmacies across Canada.

The agreement is subject to changes to Canadian regulations that would allow pharmacies to distribute medical cannabis.

Other licensed producers and pharmacies have already signed similar agreements.

Shoppers Drug Mart has signed supply deals with Tilray, MedReleaf, Aphria and Aurora Cannabis, subject to Health Canada’s approval of the pharmacy chain’s application to dispense medical marijuana.

Other agreements include supply deals between CanniMed Therapeutics and PharmaChoice, and Maricann Group Inc. and Lovell Drugs Limited.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association has said that pharmacies should play a leading role in the distribution of medical marijuana, which under current regulation can only be distributed via online orders shipped through the mail.

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Tilray-signs-on-to-supply-medical-cannabis-to-more-than-650-Pharmasave-locations_b_1060.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/172158876401

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Marijuana is the new gold as former Canadian miners go to pot

Turns out, it may be easier to strike gold by growing green.

Just ask Jay Wilgar, a former wind power developer who started a medical marijuana company with friend Travis Kanellos after hatching the idea while lifting weights at a gym. When they began looking at ways to take their startup public, advisers suggested partnering with Newstrike Resources Inc., a Toronto-based firm that had been looking for gold in Ontario and Wyoming without much luck.

“I think they had given up on what they were pursuing from a mining point of view,” Wilgar said by phone. He also wanted to work with “people that understand capital markets, and that was really how the Newstrike transaction came about.”

Newstrike, backed by The Tragically Hip, one of Canada’s most iconic bands, was reborn last year through a reverse takeover by Wilgar’s startup and has since shot higher. While the company has no revenue, it’s valued at C$612 million ($467 million) and became a takeover target itself by rival producer CanniMed Therapeutics Inc. in November.

The number of companies that started in the mining or oil and gas sectors that are now part of Canada’s burgeoning marijuana industry has jumped to more than 40. In all, almost half of the country’s marijuana firms started out in the resource sector before many converted to pot via reverse takeovers and spinoffs.

The listings reflect a surge of investor optimism as Canada moves to legalize recreational pot this year. Market values for the four largest publicly-traded firms, Canopy Growth Corp., Aurora Cannabis Inc., Aphria Inc. and MedReleaf Corp., have all ballooned to more than C$1 billion. The pot companies on Canadian exchanges have a combined market value of about C$32 billion.

While the surge is being fueled by estimates that retail sales of recreational and medical pot could reach C$8 billion by 2021, there’s mounting concern companies are overvalued. It remains unclear how Canada will set prices for marijuana and some publicly traded growers have yet to make a sale.

Marijuana stocks plunged in January following a rally at the end of last year that saw Aurora Cannabis more than triple, while Canopy Growth and Aphria more than doubled. Stocks began to look “overvalued and overbought,” according to a Jan. 31 note from the BCMI Cannabis Report. The BI Canada Cannabis Index has tumbled 18 percent this year.

“Every hot equity cycle tends to create a pile-on effect,” Jason Zandberg, an analyst at PI Financial in Vancouver, said in an email. “Individuals will enter a hot new space looking to capitalize on a growing demand, in this case legalized cannabis.”

The reverse takeovers allow investors to quickly tap into this new space, giving Canadian entrepreneurs and exchanges a leg up on global rivals as legalization of pot spreads around the world.

Many new entrants go public via a reverse takeover and use the old mining or oil and gas “shells” as the listing vehicle, Zandberg said. It’s a potentially faster way to list on a public exchange, and unlike a traditional initial public offering, companies don’t have to undergo a full securities commission review or file a prospectus.

There are plenty of failed mining exploration companies that are sitting on Canadian exchanges paying fees and doing annual audits that still have “shell value,” said Canadian Securities Exchange Chief Executive Officer Richard Carleton. While that’s something that Securities Commission has cracked down on to avoid fraudulent pump-and-dump schemes on the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchanges, Canadian exchanges demand that companies present a viable plan to sustain their operations and undergo a thorough review, he said.

Still, there are signs Canadian exchanges could lose their first-mover advantage to bigger U.S. peers. Toronto-based Cronos Group Inc. became the first cannabis stock to list on the Nasdaq Stock Market last month. Other producers, including Canopy Growth and Aurora, say they plan to follow suit, which could shift some trading to the U.S. from Canada.

Canada’s venture markets are known for their risk appetite due to its listing rules and the nation has always been a “mining frontier country,” said Chris Damas, editor of the BCMI Cannabis Report. No one can say for certain how much marijuana will be consumed when recreational sales become legal, and there are some small investors jumping into the market with a “gambling chip and they don’t really read the fine print” in company disclosure statements, he said.

“It’s like a Yukon gold rush,” Damas said. “It’s always been part of our DNA.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Marijuana-is-the-new-gold-as-former-Canadian-miners-go-to-pot_b_1058.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/172090558416

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Health Canada proposes strict limits on marijuana packaging, production

Draft rules also limit micro-processors and micro-producers to 600 kilograms of dried pot per year

The federal government today released the results of its public consultation on the legalization of pot and revealed its proposals for how recreational cannabis will be packaged and regulated.

“Over the past two years we have consulted extensively on our plans to legalize, regulate and restrict access to cannabis,” MP Bill Blair, the federal government’s point man on pot legalization, told reporters Monday in the foyer of the House of Commons.

“What we’ve heard from Canadians is clear: these regulations must protect the health and safety of Canadians, particularly our youth, while at the same time enabling a diverse, competitive and legal industry comprising both large and small players that can displace the existing illicit market for cannabis.”

“Its very important for us to ensure the safety features are there in place,” Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor told reporters Monday. “We want to make sure that it’s child-proof and that it’s tamper-evident.”

The Trudeau government’s proposals include restrictions on the colour of packaging and the depiction of branding, requirements for mandatory warning labels and a ban on packaging designed to appeal to young people.

The regulations state cannabis packaging can’t display florescent or metallic colours and the colours that are used must contrast with those of the official cannabis symbol — meant to warn the consumer about the presence of marijuana’s active ingredients — and the yellow background of the Health Canada warnings.

The proposed restrictions also stipulate that only one additional branding element – aside from the brand name itself – can be displayed on the tamper-proof and child-proof packaging. If that additional element is a slogan, the lettering can’t be bigger than the font of the health warning, while any logo must be the same size as, or smaller than, the standardized cannabis symbol.

The federal government is also banning inserts inside the cannabis packages themselves — a rule meant to prevent producers and processors from getting around the limits on branding and marketing.

A list of the 14 proposed health warnings that must appear on packages of cannabis. Companies will be required to rotate the messages across their product lines over the course of a given year. (Health Canada)

The proposed regulations — which could still change as the Cannabis Act works its way though Parliament — require producers to include one of 14 mandatory health warnings on each package. Producers and/or cultivators would be required to make sure all messages appear on their products by rotating the various warnings “on each package of each brand name with equal frequency in a calendar year.”

“We have heard loud and clear from provinces and territories and also from stakeholders that they need to have this information regarding packaging as soon as possible,” said Petitpas Taylor.

“So we are very comfortable with the information that has been brought forward with respect to the specifics of the labelling and the packaging and the warning sign that is going to be on all cannabis types of products.”

Those Health Canada labels including warnings about the risks regarding pregnancy, addiction, mental health, youth, and operating machinery or driving while under the influence of cannabis.

“We also want to ensure that consumers are aware of the THC and the CBD levels that will be included in the cannabis product that they may choose to purchase. That’s the type of information that we feel is very, very important to Canadians,” said Petitpas Taylor.

An example of the suggested packaging proposed by Health Canada including the warning label, dosage information and the standardized cannabis symbol. (Health Canada)

The proposed rules also outline how the federal government would regulate micro-cultivators and micro-processors.

A micro-cultivator — someone growing pot on a small, boutique-like scale — would be restricted to a “plant canopy area” of no more than 200 square meters.

Micro-processors would not be able to process any more than 600 kilograms of dried weed annually — which Health Canada says is about the total maximum production of a micro-producer.

The micro-cultivation and processing limits, Health Canada said, were set to allow “small-scale growers and processors in the legal cannabis industry” to make their businesses viable without making them so small that the rules would drive producers into the black market to survive.

David Robinson of the Craft Cannabis Association of B.C. said the size restrictions do not provide much room for small businesses to grow.

“It’s just really going to limit the scale that the micro-producers can contribute to the marketplace,” said Robinson. “Micro-producers represent the folks who have built this industry. They are no-doubt the producers of the highest quality.”

Consulting Canadians

The federal government reached out to Canadians through a series of in-person roundtables and online web-based discussions and received additional feedback through online and written submissions.

In all, the federal government’s consultations received 3,218 online responses and 450 written submissions. Health Canada also saw 192 “interested parties” participate in roundtables and another 343 take part in online webinars.

Four specific topics drew a large degree of interest from those who participated in the nationwide consultation.

Growing outdoors on a commercial scale was widely supported, according to the government, although some concerns persisted about the risk of theft and the need to mitigate smell during the flowering season.

Each package would have to be tamper evident and child resistant such as this plastic bag package included in Health Canada’s proposed regulations document. (Health Canada)

Many of the respondents suggested that because there are currently thousands of different strains of cannabis being sold in Canada illegally, that to remain competitive legal growers would need access to plant genetics to expand their offering. The government responded by saying that “consideration is being given to how the regulations could enable the introduction of new plant genetics into the legal system.”

Because the consultation paper did not contain any restrictions on how many licenses a micro-processor or micro-cultivator could hold at a single location, many expressed concerns that someone could skirt large-scale production rules by holding several micro-permits at once. In response Health Canada is considering restricting the number of licenses a single location can legally hold.

The government also heard that Canadians worry that current financial regulations would make it easy for criminal organizations to craft complex financial structures to invest in the legal cannabis industry. The federal government said it will look into ways to increase financial transparency for producers and cultivators.

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Health-Canada-proposes-strict-limits-on-marijuana-packaging-production_b_1059.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/172090558246

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Doug Ford wants free market for cannabis in Ontario.

Doug Ford wants free market for cannabis in Ontario

I’m open to a free [cannabis] market and I’m going to consult with our caucus,’ Ford says

Newly elected Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford says he’ll cut taxes and repeal Ontario’s sex education curriculum, and is open to a hands-off approach to cannabis once it’s legalized.

“I don’t believe in the government sticking their hands in our lives all the time. I believe in letting the market dictate,” he told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning on Tuesday.

The former city councillor won the PC leadership race Saturday following a tumultuous convention sparked by the resignation of Patrick Brown, who left the party earlier this year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Brown entered the race briefly before bowing out.

Surprise, uncertainty in Ottawa after Doug Ford wins PC leadership

Forget the 416 — Doug Ford says his biggest fans are outside of Toronto

In his first week of campaigning, Ford promised to repeal Ontario’s sex-ed curriculum, cut the carbon tax and end provincial taxes for people making $30,000 or less a year.

Here’s more of what he told Ottawa Morning host Robyn Bresnahan.

‘I believe in letting the market dictate’

Q: What are your plans for regulation and enforcement for marijuana when it becomes legal? Would you privatize pot stores?

A: We’re going down a path that no one really knows. I have been open to a fair market and letting the markets dictate. I don’t like the government controlling anything no matter what it is…. I’m open to a free market and I’m going to consult with our caucus…. I don’t believe in the government sticking their hands in our lives all the time. I believe in letting the market dictate.

Q: Will you be cutting public service jobs?

A: No, I won’t be… I don’t believe in the word cuts, I believe in efficiencies. We drive efficiencies in the private sector, we will start driving efficiencies in the public sector as well.

Carbon pricing 'a job killer’

Q: You’ve said no to any kind of carbon pricing. How will you make up for the billions of dollars of revenue from the tax?

A: It’s only crucial if you want to make it crucial. It’s a job killer and an absolutely terrible tax. It puts us on an unfair playing field…. You are trying to compete against other jurisdictions in the world that don’t have a carbon tax and all it does is drive up cost of all goods. It’s hurting everyone in Canada…. People don’t want to be punished because of this carbon tax and there are other ways out there of being environmentally friendly.

Q: You’ve said recently you plan to repeal Ontario’s sex-ed curriculum. In the past, you talked about reviewing it. Which is it?

A: We are going to repeal it because this is an issue of respecting parents. Parents weren’t consulted and they should have been. What happens to our own kids is our business. It’s not about the liberal ideology that’s being breathed down our backs from [Ontario Premier] Kathleen Wynne.

'I don’t give 2 hoots about Donald Trump’

Q: Are you Ontario’s version of Donald Trump?

A: No…. But look what is happening south of the border; we have trillions of dollars going into that country because they dropped the tax rate. Unemployment is [the] lowest in 20 years and manufacturing jobs are coming back…. I’m Doug Ford and we’re going to turn this province around. I’m focused on Kathleen Wynne and I don’t give two hoots about Donald Trump. I’m focused on Ontario.

Q: You’ve promised to freeze Ontario’s minimum wage at $14 an hour. But would you roll back the hike to minimum wage?

A: No, I wouldn’t. It’s not that I like it. Sixty-thousand people have been laid off so far and it’s going to continue…. When the minimum wage goes up, the government is gouging you — there’s a little hypocrisy happening there. What I plan on doing is anyone making $30,000 or less will be paying zero tax and because of that they are going to have $160 extra every month in their pockets. I’m going to reduce taxes and put money into the pockets of the most vulnerable.

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Doug-Ford-wants-free-market-for-cannabis-in-Ontario_b_1056.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171886693446

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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MP worries about fate of small-time pot growers

NDP MP Wayne Stetski says Kootenay marijuana producers will be edged out by big business

A member of Parliament from B.C.’s Kootenay region is concerned that new rules to govern legalized marijuana will exclude small-scale growers in his riding.

Wayne Stetski, NDP MP for Kootenay-Columbia, says the proposed federal rules will block those without major funding and those who wish to grow cannabis outdoors.

“It seems to me to favour large corporations and potentially leave the little person out and I don’t think that’s right,” said Stetski to CBC Daybreak South host Chris Walker.

“I just find it really unfortunate that the little person is left out of the equation going forward when they want to, in essence, get a good business opportunity going and help local communities.”

Stetski said small-scale producers are having difficulty obtaining licenses through Health Canada because the process requires a certain level of funding and facilities to already be secured.

‘Inequality in Canada’

“It seems like there’s an inequality in Canada continuing around the business side of it,” said Stetski.

“If you have lots of money, you can get into a position to apply for a license … if you don’t have lots of money you can’t.”

“It’s not like we have a lot of people sitting around with a lot of money in the Kootenays, whereas some large corporations already have financing in place.”

He also said a co-op has formed in the West Kootenay of more than 100 people interested in being outdoor marijuana producers.

However, he said current Health Canada policy states cannabis must be grown in a secure indoor facility with proper air filtration.

“The government still seems to be reluctant to allow outdoor growers to participate,” he said.

He says he is concerned if small-scale and outdoor growers are excluded, it could result in black market activities.

“If you don’t find a way to involve them … then I think we’re going to have some very difficult times ahead for both the individuals who live in the West Kootenay and potentially for government.”

Stetski has raised the issue in the House of Commons

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/MP-worries-about-fate-of-small-time-pot-growers-_b_1055.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171886693281

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Vancouver, Ontario companies combine to bring cannabis-infused products to Canada

A Vancouver health and wellness company will be among the first to produce a line of cannabis-infused beverages in Canada.

Vancouver-based Phivida announced on Thursday a partnership with Ontario’s WeedMD that will see the two operations “form a joint venture focused on cannabis-infused consumer products,” per a news release.

The new company will be known as Cannabis Beverages Inc., or CanBev, and plans to develop a production facility at WeedMD’s 610,000 sq. ft greenhouse facility in Strathroy, Ontario.

But lest you think these drinks are designed to get you high, Phivida has made clear that their drinks are infused with cannabidiol, or CBD, an active cannabinoid that does not have the same psychoactive effects. Rather, CBD is known for the feeling of general wellness it provides, as well as claiming to provide health benefits.

Furthermore, Phivida derives its CBD not from marijuana but from hemp, where it is prevalent in higher concentrations.

“This market is going to evolve. It’s not going to be just about getting high,” MacDougall added. “It’s gonna be about producing consumer products that are safe and healthy and people can trust.”

Needless to say, CanBev has work to do in educating the public about the differences between cannabinoids.

Per a release, Belfontaine lauded the partnership, which will combine Phivida’s portfolio with WeedMD’s infrastructure, allowing the two companies to begin building “towards a leadership share of the global cannabis infused CPG market.”

“WeedMD is the ideal partner for Phivida, as they provide CanBev Inc. with a solid infrastructure, strong management, and proven success in the Canadian health care market. CanBev marks the fulfilment of our dream to bring Phivida’s premium CBD infusions to medicinal cannabis patients across Canada.”

Both Phivida and WeedMD see a major market springing up for CBD-infused beverages in particular, as people begin to recognize the health benefits of cannabinoids.

“Canadian medical consumers, especially those in long-term care and assisted living facilities, need these products as they integrate cannabis into their medical treatment plans,” said Michael Kraft, Chairman of WeedMD. “We are eager to work alongside Phivida’s world-class management team.”

Phivida has attracted a very experienced management team, comprised of senior executives from several beverage and branding industry giants, such as Red Bull Canada, Seagrams International, Proctor and Gamble, and McKesson’s. The executives bring a wealth of knowledge to the venture, as well as distributions chains for the products.

A timeline has not yet been established for the release of CanBev’s new product line. Phivida stressed the need to take it slowly and focus on quality-assurance and proper procedures, especially as they set a standard for the developing industry as the first facility of its kind in Canada.

“There’s obviously lots of work that needs to be done,” said Belfontaine, “so we’re just gonna get to work.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/-Vancouver-Ontario-companies-combine-to-bring-cannabis-infused-products-to-Canada_b_1054.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171748672086

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Ontario promises to give municipalities $40M for marijuana enforcement

Cash infusion meant to help deal with issues like impaired driving, illegal sale of marijuana

The government of Ontario says it will provide $40 million from its share of federal marijuana taxes to municipalities to help them cover law enforcement and safety costs associated with pot legalization.

The province says the money, which will be provided to municipalities upfront, will come from the first two years of federal excise duties on pot producers.

Ontario Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Marie-France Lalonde says the $40-million fund will ensure that municipalities have the resources to enforce new marijuana laws and combat issues such as impaired driving and the illegal sale of marijuana.

Ontario says the money will be provided on a per household basis and will be adjusted so that every municipality will get a minimum of $10,000.

Association of Municipalities of Ontario President Lynn Dollin says her organization and the province both recognize the need to monitor the “real costs” of the new marijuana legislation as it is implemented.

The province says it is also creating a Cannabis Intelligence Co-ordination Centre to help shut down illegal storefront dispensaries, funding sobriety test training to help police across the province detect impaired drivers, and creating a legal team to support prosecution of drug-impaired drivers.

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Ontario-promises-to-give-municipalities-40M-for-marijuana-enforcement_b_1052.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171748671816

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Tax on medical marijuana 'unfortunate,' says P.E.I. grower

Tax on medical marijuana ‘unfortunate,’ says P.E.I. grower

Ottawa to add $1 per gram excise tax on medical cannabis

Some members of the cannabis industry on P.E.I. are concerned with the federal government’s plan to charge an excise tax on medical marijuana.

The proposal to charge $1 per gram on products sold in Canada was released in the federal budget last week.

'I think it’s unfortunate because if you buy any other prescription drug on Prince Edward Island … you’re not paying HST on it and you’re not paying an excise tax on it, either.’— Edwin Jewell

It includes an exemption for cannabis that contains lower than 0.3 per cent THC, the psychoactive compound in the drug.

Tommy Biggar, a co-owner at Island ReLeaf Glass in Summerside, and a medical marijuana user himself, says the plan is disappointing.

“The thing that bothers me is, nobody else’s medication is taxed. So medical patients are going to be taxed the same as recreational [users].”

He uses strains of marijuana low in THC so he won’t face the excise tax, but he said most medical cannabis contains more than 0.3 per cent THC.

Edwin Jewell, president of Canada’s Island Garden, says he thinks medical marijuana should be treated the same as other prescription drugs.

Edwin Jewell, president of Canada’s Island Garden — the province’s only licensed grower — agrees with Biggar.

“I think it’s unfortunate because if you buy any other prescription drug on Prince Edward Island … you’re not paying HST on it and you’re not paying an excise tax on it either,” he said.

“I think it’s unfortunate for Islanders and Canadians as a whole that they’ll be well-taxed on any cannabis they buy for sure.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Tax-on-medical-marijuana-unfortunate-says-PEI-grower-_b_1051.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171682388696

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Fort McMurray group planning one of Canada's first Indigenous cannabis operations

Fort McMurray group planning one of Canada’s first Indigenous cannabis operations

Fort McMurray #468 First Nation hopes to start construction of a plant in May on its land near Gregoire Lake, about 50 km southeast of Fort McMurray, says a spokesman for a Vancouver company consulting on the scheme.

A northern Alberta First Nation is poised to be one of Canada’s first Indigenous communities to establish a legal marijuana production facility.

The operation is designed to produce 2,600 kilograms of pot annually — possibly for medical or recreational users — after the structure is finished around the spring of 2019, says Mathieu McDonald of RavenQuest BioMed Inc.

RavenQuest reached an agreement in November to build the project, which McDonald expects will cost about $12 million.

The facility will likely create 25 to 40 jobs and give First Nation #468 a chance to be part of a major industry, McDonald said.

Also, many Indigenous communities are starting to examine cannabis as a possible part of a harm-reduction strategy to deal with the country’s opioid crisis, he said.

“You can’t die from it the way you can from opioids … There’s never going to be a bad dose that goes out and kills everybody.”

The First Nation’s website says it has about 700 members.

The Fort McMurray #468 First Nation plans to start construction of a marijuana production facility in May.

Its 24,000-square-foot building will follow a standard design RavenQuest hopes to erect in other locations using the company’s space-saving “orbital gardens” in which marijuana plants grow around a light in a rotating chamber.

The company bought Edmonton’s Alberta Green Biotech last fall and is building a 35,500-square-foot cannabis operation containing this technology, which is slated to be finished this summer in Edmonton’s northwest industrial area.

RavenQuest is working on projects with Aboriginal groups across Canada, sponsoring creation of the Indigenous Peoples Cannabis Association in November that McDonald says has more than 100 members.

The company was chosen last month to be a primary adviser on the cannabis, medical marijuana and hemp industries for Saskatchewan First Nations.

It hopes to lead groups through a “navigator” service Health Canada started in November for Indigenous applicants seeking a licence to grow medical pot, which includes offering assistance and answering questions about the process.

There are four licensed producers and 14 applications that have identified Indigenous affiliations, Health Canada said in an email.

The only other First Nations production facility McDonald has heard about is under construction in Eastern Canada, although, with recreational marijuana expected to become legal this year, several groups in the country are working to set up retail operations.

It’s a field that will likely continue to grow, McDonald said.

“The federal government is quite aware that they want to give Indigenous communities the opportunity to be on the ground floor of what they see as a very burgeoning economic opportunity.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Fort-McMurray-group-planning-one-of-Canadas-first-Indigenous-cannabis-operations_b_1050.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171614605381

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Canadians considering cannabis: Will you be using weed if you don’t already?

What we do know, so far, from data collected in 2016 by Deloitte and featured in the ‘Recreational Marijuana: Insights and Opportunities’ report is that 61 per cent of adult Canadians don’t consume weed whereas 22 per of cent of the population does in various frequencies.

“You would expect that when the stigma is removed of a criminal offence you may have more people who that would otherwise not be willing to take that risk might be prepared to,” said Chris Lavier, a criminal defence lawyer in Saskatoon.

The biggest question as we close in on legalizing cannabis could be what will happen with the 17 per cent of adults who admitted that they might use it once it’s legal.

“What is that would make them become a user? What things do they need to see in place – is it safety, is it assurance, it’s secure, is it healthy for them.” Konecsni explained.

“There are some people who are going to observe and see how things go, how some of their friends use it or how regulations roll out.”

According to Dr. Peter Butt, an addictions specialist with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, those undecided may also base their decision on the types of products available, the strength of these products and how they react to them.

“This is not an innocuous substance, it is mood altering and someone will like that – some people won’t.”

The problem Butt has is the way weed is being commercialized especially in this region where prior to increased use of crystal meth, pot was the primary reason for youth admissions to addiction services.

“I think the industry’s role can be very positive but they need to do it in an ethical way and some of the things that are being promoted now are unethical and unfounded.”

So how will marijuana use be conclusively monitored once it’s legal? The consumption of drugs leaves behind biomarkers in human waste.

Statistics Canada plans to study wastewater from municipalities prior to it’s legalization and after, an approach that has already been done in the Netherlands.

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Canadians-considering-cannabis-Will-you-be-using-weed-if-you-dont-already_b_1049.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171472735386

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Across Canada, legal pot will force universities to change residence rules

Marijuana, of course, is no stranger to Canadian university campuses.

A 2017 Macleans survey suggested that over a third of Canadian university students smoked pot at least sometimes, and five per cent several times a week or more.

(On three campuses — Bishop’s, St. Francis Xavier and Acadia — a majority of students reported at least occasional marijuana use. Students at the University of Manitoba were least likely to indulge.)

On paper, at least, university residence rules have tended to regulate tobacco and alcohol, and prohibit other drugs.

READ MORE: The big surprise of cannabis legalization might be the size of the low dose market

But when a fresh academic year begins in September, cannabis will be as legal as alcohol, and across Canada, universities have been trying to write new rules to reflect that.

Ideally, universities would have the equivalent of a campus bar, but set up for cannabis, says Jenna Valleriani, a strategic adviser for Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

“In a legal context, I think it would be important to have some kind of space or designated area where students could use cannabis, much like there is with alcohol.”

But it would be a mistake to let pot and alcohol co-exist in the same place.

“People consuming cannabis and drinking alcohol typically don’t realize that the effects of drinking alcohol is quite elevated.”

“Those things should absolutely be separated. Those spaces would be separate, designated spaces. If it was liquor licenced, it couldn’t be cannabis licenced as well.”

For the moment, though, there are far more questions than answers. Will students be allowed to grow marijuana plants on their windowsills? What about setting up smelly, electricity-hungry, four-plant grow ops? What about edibles?

No Canadian university we talked to had decided.

“We are actively consulting with stakeholders, but it’s a complex process and it takes time,” University of British Columbia general counsel Hubert Lai said in an e-mail.

A draft policy for legal pot on campus will go to UBC’s board of governors and then be offered to the university community for comment, Lai wrote.

Universities could try to set rules for edibles, but they would be impossible to enforce, Valleriani explains.

“Edibles are a tough one, because there really isn’t any way to regulate the consumption of edibles in any public spaces.”

“There could be clear policies around cannabis in residence, but when it comes to policing that, edibles are kind of discreet.”

Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., hasn’t made decisions about students’ personal marijuana plants or about edibles, university spokesperson Scott Roberts said in an e-mail. Nova Scotia universities regularly meet with each other, and “the progress of cannabis legislation has been a regular topic of discussion,” he wrote.

Acadia does have a complete smoking ban.

Mount Allison University spokesperson Laura Dillman wrote that the university “is working to develop additional campus rules and a cannabis education program, along with an updated substance harms reduction program and policy to reflect these changes.”

(Mount Allison’s home, Sackville, N.B., has been designated as a site for a Cannabis N.B., retail outlet, which will be sited a few blocks from campus.)

The University of Saskatchewan is still working on writing policies, spokesperson Jennifer Thoma wrote.

The University of Toronto did not respond to a request for comment.

Another complication is that younger undergraduates in residences are often underage (for alcohol, now, and for cannabis, after legalization this year.)

“First-years, second-years may not be of age yet. There is a need for really clear rules around that, but it’s not an illegal substance anymore. They’ll have to update their policies to reflect that,” Valleriani said.

Perhaps ironically, some universities have recently taken a much more restrictive attitude to smoking in general: pot, tobacco, or anything else. McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. imposed a total smoking and vaping ban in January. Among those questioning the policy: medical marijuana users.

Total smoking bans can lead to a nuisance near campuses as students cross the property lines to smoke, Valleriani points out.

“If you don’t create spaces for people to consume, you’re pushing that off-campus and into local neighbourhoods,” she says.

“People in surrounding communities often complain.”

So there’s a case for allowing tobacco smoking, at least in restricted areas designed to not bother non-smokers, but these can’t be the same as the areas used for marijuana: “People who smoke cannabis don’t necessarily want to be around cigarette smoke, and vice-versa. There is a need to separate them. To me, what makes the most sense is a vapour lounge or space similar to a campus bar, but I don’t know if we’re there yet, socially or culturally.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Across-Canada-legal-pot-will-force-universities-to-change-residence-rules_b_1048.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171472735196

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kelvinmcook · 7 years ago

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Women in weed: charting change for male-dominated cannabis culture

GREENLIT

Women in weed: charting change for male-dominated cannabis culture

Women face uphill battle to reach top of cannabis business, but there are signs it can be done

Jamie Shaw has worked for nearly two decades in the cannabis industry, including serving as president of the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries.

Jamie Shaw wasn’t seeking a career change when she visited her doctor to help her deal with anxiety.

To her surprise, she was encouraged to try medical marijuana and visit the B.C. Compassion Club Society.

“I thought it was the funniest damn thing I ever heard,” she said, adding she didn’t expect to be prescribed marijuana.

She took her doctor’s advice, left her career in the film industry and in less than two decades went from a newcomer in the city’s cannabis scene to one of its leaders and strongest advocates.

“Going to the club, that changed everything about how I approach cannabis.”

Shaw now works as government relations director for MMJ Canada, a chain of dispensaries with locations in B.C. and Ontario, while also helping industry newcomers secure proper business licences.

Jamie Shaw inspects one of her products at an MMJ dispensary in Vancouver.

Recreational marijuana is scheduled to become legal across Canada this summer. And with StatsCan estimating Canadians spent a whopping $5.7 billion on marijuana last year, the business is rife with leadership and business opportunities, spurring hopes that women could play key roles in the emerging industry.

While B.C. is home to some of the Canadian cannabis industry’s most influential women, financing and gender stereotypes leave others struggling to find their own path to leadership positions, resulting in an industry that near its outset resembles many other male-dominated business sectors.

“It’s not that the conversation hasn’t been had,” says Shaw of women’s involvement in the industry. “It’s just that it doesn’t seem to be registering anywhere or leading to anything.”

Financing issues

Of the 90 licensed producers listed by Health Canada, 19 are in B.C., and all of the B.C. producers have a man at the top of their corporate pyramid.

As of last summer, an analysis by the Canadian Press found that only five per cent of the board seats at publicly-traded marijuana producers were occupied by women, compared with 12 per cent on the nearly 700 TSX-listed companies.

“If you don’t see a lot of women CEOs in those positions you might think they aren’t that good at it. That’s not the case at all,” Shaw said.

Those are particularly unsettling conclusions in a city like Vancouver, which is home to several notable female leaders: activist Jodie Emery, Compassion Club co-founder Hilary Black and online cooking host Mary Jean “Watermelon” Dunsdon among others.

Shaw says many of the difficulties women confront in the fledgling sector come down to financing. “If you’re trying to raise funds and you’re trying to sell your company as a powerful thing and all the other companies are led by men, there’s almost an instinctual response to want to give your money to [them].”

American experience

There may be reason though to draw hope from the U.S. experience, where nine states have legalized recreational marijuana and 13 more have decriminalized the same.

“The interest is really growing. Women see an opportunity for a new career or to launch a business,” said Gia Morón, executive vice-president of Women Grow, a Denver-founded networking group that aims to connect and educate newcomers to the cannabis industry.

Gia Morón says women are a growing force in America’s legal cannabis industry.

A report it commissioned found what it termed “a relatively high level of gender diversity” in upper management, and that the cannabis industry offered greater potential for American women to advance to leadership roles compared to other businesses.

Women Grow Edmonton plants seeds of entrepreneurship ahead of marijuana legalization

How that changes if more states relax cannabis restrictions remains to be seen, and the same report found that many women still face familiar issues like low pay and limited benefits.

Morón is nonetheless optimistic. “I still believe that women will lead this industry.”

Entrepreneurial expertise

Andrea Dobbs is an unlikely cannabis entrepreneur. Despite a lifelong aversion to cannabis, an interest in natural health care drew her to it to help treat symptoms of perimenopause.

The experience changed her and drawing from years of working in retail, she recognized the potential to operate a dispensary differently.

“We wanted to do something that was sustainable, that was about health and wellness and that promoted some politics.”

Andrea Dobbs says while women are often found working in cannabis in government, non-profit organizations and in retail, they are much less common in an increasingly corporate for-profit sector.

In 2015, she and her husband opened the Village Bloomery, a dispensary that bills itself less as a place to score weed and more of a cannabis-powered alternative health service.

She advises aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs that it’s important to know both the industry and why they want to get into it.

“Be authentic to your vision and what you enjoy about cannabis,” she said.

“Don’t try to come up with the angle, or where you think an opportunity might lie.”

Dobbs is hopeful that her example, along with those of other B.C. women, will inspire others.

“At the end of the day, this is a female plant. We should honour her.”

from LEAF2GO: Blog Posts https://www.leaf2go.ca/Women-in-weed-charting-change-for-male-dominated-cannabis-culture_b_1047.html from Leaf2Go Online Dispensary https://leaf2goca1.tumblr.com/post/171472735001

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