So, pot czar Justin Trudeau, realizing his actual street dealers were on the verge of a revolt, turned to his Mr. Big, Bill Morneau, and told him to divvy up a more saleable split of the profits from upcoming pot deals. When profits are projected to be in the billions, honour among thieves, and we say "thieves" with all due respect, begins to lose its lustre. After all, it will be the street dealers who will be taking on the majority of the risk, meaning all those premiers hypnotized by dollar signs who will have to set up their own turf, build their own drug outlets, collect the juice from the sales, and deal with law enforcement should the criminal element invade their space. [continues 501 words]
Feds up profit split on pot deals So, pot czar Justin Trudeau, realizing his actual street dealers were on the verge of a revolt, turned to his Mr. Big, Bill Morneau, and told him to divvy up a more saleable split of the profits from upcoming pot deals. When profits are projected to be in the billions, honour among thieves, and we say "thieves" with all due respect, begins to lose its lustre. After all, it will be the street dealers who will be taking on the majority of the risk, meaning all those premiers hypnotized by dollar signs who will have to set up their own turf, build their own drug outlets, collect the juice from the sales, and deal with law enforcement should the criminal element invade their space. [continues 500 words]
Canadians never forget the old joke about a pachydermy conference where French scientists discuss elephants' love lives, the British praise and the Soviets denounce "Elephants and Empire," Americans imagine breeding bigger better elephants, and Canadians empty the room with "Elephants: federal or provincial responsibility." Then there's the one about why elephants are big, grey and wrinkly. A: Because if they were small green and crumbly they'd be marijuana, and ending futile patronizing prohibition would cause finance ministers to swoop in and squabble over "Gouging the user: federal or provincial responsibility." [continues 742 words]
It's funny how quickly a criminal enterprise can turn into a legitimate business opportunity. As a federal Conservative politician, even as late as 2015, Julian Fantino was opposed to the legalization of marijuana. In 2004, he even compared weed to murder in an interview with the Toronto Sun, saying, "I guess we can legalize murder too and then we won't have a murder case. We can't go that way." Now, he's partnered with former RCMP deputy commissioner Raf Souccar to open a medical marijuana business, Aleafia Total Health Network. [continues 407 words]
You may think that you will be able to buy marijuana legally as of July 1. You should think again. Conservative senators are threatening to hold up passage of the two bills that would legalize cannabis consumption and toughen rules against abuse. Unless these senators yield, the bills are unlikely to become law in time for the Canada Day deadline. "I think we have to do our job properly, and that means months," Conservative Senator Claude Carignan, the lead opposition critic on the legislation, said when asked in an interview how long he thought it would take the Senate to pass the bills. How many months? [continues 603 words]
"You've come a long way, baby." This is the famous slogan of the Virginia Slims brand - a long, slim cigarette marketed to women as a sign of the progress of feminism and freedom for their gender. Society has also come a long way in its thinking around the marketing of products like tobacco, and campaigns that make it seem glamorous. We have learned that slick marketing images that ran through previous decades did not just influence adults. The Marlboro Man and images like it captured the imagination of kids, romanticizing smoking for another generation. [continues 351 words]
B.C.'s NDP government is right to get ahead of the curve and establish a framework for distributing and regulating recreational cannabis in advance of the federal government legalizing it next July. But the plan still has some shortcomings that should be addressed before we legally light up our sativa and enjoy what one vendor described as its spicy, earthy flavours. B.C. intends to make marijuana available at public and private retail outlets, supplied exclusively by the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch. The government has determined that people age 19 and over will be allowed to buy it. [continues 341 words]
The P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission is a good choice for managing Prince Edward Island's new marijuana stores. The LCC is well equipped for developing policy and providing oversight. It is also good that the provincial government has decided its pot sales will be conducted from different storefronts than its liquor sales. It just gets the right message out there: If it is not good for the PEILCC to sell liquor and pot from the same premises, it's not good for a consumer to mix liquor and pot. [continues 148 words]
As we stumble down the cobblestones on the uneven and relatively unchartered path to marijuana legalization, we're bound to trip once or twice. But so far, we have to give props to the provincial government for appearing to get it right. So far we have agreed with the legal age of 18, we accept the private/public sales model and, for the most part, agree with rules on where you can and can't smoke up. This week's successful negotiation with the federal government on tax revenue is another case in point. [continues 375 words]
Just how horrific Ontario's opioid crisis has become came into sharp focus this past week with the release of timely new data from Ontario's chief coroner, Dirk Huyer. Sadly, from May to July of this year, there were 336 opioid-related deaths in the province, up from 201 in that same period last year. That represents a staggering 68-per-cent increase. Health Minister Eric Hoskins put a human face on the startling statistics when he reminded Ontarians that "each and every one of these numbers is a person: someone who was loved by their family, someone who won't be coming home this holiday season." [continues 589 words]
A funeral home in Aldergrove decided they needed to do something after seeing so many heartbroken families lose loved ones to a drug overdose. The funeral directors have put together an awareness and prevention campaign that does aim to shock people about how deadly drugs are. In an unusual move, the BC Coroner's Office has come out against Alternative Funeral and Cremation Service's awareness campaign, saying scare tactics don't work, they only further stigmatize drug users. While it's true the D.A.R.E. program and Just Say No hasn't been successful in deterring youth from trying hard drugs, it likely did impact a few kids here and there. And at this point in this fentanyl epidemic - reaching anyone is better than doing nothing. It isn't costing taxpayers anything. [continues 180 words]
Legal doesn't mean light up whenever you want Ever since, and probably long before, the federal Liberals started the process to legalize marijuana, some people have been equating legalization with deregulation. That was never in the cards. Saying 'But it's legal now, mannnnnnn,' after blowing smoke in a cop's face isn't going to carry much weight as he confiscates your joint or outfits you with a pair of pretty silver bracelets. The announcement this week that B.C.'s Liquor Distribution branch will have responsibility for distribution of non-medical marijuana shouldn't have come as a surprise, though it seems it did for many. [continues 219 words]
Ever since, and probably long before, the federal Liberals started the process to legalize marijuana, some people have been equating legalization with deregulation. That was never in the cards. Saying 'But it's legal now, mannnnnnn,' after blowing smoke in a cop's face just isn't going to carry much weight with him as he confiscates your joint or outfits you with a pair of pretty silver bracelets. The announcement this week that B.C.'s Liquor Distribution branch will have responsibility for distribution of non-medical marijuana shouldn't have come as a surprise, though it seems it did for many. [continues 216 words]
Province's age restriction, home-growing ban lack common sense GOVERNMENTS in Canada have been playing politics with marijuana for some time now. The promise to legalize cannabis helped Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his federal Liberals achieve a majority government in 2015, and now provincial governments across the country are coming to grips with legalization according to their own political principles. Some provincial governments (Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick) are creating Crown corporations to be the legal marijuana dealers. Others (Manitoba, Alberta, Newfoundland) are letting the private sector run the stores. British Columbia just announced a retail solution that will include both the public and private sectors. [continues 893 words]
One thing the government's round of cannabis consultation discovered is how firmly established the underground marijuana business is in B.C. The legalization of marijuana next July across Canada is going to be a dramatic change. But judging by the interest groups that made submissions on how to go about it, it's a relatively short hop in B.C. from the current situation to the historic new regime. They're already organized, up-front and pretty open about what's going on. [continues 631 words]
The B.C. NDP government tipped its hand Tuesday on how it plans to regulate the legal sale of marijuana. Besides setting the age at 19 to buy, possess and consume pot, similar to alcohol and tobacco, the province said the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch will be the sole supplier, distributing pot to private and public stores in the same manner it already does with booze. The government didn't address exactly who will sell pot but it looks like the NDP will take a different tact from the model already laid out in Ontario, where legal pot will only be available in about 150 stores, all operated by that province's liquor control board. [continues 604 words]
The picture of legal marijuana in B.C. got a little clearer this week, as the provincial government released some of its planned regulations. While some decisions have yet to be made - or made public - three important ones are in place: minimum age, wholesale distribution and retail policy. The government has wisely set the minimum age for cannabis at 19. That's the same as for alcohol and tobacco, and matches the age of majority in B.C. Having different ages for different vices would confuse everyone, and regulators have to keep in mind the studies that say cannabis has a harmful effect on the developing brains of teenagers. [continues 405 words]
The County of Strathcona prides itself on being a "champion for advancing diverse agricultural business." We hope that you keep this spirit in mind when voting on the request to place a moratorium on cannabis operations under intensive horticulture in Strathcona County. As a county that puts priority on being a place that is open for business and investment, this moratorium is counter-intuitive to Strathcona's strategic priorities and goals. With agricultural expertise and well-honed entrepreneurial spirit, Alberta is poised to be a leader in the Canadian cannabis industry. [continues 787 words]
Absolutely everybody in sight has had a go at Ronald Orr this week. Which, just as a polite heads-up to the man's friends and family, is not going to stop me from joining in. Orr is the Alberta MLA who rose in the provincial legislature on Wednesday to discuss his fears about the "social and economic experiment" of marijuana legalization. This happened during the debate on Alberta's bill making arrangements to meet the federal government's legalization deadline. Orr, a religious minister and former construction contractor, attracted national attention because he started gibbering about Chinese history, the Opium Wars, and the Cultural Revolution. The Vietnam War found its way in there, somehow. The fella jumped around quite a bit. [continues 635 words]
