The changing landscape of Canadian cannabis events
If you walk into a cannabis-focused event today, it might not look (or smell like) the massive conferences that sprouted up soon after legalization in the late 2010s. In fact, you might not be stepping into conference rooms at all.
From summer camp getaways to outdoor fairs featuring spikeball tournaments and consumption lounges, cannabis events in Canada have taken a sharp turn from the frothy and shoulder-to-shoulder conferences held in massive conference centres. With contraction and reduced spending also seeping into LP budgets, events aren’t as bustling as they used to be.
At the Grow Up Conference and Expo in cities such as Toronto and Edmonton, audience sizes have dwindled to a third of what they used to be pre-pandemic. A sprawling conference known to connect cannabis growers with B2B businesses and producers, these events have also lowered prices year after year for booths, says Randy Rowe, founder and CEO of Grow Up.
“First, the pandemic killed our momentum,” he says in an interview. “Then later we saw brands realize there was so much cannabis supply and not enough POs and they slashed their budgets, meaning they didn’t come to as many shows as they did before.”
To cite one provincial example, Ontario LPs have endured an 18% decline in revenues since 2019.
At Grow Up events, who is behind each booth has also changed over the past five years, says Rowe. Until 2020, most exhibitors were ancillary businesses such as CRM and fertilizer companies, but now brands have joined the fray. “We want growers to meet dispensaries and to meet brands, too,” notes Rowe, “and I remember a cool story that happened at our events where a BC grower met a brand who ended up buying two kilos of his cannabis right on the spot.”
All Grow Up events offer an indulgence that you wouldn’t have seen in 2019: age-gated outdoor consumption lounges that don’t serve alcohol.
That kind of space is also a key facet of KIND Magazine’s summer and winter fairs, known as “elevated cannabis events,” which feature more experiential activations than what is usually seen at major events such as the Lift Expo.
At the Toronto KIND summer and winter fairs in 2023, taking over a parking lot in downtown Toronto, more than 45,000 attendees walked through the doors, largely a mix of budtenders, brand owners and attendees, says Nicole Wolff, Chief Experience offer at KIND Media and Events.
Wolff says, “Our events are focused on the experiential. You won’t see us use a typical convention centre. Instead, we try to elevate the experience to build out thematic opportunities for brands and we encourage our partners to think through how they can come to life beyond a booth and chairs.”
She adds how the KIND fairs, which are coming to Vancouver on April 11, took inspiration from music festivals where brand partners “have the ability to build awareness and loyalty with the consumer base they’re looking for.”
Spikeball tournaments, basketball courts, DJs, food trucks and glass-blowing demos are part of that casual, fun-oriented nuance of the KIND fairs that Wolff says is a key differentiator and evolution from what cannabis consumers typically see in an event.
What also marks KIND events as an outlier from past cannabis events are educational cannabis samples available for those in the industry (not everyday attendees). More tradeshows offer that kind of sampling, such as Grow Up events.
Rowe notes, “Brands want ROI on having a presence at events, and giving away samples to potential clients is a part of that. Imagine going to a car dealer and never having a test drive of the car you want to buy.”
Other cannabis events want to stay as far away as possible from conference buildings and booths. The Blunts & Beans collective in Red Deer, Alberta, is now in its third year of managing Camp Canna, a three-day event on grounds near Pine Lake, Alberta. Offering a “stigma-free, fun and engaging environment fall levels of consumers,” Camp Canna could be considered an adult summer camp with cannabis threaded through the activities, says Alexis Dickson, co-founder of Blunts & Beans.
“We saw how consumer-focused events and tourism was missing from the Canadian cannabis scene,” says Dickson, adding how they have enjoyed 238% year-over-year growth in ticket sales.
Camp Canna features yoga sessions, slow-pitch baseball tournaments, live music and open consumption, all in the hope of “creating a supportive and passionate community that continues to come back to our events year after year,” says Dickson.
The camps have been such a success she decided to launch the first Camp Canna in Ontario, near the Haliburton Highlands, from May 31 to June 2.
The next step for many of these events is not just to attract more attendees but also non-cannabis sponsors. Securing cannabis-oriented sponsors for Grow Up or KIND fairs has been straightforward, but organizers want to level up.
KIND’s Wolff notes how securing sponsorship with mainstream brands can be challenging. “Non-cannabis brands should be open to sponsoring these kinds of events because at the end of the day the people who attend our fairs aren’t just consuming cannabis–they have other hobbies and interests that are important to these brands.”
Rowe is also disheartened to watch major brands fail to materialize at cannabis events. Then again, he isn’t surprised. “Whether legal or not, cannabis still has a stigma attached to it, especially for Canadian branches of major American brands, since the US still hasn’t legalized cannabis. Also, today we’re seeing so many cannabis companies losing money and going bankrupt and so why would brands want to be attached to a struggling industry?”
By David Silverberg
Featured image: A “Token Tuesday” networking event in Winnipeg in 2024
Some upcoming 2024 cannabis industry events in Canada:
- Cannabis NB Expo: Fredericton NB, March 16
- CannExpo: Toronto ON, March 22-24
- TetherBuds B-Week: Vancouver BC, March 24; Oakville ON, March 27; Edmonton AB, March 28
- Niagara Falls 420 Expo: Niagara Falls ON, April 20
- StratCann Growing Relationships: Calgary AB, May 6
- GrowUp Conference & Expo: Toronto ON, May 27-29
- Camp Canna: Haliburton ON, May 31-June 2
- C-45 Quality Summit: Hamilton ON, June 7
- StratCann Growing Relationships: Kelowna BC, June 10
- Unicorn Music Festival: Salmo BC, August 9-12
Change: Seer’s Fluidity in Action
Change is Not an Option
One of the most potent forces keeping us from living the life of our dreams is becoming stuck in our well-worn grooves of thought, action and perception. We choose our one view of the world … our description of “normal”; a reality which we defend and cling to for dear life.
Change is not an option … it is the ONLY option in a world constantly in flux. According to the seers of the lineage of Carlos Castaneda, there is no such thing as “normal”. The universe and all within it are constantly in motion and thus we must be as well. The only constant in the world is change.
New World. New Reality. New Dream.
In an ever-changing, constantly evolving new world — we have to change accordingly or we don’t survive. We either stay relevant or we perish.
Therefore in order to thrive within that new world we have to shift to a new reality. We must let go of our knowns and embrace the unknown.
And from that state we can create a new dream. We can’t create a new dream from an old reality. If you do, you only manifest that same old reality.
“Warriors face the oncoming time. Normally we face time as it recedes from us. Only warriors can change that and face time as it advances on them.”
Opportunity & Possibility
As our awareness opens … we can perceive the ever-shifting sands of change uncovering briefly, new portals of opportunity and possibility.
As quickly as these subtle nuances of new perception are revealed, they disappear … changed again by the ever-shifting motion of time.
Those who are able to shift, adapt and act quickly will be successful. They are able to hear the whispers on the wind and acquiesce to a new reality. Those who remain stuck facing time as it recedes from them are ill equipped for their new world.
“The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
“We talk to ourselves incessantly about our world. In fact we maintain our world with our internal talk. And whenever we finish talking to ourselves about ourselves and our world, the world is always as it should be …
Not only that, but we also choose our paths as we talk to ourselves. Thus we repeat the same choices over and over until the day we die.”
– Carlos Castaneda
Change: Seer’s Fluidity in Action
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7 Books That Will Unleash the Hidden Potential of Your Mind
7 Books That Will Unleash
the Hidden Potential of Your Mind
By Gary Z. McGee
“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” ~George R.R. Martin
There it is: your mind –all leashed-up, bored, bookless and chasing its own tail in the corner. It’s time to unleash it. It’s time to toss it back into the shocking waters of wonder and awe. It’s time to distract it from the all too familiar tail (or tale, to wit), and give it a juicy carrot to chase around instead. Seven juicy carrots, to be exact.
So, store that leash, open up your mind, curl up with your best friend, and dive right on in to the following mind-unleashing books. But keep the light on. As Groucho Marx wittily opined, “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
1.) The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsche
“We never know any data before interpreting it through theories. All observations are, as Popper put it, theory-laden, and hence fallible, as all our theories are.” ~David Deutsche
From epistemology and quantum fungibility to environmental ethics and societal evolution, David Deutsche takes us on a thought-provoking journey into answering a single question: Is there a limit to what can be understood? He comes at a mind-expending answer of “no” by diving deep into the expanding waters of epistemology and ontology. He profoundly claims that our understanding of anything is always at the “beginning of infinity” and there will always be an infinite amount more left for us to understand. Basically surmising that—with accurate and adaptable knowledge—anything is possible unless it is prohibited by the laws of physics.
Highly rational and integrating, The Beginning of Infinity launches us into higher thinking on the path toward better and better explanations. He takes us from parochial, outdated ways of thinking to the concept of universality and updated ways of thinking about the universe as a thing to be progressively evolved into using ever-expanding technologies. Thus, bridging the gap from man to overman. As he made clear, “There is only one way of thinking that is capable of making progress, or of surviving in the long run, and that is the way of seeking good explanations through creativity and criticism.”
2.) “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
“Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide feedback to the person’s skills, it usually begins to be intrinsically rewarding.” ~Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Thanks to Csikszentmihalyi, the idea of the “flow state” has become a vital aspect of our cultural awakening. The optimal experience is gained through deep discipline in a particular field/art/sport that provides intrinsic reward, challenge, and feedback, thus integrating confidence, concentration, control, adaptability, and connectivity. Time stops or slows down. Insecurities disappear. We stop caring about what others think of us. A creative unfolding of something larger manifests. Everything flows effortlessly in interconnected unison with us as its interdependent spearhead. In short: we stop thinking and just do.
By simply asking the question, “When are people most happy?” Csikszentmihalyi, through time tested research, pinpoints flow states as the answer. Athletes call it “being in the zone,” mystics have described it as “ecstasy,” and artists term it “rapture.” Unleashing optimal experience is about doing what we love as a pathway toward greater meaning, happiness, and a self of higher complexity. By doing what we love in challenging ways, we leverage optimal experience into our lives. This book powerfully explains the psychology of this vital process.
3.) Phi: A Voyage from the Brain to the Soul by Giulio Tononi
“Murky thoughts, like murky waters, can serve two purposes only: to hide what lies beneath, which is our ignorance, or to make the shallow seem deep” ~Giulio Tononi
Phi takes the reader on a mind-altering journey through the nature of consciousness. It interweaves science, art, and the imagination with golden ratios, Fibonacci sequences, and fractal cosmology. The reader has the joy of perceiving the world through such masters as Galileo, Alan Turing, Darwin and Francis Crick, among others. From neuroscience to pseudoscience, from deep introspection to mindful meditation, Tononi elucidates on how consciousness is an evolving, ever-deepening awareness of ourselves as finite, spiritual beings in an infinite universe.
We learn how consciousness is integrated information and how the power of that integration requires the utmost responsibility and credulity. It teaches how the brain is the seat of our perceptions, and is a creative force par excellence, and can even create new shapes and new qualia. It teaches how, by growing consciousness, the universe comes more and more into being, and synthesizes the one and the many, the ego and the eco, the individual and the interdependence of all things into a unified force of Nature.
4.) The Art of Fear by Kristen Ulmer
““Everything is fine” is actually a copout, a stuck place, an obstruction to the exploration of who and what you are expanding into higher and further, not to mention the evolution of humanity.” ~Kristen Ulmer
The Art of fear is about curiously embracing fear rather than conquering or repressing it. It’s about rebuilding our understanding of fear from the ground up. It’s about realizing that Fear is only one of 10,000 employees at You Incorporated, and how they all need a voice. But Fear most of all, lest all voices become repressed shadows. The key to fear, she explains, is being curious about it, thereby harnessing its power rather than conquering it. Between courage and curiosity is everything we need to be fearless.
Ulmer’s personal journey with fear eventually led her to study with Zen masters, from which she learned a mindfulness tool called “Shift” which shifts our perspective of fear from ignorant repression to proactive curiosity, thus aligning it authentically with our true nature. The basic tenet being this: Instead of repressing fear, empower it, by being curious and questioning rather than judgmental and accusing. Honor it with deep respect so it doesn’t operate covertly in twisted ways beneath the surface.
5.) Endgame: The Problem of Civilization by Derrick Jensen
“Premise One: Civilization is not and can never be sustainable. This is especially true for industrial civilization.” ~Derrick Jensen
Endgame will take everything you think you know about being a social being in a seemingly functional society and turn it on its head. Definitely not for the typical statist, nor the faithful law-abiding citizen. Endgame is about the imperative need to immediately dismantle the unhealthy civilization that surrounds us. Endgame is a scathing, raging critique against the unhealthy, unsustainable, and ecologically unsound man-machine that is our modern culture.
Breaking the book down into a series of simple but increasingly provocative premises, Jensen takes us on a mind-bending and convincing ride into the unhealthy belly of the violent, ecocidal beast that is modern day civilization. His basic premise is simple: Industrial civilization is unsustainable. It’s not a question of “if” but a question of “when” it’s going to fail.
He argues that the longer it takes civilization to fall, the worse the tragedy will be. In that light, there are two things we should be doing: Bringing about the fall sooner rather than later; and preparing to survive it. His attitude is caustic and cavalier, but all the better for the shock value it provides. This book really flattens the box we’re all so desperately trying to think outside of. A complimentary (and perhaps less aggressive) read is Beyond Civilization by Daniel Quinn.
6.) Trickster Makes this World: Mischief, Myth, and Art by Lewis Hyde
“Better to operate with detachment, then; better to have a way but infuse it with a little humor; best, to have no way at all but to have instead the wit constantly to make one’s way anew from the materials at hand.” ~Lewis Hyde
Trickster Makes This World is a mythological cornerstone for Sacred Clowns and practicing trickster-gods the world over, digging into the guts of the primordial importance of sacred play and rowdy behavior. Hyde explores how trickster figures represent the “disruptive imagination” that inverts, rearranges, and overturns conventional wisdom. From Raven to Coyote, Monkey to Crow, Hermes to Loki, Eshu to Legba, Hyde reveals connections between mythological tricksters that form a hidden network that connects cultural divides.
The best part about this book is its ability to show how mythology becomes reality. “Trickster consciousness’” is a vital component of human imagination. It reveals that we are the gods of renewal and rebirth if we choose to be. We are the creators of mischief and mayhem. We are the trickster gods in training. Trickster is us, and we are Trickster. We are the ultimate boundary-crossers. No manmade rules or laws can contain us unless we let them. Even cosmic rules and laws can hardly contain us. Trickster makes this world by tearing the old world down through high humor, moral ambiguity, foolishness, and strategic transgression and then dances in the ashes of its destruction. But it is precisely from the dancing, the kicking up of dust and ash, where brave new worlds emerge.
7.) Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them by Joshua Greene
“We need a kind of thinking that enables groups with conflicting moralities to live together and prosper. In other words, we need a metamorality. We need a moral system that resolves disagreements among groups with different moral ideals, just as ordinary first-order morality resolves disagreements among individuals with different selfish interests.” ~Joshua Greene
Moral Tribes is hands-on moral psychology and a refreshing new take on utilitarianism. Greene wraps game theory, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience into a nice digestible package to bolster his theory of cognition, which builds elegantly into a theory of moral psychology. A sweeping synthesis of neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, Moral Tribes opens a can of psychosocial worms that takes the concept of morality to the next level, revealing how we are exceptionally well-adept at solving the dilemma between “Me” and “Us,” through the concept of the “tribe,” but how we are ridiculously less-adept at solving the meta-dilemma between “Us” and “Them.”
Greene’s concept of metamorlity squares this psychosocial circle by counterintuitively applying utilitarianism to our base, knee-jerk reaction to morality (evolved morality) by becoming aware of our apathy in order to become more empathetic. By reinforcing humanity instead of nationalism, and worldly patriotism instead of patriotic nationalism, we turn the tables on both xenophobia and apathy, and we become more compassionate and empathetic toward others. When we celebrate diversity instead of trying to cram the square peg of colonialism into the round hole of cultural affiliation, we turn the tables on the monkey-mind’s one-dimensional moral tribalism, and we usher in Joshua Greene’s multi-dimensional metamorality.
Image source – Head Trauma by Hannah Yata”
About the Author:
Gary Z McGee, a former Navy Intelligence Specialist turned philosopher, is the author of Birthday Suit of God and The Looking Glass Man. His works are inspired by the great philosophers of the ages and his wide-awake view of the modern world.
This article (7 Books That Will Unleash the Hidden Potential of Your Mind) was originally created and published by The Mind Unleashed and is re-printed here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Gary Z McGee and themindunleashed.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this statement of copyright.
The Shadows of Ascension.
The Shadows of Ascension
What ‘Shows’ Your Way!
My Interview on L.A. Marzulli’s Channel – Lorenzo
Sorry to put my tongue ‘between my cheeks’ here….as in, well, a rhetorical question at best, in that, who can even say what’s honest or true or of ‘spiritual value’ from the past by simply reading some words, even some so-called, ‘holy words, words full of holes/wholes to fall through, and take them as direct directions for our lives. Which could be ok, but to say, only these are right and correct and all others are ‘doomed for destruction’…well….plenty of questions come up for me, and perhaps for any who are consciously considering a life lived in ‘loving kindness’.
One, which keeps me, let’s say laughing, or is that crying?, living in Asia, is what of those who have never heard of these ‘English Translations’ of the words of ‘the only path home? I’ve studied language a little bit over the years. I am hardly an expert, but have seen enough to know that even translations from one to another can vary widely, and to say, from one hand to another, from one language to another…especially through one eon to the next, when the meanings of words, even in my lifetime have switched and changed directions, well…for some, do drastically. ‘Sick’ and ‘Junk’ come to mind, ‘Gay’ and ‘Rainbow’, and ‘Trans-formations’, several more. You can take what you will from these to see, if you spend an intelligent moment considering that to follow a path, built solely/soul-ly on words from the past, no matter how ‘biblical’. well, asking for what you get that way.
For me, put simply, it’s kindness and intelligence that shines, and also personal experience. I’m certainly not saying that certain ways of life don’t work for certain peeps. All good, in that if they’re happy and having a ‘good go of it’, why not?! Be and say how you wish and your life will build as it does and I have nothing to say or add to that….especially in the vein of ‘being right to your wrong’…..or the reverse.
Well, may I suggest you enjoy this chat I had with L.A. Marzulli on the ‘Gatekeeper’s of Ascension’. Hmm, half a chat really, as I had expected a longer one. But, no worries, we may do another. I feel, if you face your shadows, your monsters, your ‘not so nice’ side, and go the other way, you could be on your path of ascension. In that, by going away from ‘not loving’, you may enter your ‘kingdom of heaven’ by becoming a loving being and seeing where that takes you.
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Self – Main Image by Lorenzo coloured by Chie
Cannabis industry wonders when their relief is coming, too
Canada’s cannabis industry says they need the same sorts of support provided to the country’s craft brewers.
In an announcement on March 9, the Canadian government said it plans to provide thousands of dollars in alcohol excise duty relief to Canadian businesses, particularly local craft breweries.
Canada’s cannabis industry has been asking for similar relief for years, with some noting their industry is larger and more heavily taxed and regulated than even beer makers.
In order to help alcohol businesses, the federal government is proposing to cap the inflation adjustment at 2% for beer, spirit, and wine excise duties for an additional two years, and to cut the excise duty rate on the first 15,000 hectolitres of beer brewed in Canada by half for two years. The government says this will provide the typical craft brewery up to $86,952 in additional tax relief in 2024-25.
In a press release, with comments from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Small Business Rechie Valdez, the government acknowledges the number of jobs created by the brewing industry in Canada and the contribution this makes to the broader economy.
“This announcement is great news for breweries, distilleries, and wineries from all across Canada who contribute so much to our national economy,” said Valdez. “Not only are they producing incredible products, they are also small businesses who are creating jobs and opportunities in their local communities. Today’s relief on alcohol excise taxes will allow craft breweries to spend less on duties, and more on what matters most: growing and innovating their small businesses.”
Jonathan Wilson, CEO of Crystal Cure, a small-scale cannabis producer in New Brunswick, said he found the news difficult to swallow given how much his industry is currently struggling.
“For the Ministers to announce this excise tax relief for alcohol today, with the core message being to support small business in peril, it’s one of two things: cold-hearted or oblivious, and I can’t tell which one. Small cannabis producers that have been suffering under the current industry ecosystem, they are the ones without the cash flow to absorb the exorbitant taxes and fees, and they can’t sell at a loss in perpetuity. These producers were supposed to be the cornerstones of the industry, and it seems everyone is fine with them being allowed to crumble.”
Deepak Anand, an industry analyst and consultant, shared similar sentiments with StratCann.
“The federal government needs to urgently make some similar provisions available for the cannabis industry, which has been struggling much harder than the alcohol industry. Much like alcohol, there are dozens of craft cannabis cultivators who can benefit greatly from similar relief.”
For a comparison:
- According to Statistics Canada, in 2022, breweries employed nearly 23,000 Canadians.
- A Deloitte Report from 2021 said the cannabis industry employed more than 43,000 direct and another 180,000+ indirect jobs in its first three years.
- In 2018, the Conference Board of Canada reported that the beer industry supported 149,000 Canadian jobs, paid $5.3 billion in wages, and contributed $13.6 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2016.
- A Deloitte Report from 2021 said the Canadian cannabis industry contributed $45.5 billion to Canada’s GDP in its first three years, or an average of about $15 billion a year.
“Canada’s small craft brewers are among the finest in the world, and are an important contributor to our growing economy by creating jobs in communities across the country. Today’s announcement is good news for Canadians and for the craft breweries they visit, which will now benefit from thousands of dollars in new tax relief every year,” said Freeland in the press release.
Budget 2022 called for a more streamlined approach to the cannabis industry, which included the creation of a “Cannabis Strategy Table” led by the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), intending to provide an opportunity for the federal government to hear from industry leaders and identify ways to work together to grow the legal cannabis sector in Canada.
Last year’s budget noted that as the legal cannabis industry in Canada grows, there are opportunities for the federal government to “streamline, strengthen, and adapt the cannabis excise duty framework specifically, and other excise duty regimes under the Excise Act, 2001 accordingly.”
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A Son of Leelanau
A Son of Leelanau
“Mama, Mama many worlds I’ve come since I first left home.” – Hunter/Garcia
Fare Thee Well
A few weeks ago, I heard from my friend Dave, one of our own from our Leelanau Family had passed away. The first thing I did was play some music for him, as he was one of the drummers in our music group. I sung “Sing Me Back Home,” an old Merle Haggard song we had heard the Grateful Dead cover in our infinite encounters with the Dead as a tribe of firebrands in Leelanau County. As I sang the song, I knew I had to go to his funeral. A few days later, I received a call from my brother that our departed friend’s family wanted us to sing a song for him. I asked him what song. He replied, “Sing Me Back Home.”
On My Hands and My Knees
I chose to head up north for the visitation and funeral service the day before, as my brother was flying in from Florida the next morning. While I drove north, I was not particularly reflecting on where I was going and who I might see, just feeling in every fiber of my being I needed to be there. When I arrived, I visited a little with my parents, then had a video chat with a dear friend of mine from Leelanau County. She asked me how I was being there, probably knowing way more of what would transpire than I did at the time. Soon after, I went to bed, having woken up that day at a quarter to four in the morning, unable to sleep due to the coming weekend.
In My Time
The next morning, I headed to the Traverse City Airport to pick up my brother. On the way, I scanned through the radio dial to find a Grateful Dead channel out of Petosky, Michigan. It would become the soundtrack of our weekend. My brother was a bit stressed when I saw him due to the rough landing of his plane, as he felt it could have resulted in a crash. We headed to our parent’s house and visited, then sang the song we were to sing at the funeral. We went to Good Harbor beach along Lake Michigan and reminisced about our friend, his family and the current events of our home County.
Sing Me Sweet and Sleepy
Both my brother and I shifted into a reflective silence as we approached Suttons Bay, where the visitation and funeral were to occur. These moments were the most we had spent together in many years. We crossed the threshold of the funeral home, greeted by several friends from our youth, many we had not seen for 20 or 30 years. We visited in the company of the open casket, sharing our cherished memories. As the visitation ended, my brother and I joined our friend Dave and our sister Rah for dinner down the street. An animated history of epic hijinks and hilarity filled the bar with laughter for hours until we bid our farewells.
“Going home…going home, by the water side I will rest my bones.” – Hunter/Garcia
A Far-Gone Lullaby
On the morning of the funeral, we sang through the song a few times. It had been almost 30 years since we sung in front of anyone together. Time flew by, and we were once again headed toward Suttons Bay, turning north on a corner where our departed friend used to live. I was moved to sing a song for him on our way. We once again crossed the threshold of the funeral home into the embrace of many more from our Leelanau circle of friends. For the half hour before the service, it was a flurry of reminiscent reunion. Soon, my brother and I sat with our friend Dave in the pew as the Funeral Director began the proceedings.
River Going to Take Me
The funeral home was packed with family and friends. Our friend Dudley took the podium for the eulogy, offering his heartfelt tribute. When he was finished, he called up my brother and I. Mark expressed his sentiments, and we both gave hugs in condolence to our departed friend’s brother Shawn, his wife and their children. As I walked to where we would sing, I felt Shawn’s tears on my cheek. For all the times we practiced the song, it would not prepare me for the emotion in the room and singing in front of our circle of friends for the first time in decades. When we finished, we returned to our seats to the warm applause of our family and friends.
Going to Plant a Weeping Willow
While we were visiting after the service, our friend Dudley rushed up to ask my brother and I to be pall bearers. We gathered around the casket and lined up together on one side. Dudley in the front, me in the middle and Mark in the back. It was a powerful bonding of brotherhood. Mark and I followed the procession to the gravesite, a family cemetery on a country road a mile from Lake Michigan. The early spring sun was beginning to set, and we joined the gathering of people around the grave to bid our farewells. As we laid our flowers on the casket, the Funeral Director declared, “Today, we bury a Son of Leelanau.”
I Love You More Than Words Can Tell
Mark and I headed to the Town Hall in Cedar to share in fellowship with our family of friends. We jumped back in the car, racing to see the sunset at the one place both of us had yet to visit during the weekend, Leland…home. We walked onto Van’s Beach as though the decades of absence had never existed. The sun was setting between the Manitou Islands in a cradle of distant clouds. We reunited with our circle of friends in a celebration of homecoming against the backdrop of Lake Michigan. As the stars began to shine, we returned to the car. The Grateful Dead channel played, “Loose Lucy,” as Mark and I sang, “thank you, for a real, good time.”
Going to Leave this Brokedown Palace
The next morning, I said my farewells to my Mom, my Step Father and my brother and headed south. As I left Traverse City, I was listening to the Dead’s “Brokedown Palace.” I could feel the strong pull of Leelanau County as I had decades before, singing through my tears, “Mama, Mama many worlds I’ve come since I first left home.” All the memories with our departed friend emerged from the shadows of our history. I could not recall the person I was just days before, as I was reuniting with the person I had been and the one I would soon become. I was simply left with the understanding; I am and will always be a Son of Leelanau County.
“Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.” – Hunter/Garcia
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Week in Weed – March 9, 2024
The big news this past week was Statistics Canada releasing cannabis sales figures for 2022-2023. We also took a deep dive into Alberta’s sales figures for the same time frame.
Cannabis consumption areas are beginning to emerge in a few places in BC following a recent rule change.
BC’s Budtenders Union announced a new store unionized, while we updated a previous unionized store that voted to decertify.
Ontario passed new legislation that bans growing cannabis in childcare settings and creates more opportunities for the province to engage with First Nations communities around provincially regulated cannabis stores.
We also shared our monthly cannabis jobs update.
In our Cannabis Insight section, we shared a piece on navigating the challenges of brand partnerships and another on five ways retailers can grow their sales.
We also celebrated trailblazing women in cannabis in recognition of International Women’s Week.
In other cannabis news…
Following the release of Stats Canada’s cannabis data for 2022-2023, many mainstream sites picked up on aspects of the figures, including a decline in alcohol sales while cannabis sales grew.
Manitoba news outlets were quick to share that Manitoba had the highest rise in recreational cannabis sales across Canada in the 2022/2023 fiscal year at 23%.
Yukon released its sales numbers for 2022-2023. During the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, cannabis sales in Yukon totalled $11 million, a 9.4% increase from the year prior. Dried cannabis was the highest product category, accounting for 64.6%. Inhaled cannabis extracts were the second highest at 24.9%.
CanMar announced a strategic partnership with the Canadian Cannabis Exchange (CCX) and Loud Lion Supply. CCX will serve as CanMar’s exclusive B2B Cannabis Brokerage/Exchange Strategic Partner on The Hub, CanMar’s community platform.
Tilray Brands Inc. announced two new releases from Broken Coast. Cherry Cheesecake and EmergenZ are now available in Canada across select regions and retailers, including Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, with further expansion planned nationwide.
Ontario-based Sensi Brands Inc. announced the launch of SensiMed.ca, a new medical cannabis marketplace. Sensi Brands operates Station House, a producer in southeastern Ontario with a farmgate licence, and the Potluck and Sensimilla brands and Good Greens Medical.
A labour arbitrator says global fertilizer giant Nutrien was justified in keeping an employee out of work at the Saskatchewan potash mine until the company was satisfied the cannabis he used for sleep would not leave him impaired on the job site the next day.
High Tide Inc. opened its second Canna Cabana in Mississauga, Ontario. This opening will mark High Tide’s 164th Canna Cabana branded retail cannabis location in Canada, and the 55th in Ontario.
Tilray’s hemp asset, Manitoba Harvest, announced its new instant Superseed Oatmeal in three flavours with hemp hearts.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced the availability of medical cannabis pastilles for doctors to prescribe to patients in Australia. The 30-pack pastilles are available now in three formats, including Aurora THC Pastilles in Watermelon flavour (5mg THC), Aurora CBD Pastilles in Peach flavour (10mg CBD), and Aurora Balanced Pastilles in Yuzu Lemon flavour (5mg THC, 10mg CBD), exclusive to MedReleaf Australia.
HYTN Innovations Inc. announced the completion of a Good Manufacturing Practices audit by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration at their Kelowna, BC facility. The audit was in coordination with Australia’s Promethean Biopharma.
Health Canada updated its page on physical security measures for cannabis licences.
A new study from researchers in Newfoundland suggests that healthcare providers have significant knowledge gaps in authorizing medical cannabis, which limits their practice competence and confidence in this area. Referring patients to cannabis clinics while enforcing harm-reduction strategies was an interim option for patients to access cannabis for medical purposes.
International cannabis
In his State of the Union address, US President Joe Biden said: “No one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana,” leading to tons of headlines and speculation. The statement was just a reiteration of his existing policy. In 2022, Biden pardoned thousands of people with cannabis possession convictions and called for cannabis to be rescheduled. The decision is now with the US DEA.
Law enforcement
Police in Winnipeg say they identified 64 individuals as testing positive for cannabis while driving. Provincial Offence Act notices were issued for improper storage, as well.
Police in PEI say four people failed roadside tests for cannabis.
Police in Victoria, BC, arrested a man selling cannabis outside a high school.
Authorities in Ireland seized 36 kg of cannabis on a flight from Toronto intercepted at Dublin Airport.
Quality Assurance – it’s about people and procedures
Stringent quality assurance systems and having highly trained QA personnel in place are the hallmarks of a QAP’s responsibility. QA in laboratories has four defining characteristics. First, standard operating procedures (SOPs) that guide testing. Second, a working lab functions according toe requirements, including compulsory record keeping, data analysis, and internal audits. Third, record keeping and individuals tasked with correcting problems. And fourth, personnel must deliver high-quality performance.
Within Canada’s cannabis industry, the objective is to provide a safe supply of cannabis to consumers dependent upon strict quality control and consistent quality.
Starting a QA program
Av Singh, PhD, PAg, agronomist and cannabis consultant, believes “the easiest way to work into a QA program is by conducting a self-audit,” he says. “With most clients, we use a weekly checklist we employ as we walk through a facility and do a quick Good Documentation Practices review to make sure we are capturing deviations from our SOPs and recording other Change Control measures. In walking through, it becomes easy to point out that we think a SOP is attaining the desired goal.”
Who are Quality Assurance Personnel (QAP)?
As a burgeoning industry navigating regulatory compliance, “the cannabis industry had to “steal” professionals from the food industry, from pharma, even from labs,” comments Mariana Black, QAP and chief compliance officer at Ontario LP GlassHouse Botanics. Black notes QAPs come from “quality management systems” and “farm food safety programs.”
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As the industry is new, the personal attributes of an individual are also important.
Kevin Clark, director of operations, QAP, Eco Canadian Organic Inc. in the flower room. Photo: Melanie Maillet, Eco Canadian Organic Inc.
What qualifications do QAPs have?
Kevin Clark, director of operations and QAP at Eco Canadian Oganic Inc. says “a strong QAP requires experience in consumer goods such as food and beverage with enhanced education and/or several years of managerial experience in science, processing, manufacturing practices, and food processing.”
What do QAPs do?
QAPs, Black says, “have a broad scope of work within the operation of a licensed producer. They are responsible for ensuring compliance to regulations and for approving the procedures that outline how these activities are carried out.”
While an ability to uphold rules and standards is important, so is the ability to be intellectually agile as duties and the marketplace change. A QAP’s responsibilities vary. They must possess strong problem-solving, communication, and analytical skills, along with emotional resilience to handle challenges effectively. “The role can expand to managing production, packaging design, negotiating pricing, value engineering, and client management,” comments Clark.
Daily duties
On a day-to-day basis Black is “overseeing compliance to regulations and conformance to procedures.” She says, “my duties involve deviation and CAPA management; batch review for release; managing the change control process; managing communications with our buyer’s quality staff; and managing the quality team.”
Clark’s day begins with “a meeting with my staff followed by a meeting with my owners to prioritize our day and confirm weekly requirements.” Daily Clark will “supervise activities in the facility and/or participate. I then would connect with my farmgate manager and consult on inventories and begin documentation review and planning scheduling to meet production requirements to strategic business development.”
QAP duties within Canadian LPs vary, requiring a breadth of skillsets. Photo: GlassHouse Botanics
Monthly duties
Black’s monthly responsibilities involve ensuring that “we stay compliant to Good Production Practices (GPPs), Good Agricultural Collection Practices (GACPs), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). During a month there would be batch review for release, development, review, and approval of procedures and managing deviations and CAPAs for continuous improvement.”
If a company did analytical testing on their premises, Black notes, “the QAP would ensure that the testing is conducted as per procedures in a manner to ensure they are accurate and remain in validated status and/or are completed as per compendial methods.”
Clark’s monthly duties range from “planning scheduling, human resources, hiring, product development, packaging design, sales, production management, material procurement, and managing relations with our patients, clients, and customers. And documentation.”
Fluency in technology is an essential part of a QAPs’ skill set. “To comply with GPPs you need to understand how to properly manage equipment so that it functions as intended. A QAP is expected to review a validation report, a Certificate of Analysis (COA), a certificate of calibration, monitoring results and overall data to determine compliance,” Black comments.
QAPs have well-developed social intelligence wherein diplomatic skills are essential. “A QAP needs to have problem-solving, excellent communication and analytical skills, be detail oriented but open minded and adaptable.”
At the same time there is an element of emotional toughness to being a QAP. Black observes, “as QAP you are that one person that tends to tell Operations and Senior Management that something cannot be done.”
These cautions have to be relayed firmly but encouragingly. “The QAP must make informed and executive decisions when approaching challenges or conflicts,” Clark says.
What keeps a QAP up at night?
“Everything,” Clark states. “In a leadership role, your owners/executives rely on your foresight to adapt and overcome, identify opportunities, and continually improve operations and quality assurance activities. What keeps me up at night – ‘the what if’ scenarios – which helps me plan and execute actions more effectively.”
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