by Grow Up Conference | Nov 17, 2024 | Media Partners, Stratcann
The BC Government is seeking to seize six properties they say are connected to the proceeds of illicit cannabis production.
Court records show that, following an investigation, the RCMP executed a search warrant at a house in Burnaby on February 1, 2024. In that search, police located several hundred cannabis plants, equipment related to growing cannabis, and more than 14 kilograms of dried cannabis, as well as product labels, packaging materials, scales, and currency.
Then, on February 9, 2024, according to court documents, the RCMP executed a search warrant at a second residential location in Burnaby, where police also discovered several hundred cannabis plants, growing equipment, more than 30 kilograms of dried cannabis, a gun, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest, as well as currency.
The provincial government alleges that no cannabis licences of any kind were associated with either property at the time. The defendants in the case are Jacky Yen Chuang and Li Hua Julie Chen.
The government argues that both properties and four others in Richmond, Abbotsford, and Burnaby are proceeds and instruments of unlawful activity. Some or all the funds used to acquire and/or maintain these properties were proceeds of the unlawful activity, continues the government’s argument, and/or tax evasion in breach of the Income Tax Act.
The allegations have yet to be proven in court.
In an unrelated case, the owners of a cannabis store, the S&M Medicinal Sweet Shoppe in Gibsons, BC, that was raided by BC Community Safety Unit Officers (CSU) in 2020 continue to challenge that raid and associated penalties.
The store owners, Michelle Sikora and Doug Sikora, filed a petition in June 2024, seeking to have the fine levied by the CSU to be retracted. In addition, in 2020, Michelle Sikora sought to have all cannabis seized from their store by the CSU be returned.
The petitioner’s argument was that, in part, the BC government’s actions violated their Charter rights. That first application was denied in 2021, with the provincial government finding that there was no evidence that Sikora had any valid licence or permit for the cannabis.
Then, in December 2021, both petitioners were each issued a Notice of Administration Penalty (AMP) for $118,919.10. This amount was based on the estimated value of seized cannabis being $54,459.55. The government calculates AMP penalties by doubling the value of seized material from a store operating without a licence from the province.
In January 2022, the couple challenged the monetary penalty by requesting an administrative hearing while again furthering their Charter argument, referencing the R v Smith case.
In June 2023, the deputy director of the CSU refined the administrative penalty, issuing the amount only to the corporate petitioner, not two each of the Sikora’s individually. The director also rejected the petitioner’s claim that the search and seizure by the CSU was in violation of sections 7, 8, and 11 of the charter.
The new monetary penalty applied to the corporate petitioner was $105,873.86 based on the estimated retail value of the seized cannabis of $52,936.98.
In June 2024, the petitioners then filed a case at the bar seeking to have the administrative penalty retracted and again sought to have the seized cannabis returned.
The provincial government’s representatives again denied the merits of these arguments, seeking to have the petition denied in a filing in October 2024.
A ruling in the case is pending.
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 16, 2024 | Media Partners, The New Agora
President Musk and Assistant Secretary Trump
– The Real Pecking Order?
By Julian Rose
Well, those with the most beef lead the herd. That sounds like the primitive form of leadership adopted before mankind grew up a bit. The era when warriors and physical prowess alone decided the pecking order.
However, over a few thousand years people progressed and the powers required for remaining king of the castle changed.
Those with the ability for intellectual reasoning overcame purely physical strength and eventually those with a commercial penchant pushed aside the intellectuals.
Only a few hundred years ago we in the West had an era of great advances in the arts and in self discovery, known as the Renaissance, in which superstition and religious dogma were eclipsed by a dynamic exploration of both the physical and psycho-spiritual worlds.
Science emerged as a discipline in search of rational explanations of what makes universal life forces behave the way they do. The same with the development of medicines and systems of governance.
The integration of all these facets of human evolution promised something better and more sophisticated than rule by baseline power and control which had started the social cycle going.
But, lo and behold, emerging out of supposedly progressive political energies of North America, are symptoms of the old brute power game once again taking centre stage.
Only now it is not individual physical strength, but individual financial strength that aims to rule the day. Hence America welcomes an era of ‘billionaire presidents of power’ to occupy the throne of domestic and globalist influence.
In this macho world of ‘he who has the money controls the politics’ it looks like Musk will come out at the top of the pyramid and Trump will slot in behind him.
We know that banks, corporations and intelligence services actually run the modern world’s daily affairs, but now we have sheer individual wealth and prestige claiming their own unique powers of intervention on the world stage.
One entrepreneurial billionaire applauds another such determined billionaire in a game of mutual back slapping. George Soros, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are among another clique from the same stable.
So Trump gives Musk the priviledge of intervening in the affairs of State; possibly even setting the agenda in some areas. And Musk hails triumphant Trump by pouring money into his political fighting funds.
None of this has anything to do with merit, you understand. Unless making a financial killing is considered meritorious in its own right. Something that seems to have become an integral part of ‘The American Dream’.
Musk’s Tesla electric car business is seemingly not favoured by Trump. The supposedly liberal philosophy behind the ‘X’ social media operation also does not go down well.
We don’t know what the EMF microwaving satellite spy in the sky extravaganza is thought of by Trump – nor Musk’s ‘smart’ (arsed) AI agenda. But he does not seem to have his hopes pinned on the cyborgian transhuman future which Musk has in mind for us.
However, one can be pretty sure that Trump admires Musk quite simply because he’s the richest man in the world. And that sort of admiration leads to the complete abandonment of sobriety.
Wealth is mesmerising. Extreme wealth is intoxicating. And because most of mankind is equally mesmerized by these beasts of Mammon, they find a ready audience wherever they go, whatever they do and say.
They worship themselves, each other and their deeply ingrained illusions of power; and this gives them an aura of invincibility in the eyes of billions of aspiring materialists who see grandiose pomposity as the very pinnacle of ‘success’.
The dominance of a politically motivated billionaire elite goes beyond globalism, as we know it today. It belongs to the realm of ‘self congratulating’ dictatorship and despotism.
It is a return to the age when physical strength dominated tribal life – except that now the tool of domination is not a powerful physique but vast individual wealth.
Collective attainment of such wealth has been spearheaded by transnational and multinational corporations over the past few decades. This form of wealth gathering requires a degree of team work and shared financial management.
But the individual despot likes to go it alone – and nobody, or almost nobody, tries to stop him. Because if one’s life goals are essentially materialistic, somewhere inside one harbours the same dream as the despot.
So here we are.
Many today long to see – and to feel respect for – some genuine leadership qualities in those who strut the world stage. So they imbue these actors with qualities they do not possess, because the psychological need to feel protected and cared for by some father figure is a dominant emotional condition, particularly in times of great uncertainty.
Some may argue that such elite figureheads represent resistance to a quasi governmental and corporate take over. A brake against the deep state architects of control establishing their cybernetic New World Order.
But this theory fails to hold water, since the individual despots operate entirely within the parameters of the status quo. They do not stand for a revolutionary change of attitude and redirected goal of life that constitutes the only way the broad swathe of humanity can find liberation and emancipation. They simply rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Thus, once again, we come face to face with an indisputable truth. The true values upon which to build a community, society, nation and world – are not materialistic in nature, but are spiritual.
As long as ‘leaders’ flaunt their financial vanities and pretend to offer alternatives to the blue pill Matrix, the world, and all its life forms, will continue to slide into an irrevocable state of oblivion.
As long as those in power use psychic and financial exploitation to cause others to suffer inferiority complexes and feelings of being lesser human beings – as long as this form of inequality prevails as the norm – then we cannot hope for the grand redistribution of wealth and social status that is the only way to set the world on its true path of socioeconomic and spiritual emancipation.
While the speculation and second guessing of what will next emerge along the linear pathway of political subterfuge rages on – the real work of humanity is consigned to the shadows, smothered, fractured – and barely visible amongst the superficial ebb and flow of various shades of criminality.
I prefer to view this exhibition of Muskian type megalomania as the last hurrah of a dying era. The final burst of individual two dimensional tunnel vision power compulsion.
Serious people, with their eyes set on both personal and collective transformation, recognise that the change which is most deeply longed for is is the realisation of our highest body, mind and spirit aspirations. A route that frees one from the constant tug of the ego and the seductive allure of narcissism.
This is the way of truth which stands in stark contrast with the battle of the egos that rages on the world stage.
Just because someone is in possession of a large amount of money does not mean he/she has something useful to say. In fact it generally means the opposite.
The kind of attention to overt materialism required to elevate someone into the category of billionaire is proportionate to the lack of wisdom such a person exhibits. How else could it be?
Unless and until spiritual and humanitarian values are nurtured into having a leading role in our daily lives, no genuine life improvements can take place.
Yet the majority of ‘educated’ people still strain their ears to catch every last word of purposeful deception spewed out into an already over polluted mass media market place by the Musks, Trumps and Gates’s of this world. While completely ignoring outstanding words of wisdom that bring clarity and sanity into meaningful focus.
Here’s a pearl of such wisdom to hold onto at a time when the bombastic and belligerent kings of spin crowd out the courageous purveyors of truth:
“Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary reduction of wants” Mahatma Gandhi
Julian Rose is an early pioneer of UK organic farming, a writer, broadcaster and international activist. He is author of the acclaimed title ‘Overcoming the Robotic Mind’ and other works.
Do visit his website www.julianrose.info
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 16, 2024 | Media Partners, Stratcann
This week at StratCann, we covered the most recent report from Israel regarding allegations of “product dumping” from Canadian cannabis producers (more on this next week).
We also looked into the recent micro licence issued by the Kahnawà:ke Cannabis Control Board, the second cannabis production licence the KCCB has issued in coordination with Health Canada.
A clinical psychologist says he has concerns with a recent cannabis marketing campaign from the NSLC, and Tilray’s Aphria RX facility launched its first German-grown cannabis.
The BC Government is looking to seize two properties they say are connected to cannabis trafficking, and a law firm alleges that the SQDC broke provincial rules with its “rotating” SKU pricing.
In our profile series, we featured Todd Veri from Cedar Bug Farms in BC and his life mission to grow the most affordable cannabis in Canada.
It was another busy week in Canadian cannabis finance news, with Cronos, Rubicon Organics, Medipharm Labs, and Avicanna releasing their Q3 2024 reports and the SQDC releasing their Q2 2024 report. Also, Delta 9 has selected a bid from its SISP process, still to be approved by the court on November 15 (results pending).
In law enforcement news, police in Ajax, ON, are searching for three suspects in a cannabis store arson, while an assault with a knife led to two arrests and a raid at an unlicensed cannabis store in Nova Scotia.
Police in Calgary arrested a man who was wanted in connection with several cannabis store robberies earlier this year, while police in Kingston, Ontario raided an unlicensed store, and CBSA authorities seized 40 kg of cannabis on its way to the UK. Police in Quebec made arrests in connection to illicit cannabis.
In other cannabis news
Willow Biosciences Inc. announced that it has advanced work on its proprietary yeast strain for production of THC and plans to commercially launch in the Canadian market.
Radio Canada is reminding people to be wary of cannabis poisoning incidents with their pets, especially dags. D’ya like dags?
City News says more Canadians are aware cannabis can impair driving abilities but notes many still do it.
Dave Berry, the Executive VP at AGLC, spoke with local media about the agency’s new Forget Bad Bud campaign.
The University of Prince Edward Island profiled entrepreneur Sarra Jayasinghe, who owns Ricci Cannabis, which produces cannabis-infused and non-alcoholic wine beverages.
The Journal at Queen’s University says cannabis consumers feel like second-class citizens in a culture awash in overconsumption of booze.
Organigram CEO Beena Goldenberg has once again penned an article on the challenges the company faces with regulations and taxes.
The Honourable Lorne Kusugak is now the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission and the Minister responsible for the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Board.
The Kahnawá:ke Cannabis Control Board (KCCB) will be conducting in-person consultations with residents living in close proximity to recently proposed cannabis store locations.
International cannabis news
Conservatives in Germany say they would reverse legalization. “We don’t want to smoke pot, we want safety and order,” said Tino Sorge, a health policy spokesman for the German center-right CDU/CSU group, whose party has pledged to overturn the legalization of cannabis if they win power in February’s election.
Italy’s flourishing “cannabis light” (hemp) industry risks being uprooted this year when Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni intends to push a bill through parliament to ban any product deriving from the hemp flower. While cannabis production is illegal in Italy, parliament eight years ago authorized trade in hemp.
Within days of seizing 170 pounds of cannabis destined for the United Kingdom, US Customs and Border Protection officers seized 343 more pounds of UK-bound cannabis at an international shipping service facility in Delaware County, PA.
And finally, The American Journal of Public Health published a report on US state recreational and medical cannabis delivery laws.
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 15, 2024 | Media Partners, Stratcann
The Sûreté du Québec’s Cannabis Smuggling Investigation Service, in collaboration with the Québec City Police Department, conducted searches on the morning Thursday, November 14 in connection with illicit cannabis and other substances.
The operation, say police, sought to dismantle a criminal organization engaged in the production, distribution and sale of illicit cannabis and other substances in the Portneuf region between Quebec City and Trois-Rivières.
Police arrested four, two women aged 26 and 32 and two men, both aged 32 in the course of four searches of two residences located in Donnacona and Cap-Santé, a business located in Portneuf, a storage facility located in Donnacona, and a vehicle.
The operation involved around thirty police officers, including investigators, SIJ technicians and dog handlers from the Sûreté du Québec.
The ACCES Cannabis program (Actions Concertées pour Contrer les Économies Souterraines) is a provincial initiative set up in 2018 by the Ministry of Public Security, to combat illicit cannabis operations.
Earlier this month, police in Quebec arrested six and seized a large quantity of cannabis in connection with what they say was a hash processing facility.
Related Articles
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 15, 2024 | Media Partners, Stratcann
A law firm in Quebec has modified an application for a class action suit against the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) relating to how the provincial cannabis retailer priced their products.
On November 15, 2024, lawyers at Groupe SGF amended an application for authorization to include what they say is a claim that the SQDC admitted they sold “rotating” SKUs at a lower price than regular SKUs, potentially violating provincial cannabis rules.
Groupe SGF first filed a class action suit against the SQDC earlier this year on behalf of the plaintiff, Gabriel Bélanger, alleging the provincial cannabis agency does not comply with the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). In that case, Bélanger argues that the SQDC forces people to make “blind purchases” of cannabis products listed on their website.
In a press release last May, the SQDC said it was taking the time to look into the issue properly but noted that its initial comment was that it disagreed with the applicant’s claims and intended to contest the application.
Lawyers at Groupe SGF say they believe that the class action is now open to all cannabis consumers who purchased so-called “Non-Rotating” products from the SQDC, whether online or in-store. Groupe SGF says this would have meant consumers paid a higher price for the same product than if it had been put in a product with a variety displayed as “in rotation”.
The lawyers for the plaintiff, Mr. Gabriel Bélanger, believe that all of this is in violation of the prohibition on providing a discount to the consumer on the price of cannabis as per Quebec’s Cannabis Regulation Act.
This amendment may still require approval by the Court, notes Bélanger’s lawyers, who believe that at this stage, such a request should be granted. If not granted, they say they will file a new class action.
The original class action includes anyone who has purchased cannabis in the “dried flower” and “pre-rolled” categories for which the strain displayed on the SQDC website has been “strain rotating” since October 17, 2018.
A media representative for SQDC tells StratCann that the agency will take the time to review those allegations.
“However, we remain confident that we comply fully with the law and that we respect our customers’ interests,” the representative added in an email.
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 15, 2024 | Media Partners, The New Agora
Shills, Liars & Freaks – The reasons why
By Sherry Swiney
In the beginning was the Word. So powerful is this statement the dark side does not want humans to recognize the power in words. Words are frequencies that come from our thoughts, feelings, and deeds. The power behind those frequencies is provoked by intention.
Please keep that in mind as you read this article about shills, liars and freaks, and the reasons why these occur in humanity.
As mentioned several times WE ARE IN A GAME. To quote from a previous blog written in 2021; “The people on the ground, aka the ground crew, are wiser and smarter than those who are at the top, leading the show. We don’t need them. They need us. This is a real problem for the leaders.”
You can find more writing about this Game here https://keyholejourney.wordpress.com//?s=Game&search=Go
Indeed we do have a predator in our midst that wants to render us docile, but far from docile are those who recognize the Game being played. How do they make you docile? You get traumatized when you first arrive on Earth. See We came in strong – what happened?
Bottom line: we were traumatized from birth. The map below shows the frequency level for each emotion. If you read across the top you will see the frequency level (energetic log), as well as other categories said frequency demonstrates itself. The goal here is for everyone to raise their frequency from Shame (20 Hz) to a minimum of Courage (200 Hz). Frequency is the number of complete waves passing per unit of time. It is measured in Hertz (Hz), the number per second.
Remember, when we call others names, good or bad, we are seeing in them something we like or do not like in ourselves. Whether we know it or not, it’s a reflection thing like a mirror. If, in your view, someone does something wrong, that’s not the time to call them names. It does not accomplish anything useful. Instead, that’s the time to sit them down and tell them what they did that you perceive as wrong. Allow them to either admit it was wrong or to explain why they did the “dirty deed”.
We never know the whole story.
This is not to say giving everyone the benefit of the doubt is always the best way especially if that will result in you becoming a door mat. Don’t do that. Becoming a door mat is a result of your own low self-esteem. You should examine that yourself or get help with such a discovery.
However, giving a person this benefit first, questioning why they did the thing may result in an explanation for which you had not considered. What if the thing turns out not to be wrong? What if the explanation brings you to a different conclusion about the thing that makes you grow in awareness? What if the explanation reveals the person is in turmoil from some kind of pain? And what if you can help them get through it?
There are many reasons people do the things they do. I would say that most of it comes from being abused and traumatized from childhood. Often we will see an adult acting like a child. I learned why that happens from my own experience as I was in the healing process from being attacked by the dark side. I learned the psyche gets stuck at the age in which the trauma happened. Since most traumatizations happen in childhood, no wonder people revert back when triggered!
Reminder: we are in a movie – a Game – that I’ve been mentioning for a long time. Readers who have been with me since the mid 1990’s may recall “The Game” mentioned several times.
The last thing I want is for people to be fooled. This is why I read, watch and listen to all sides of a coin and as Patrick often said, there are more than two sides to a coin.
Make America Healthy Again push:
Now, don’t take me wrong. I am thrilled that RFK, Jr. and team have contacted some straight up farmers, like Joel Salatin (fast forward to 1:28:56), who knows how to do regenerative farming as well as the financial side of things. I am thrilled there’s a potential for Americans to be Healthy Again. It will be wonderful IF that all happens for all Americans. Hopefully, this idea will spread across the world. When all of us are healthy, our collective minds will be sharper and we will be able to see more clearly what’s happening. We will be less-likely to be fooled any more.
Since the (s) election results, it appears the people in America have been invited to nominate people for different jobs in the Trump administration on the Make America Healthy Again campaign. If interested, check this out here: https://nominees.mahanow.org/. I learned this from a substack post by Sasha Latypova. For those who don’t know, Sasha blew the whistle on military involvement with the Covid vaccine. You may read her substack here: https://substack.com/@sashalatypova
Unfortunately, I have not found such a website for people to nominate candidates for Trump’s 2024 cabinet and other positions. If you know of one, please let everyone know in the comments.
The health of our population is very important because being healthy in body leads to being healthy in mind and soul. Such will often enough cause one to decide to look for the root cause of their uneasiness. They begin searching for remedies other than big pharma. They often search for an emotional reason which is always a great idea. In that process, they may learn how traumatized they were most of their life.
Our State of the Nation appears to be a mix of upcoming chaos by the Democrat side and progress/confusion on the Republican side.
We must stay on our toes, realizing that we need to keep both Trump and RFK, Jr. and their feet to the fire.
As Americans who want peace, freedom and good health in our world, we need to stay on our toes as well. We cannot allow the predator to render us docile again.
We are fighting a spiritual war and that is not a meaningless statement. It means the spirits on Earth and not on Earth are in a battle for survival. Some of us know how the energetics works, and some of us don’t. I would say that the non-humans know more about it than we do. In the spiritual realm, there are no places except the places created by the spirits within that realm. We do the same thing here on Earth but we mostly do it unconsciously. That’s why it is possible for humans to be played so easily. The dark side relies on its knowledge of humans being traumatized and they use it so we destroy ourselves.
Most of us have no idea who we are. It is important we heal all wounds deep within and when we do that, we return to honoring that important aspect of Self. We regain our natural powers in this Universe to heal ourselves and others from the inside out.
Else we will just get played again by more Shills, Liars & Freaks. Could we not do that this time, please? Our emotions are the turning key. Hive Mind not Allowed, okay? 
Namaste,
Sherry
Please visit my website: https://www.keyholejourney.com
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 15, 2024 | Cannabis News Wire, Media Partners
With recent shifts in political power, many are questioning if a Republican-led government might better support cannabis reform than one led by Democrats. As former President Donald Trump returns to the White House and Republicans take control of the Senate, the $32 billion U.S. cannabis industry stands at a crucial point, uncertain about the future of legalization.
The recent elections delivered three defeats for state-level adult-use cannabis legalization. This shift may signal a transition from state-driven legalization efforts toward a more federal approach in Washington, D.C.
Advocates and lobbyists now face the challenge of uniting and presenting a cohesive message to persuade conservative legislators to support reform on a federal level. David Culver, director of government affairs at the U.S. Marijuana Council, noted that while the results were disappointing, there are still potential opportunities to make progress next year.
While Trump’s support for states’ cannabis legalization and Biden’s marijuana rescheduling initiative offer a glimmer of hope, obstacles remain, especially with conservative resistance.
In contrast to recreational marijuana, medical marijuana initiatives are still gaining ground in some states. For example, Nebraska voters decisively supported medical cannabis, although a pending court case may impact the final outcome.
However, the path for recreational use has not been as favorable. In Florida, voters rejected a highly-funded adult-use measure, supported by the cannabis industry, with the opposition led by GOP Governor Ron DeSantis. Similarly, voters in both North and South Dakota turned down industry-backed proposals for adult-use legalization.
These recent defeats raise critical questions about whether marijuana reform campaigns can return to these states and if the industry will be able to fund future campaigns following such costly setbacks.
The current political landscape suggests that federal reform will become the next major focus for cannabis advocates. Republicans are expected to take control of the White House and perhaps both houses of Congress by January. Marijuana policy will probably be neglected until important decisions are made, such as choosing the next U.S. Attorney General or the DEA chief.
Some cultural concerns have also complicated progress for marijuana reform. According to the co-executive director of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Reform co-executive, Shanita Penny, conservative lawmakers have raised issues about the widespread public use of marijuana in D.C., with some expressing frustration about cannabis smells outdoors. Florida voters also echoed similar concerns, which may have influenced their opposition to the recent ballot measure.
The division within the broader cannabis industry itself is another factor slowing down reform efforts. Disagreements between regulated cannabis businesses and hemp operators continue to muddy the industry’s message. A debate has emerged over the “Farm Bill loophole,” which some cannabis advocates wish to close to restrict certain hemp-derived THC products.
Firms like Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF) will be watching to see how the changes on Capitol Hill impact the rate at which marijuana policy changes are introduced, discussed and possibly implemented.
About CNW420
CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of an article each business day at 4:20 p.m. Eastern – a tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. The concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.
To receive SMS alerts from CNW, text CANNABIS to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information, please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
CannabisNewsWire
Denver, CO
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com
CannabisNewsWire is powered by IBN
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 15, 2024 | Media Partners, Stratcann
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) found approximately 40 kilograms of cannabis concealed inside the luggage of a man scheduled to fly to London, UK, on October 21.
The man, 21-year-old Zubir Mahida, arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport with a scheduled departure flight for the UK. An outbound baggage examination by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) located the approximately 40 kilograms of cannabis concealed inside his luggage.
According to police, the approximate street value of the cannabis that was seized is $120,000, and the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.
Zubir Mahida appeared for a hearing and was released on an undertaking to appear in Brampton court on November 28, 2024.
“Reducing the flow of inbound and outbound cannabis is a priority of RCMP Toronto Airport Detachment. Cannabis is decriminalized in Canada but it is illegal to carry any amount of cannabis on international flights and amounts exceeding personal use on domestic flights,” said Inspector John McMath, Officer in Charge, RCMP Toronto Airport Detachment. “This case highlights the fact that if a passenger chooses to smuggle cannabis, serious criminal drug smuggling charges will apply.”
“Although cannabis has been legalized and regulated in Canada, it remains illegal to bring it into or take it out of the country,” added Lisa Janes, Regional Director General, Canada Border Services Agency, Greater Toronto Area Region. The CBSA is dedicated to stopping the illegitimate flow of cannabis into and out of Canada, and we are proud to continue working with the RCMP and other law enforcement partners supporting their efforts in criminal investigations and prosecutions.”
Such seizures are not uncommon. The CBSA reports seizing more than 23,553,038 grams of cannabis products in fiscal year 2023-2024 and 126,210 grams of hash.
Earlier this year, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) seized 140 pounds of cannabis at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, destined for the UK. In January, the CBSA intercepted 310 kg of cannabis in a container exported from Canada to the UK at Montréal Marine and Rail Services.
In September, four Canadians were caught trying to bring cannabis into the UK.
The UK has seen a marked increase in seizures of cannabis from countries like Canada, the US, and Thailand in the last few years.
More than half of those arrested in 2023 (71) had flown in from US airports, while 24 came from Canada and another 24 from Thailand. Around half of all arrests (184) so far in 2024 related to cannabis that originated in Thailand, while 75 arrests related to cannabis originating from Canada and 47 to cannabis from the US.
Featured image from a seizure of Canadian cannabis in the UK earlier this year.
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 15, 2024 | Media Partners, Stratcann
Police in Kingston, Ontario, executed a search warrant at an unlicensed cannabis store on November 13, 2024, seizing a large quantity of cannabis products and arresting one person.
Kingston Police Special Services Unit say they first learned of an unlicensed cannabis store operating in the downtown core distributing illicit cannabis-based products in early November 2024.
A formal investigation was launched into the location near the intersection of Queen Street and Division Street. Investigators applied to a Justice of the Peace for a search warrant under the Cannabis Act, which was granted and subsequently executed on November 13, 2024.
Upon execution of the search warrant, police located numerous ‘point of sale’ devices, advertising signage, unstamped tobacco products and several cannabis-based products.
In total, investigators seized the following:
- 5254 grams of pre-rolled cannabis “Joints”
- 7582 grams of cannabis-infused edible gummies
- 4058 pre-packaged cannabis flower
- 1041 unstamped tobacco products
The total street value of the items seized is $170,000.
A 21-year-old Kingston resident was charged with Possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling it and Possession for use in production or distribution of illicit cannabis under the Cannabis Control Act. The accused is scheduled to appear in court on a later date.
by Grow Up Conference | Nov 15, 2024 | Media Partners, Stratcann
The BC Government filed a civil lawsuit in the BC Supreme Court on November 12 against a Kelowna business they say was purchased with and operating as a money laundering operation for drug trafficking, primarily cannabis.
The government is seeking to seize two properties connected to the business it says are connected to finds from illegal drug trafficking.
The province’s director of civil forfeiture says All Out Customs & Collision Ltd. in Kelowna is a front operation that does not conduct any legitimate business.
Police raided the business in December 2023, following an investigation that began in February of the same year. Police seized 8.2 kilograms of cannabis and about three kilograms of cannabis oil, as well as a smaller amount of cocaine, MDMA and psilocybin mushrooms. Police also seized $17,000 in cash. The owner of the business and the two properties the province seeks to seize, Richard Kelly Madore, was arrested at the time.
Madore has a previous cannabis-related arrest from 2012, when he was found on a logging road with $100,000 in cash and 20 kilograms of cannabis. Those charges were later downgraded to possession, a conditional sentence, and a fine, but police contend he is a “high-level” cannabis trafficker.
The BC Civil Forfeiture Office contends that one of the properties it wants to seize, Madore’s home, was purchased with the proceeds of crime, along with his All Out Customs business and property.
Last year, the BC government passed the Civil Forfeiture Amendment Act, 2023, giving it the power to begin legal proceedings against property connected to illegal cannabis grow operations. The government had pursued such cases prior to the passage of the 2023 law, as well. BC’s civil forfeiture program was created in 2006 and has come under criticism from civil liberties groups.
In December 2023, the BC Supreme Court put a pause on the province’s efforts to seize $12 million in properties connected to illegal cannabis and psilocybin dispensaries.
In May 2024, The BC Civil Forfeiture Office began civil forfeiture proceedings against two properties following investigations into the sale and distribution of illicit cannabis by a company operating in Surrey, BC.
The investigations by Surrey RCMP into the illicit sales and distribution of cannabis took place from April 2020 to February 2022. The two properties are located in Maple Ridge and Mission
The BC government filed its fourth unexplained wealth order (UWO) application in September 2024, seeking to seize $5.6 million worth of properties connected to what police say was a large, illegal cannabis production and distribution business.
h/t Castanet
Recent Comments