(Globe Newswire) Toronto – Tilray Brands, Inc., a leading global lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, celebrates six years of cannabis legalization in Canada, marking its continued leadership as the #1 cannabis producer in the country.
Blair MacNeil, president of Tilray Canada, said, “Our success over the past six years is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our consumers and delivering exceptional products that cater to their needs. As the cannabis market continues to evolve, Tilray remains at the forefront of innovation, driving growth and setting the standards for excellence in the global industry.”
In Canada, Tilray continues to lead the Canadian cannabis market, holding the top position across major provinces nationally, including British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, combined.
With the strategic acquisitions of HEXO and Truss Beverage Co., Tilray strengthened its cannabis portfolio with a diverse range of products across the adult-use and medical markets.
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Tilray grew its brand and product portfolio in Canada with key innovative launches across cannabis beverages and edibles, topicals, flower, pre-rolls, and concentrates:
Broken Coast is an award-winning cannabis brand that is widely recognized as a pioneer in the craft cannabis industry in Canada. The brand is known for raising the standard for premium cannabisproducts, and their new 1g blunts are a testament to their commitment to innovation and quality. In addition to their new blunts, Broken Coast offers a range of premium craft cannabisflower products that are meticulously cultivated to ensure the highest quality and potency. Their multi-pack pre-rolls are also a fan-favorite, featuring popular strains such as Milk & Cookies and their latest release, Platinum Pavé. With a focus on excellence and innovation, Broken Coast continues to be a leading brand in the Canadian cannabis market.
Good Supply, a top cannabis brand in Canada, has become a favourite among consumers and budtenders alike. The brand is known for offering classic formats and well-known strains, as well as putting a new spin on familiar products, including the revolutionary Twisted Vapes – the brand’s dual chamber vape that offers three flavour experiences. Good Supply’s latest addition to its fruit-forward Juiced™ collection, “Juiced Xtreme,” is a full spectrum resin-infused pre-roll that promises an intense experience and 50% THC. The brand is also launching a new line of 2g Vapes that are so nice you’ll hit them twice, offering more flavour and more cannabinoids in a vape twice the leading size, available in two flavours – the fan-favourite Purple Monkey, and new, delicious Peach Bum. With these new offerings, Good Supply continues to push for innovation and meet the evolving needs of its customers in approachable, affordable ways.
Redecan a brand specializing in cultivating unique, top-quality flower using meticulous growing practices to deliver a superior product. Their fresh, high-quality flower selection includes popular strains such as Animal RNTZ, Space Age Cake, and Purple Churro, as well as their new Bluntees line. Redecan is also known for their signature THC oils, capsules, and signature Redees pre-rolls, now available in their Hemp’d edition. With a focus on quality and innovation, Redecan is a trusted name in the Canadian cannabisindustry.
Solei is a premier cannabis wellness and lifestyle brand that offers thoughtfully designed products for curating sensorial experiences tailored to your needs and preferences. Their roll-on CBD and THC-infused topicals are perfect for targeted wellness routines, while their two new Sparkling Beverages flavors – Dark Cherry (a 2:1 blend of CBD and THC) and Blood Orange (a 2:1 blend of CBG and THC) – provide refreshing and enjoyable options for cannabisconsumers. Solei is dedicated to empowering individuals to take control of their wellness journeys and experience cannabis in alternative ways that work for them.
Chowie Wowie is a cannabis edibles brand that believes that edibles should be more than just a way to consume cannabis – they should also be fun, safe, easy to share, and delicious. The brand offers a range of tasty and consistent products that are perfect for any occasion, including their newest launches featuring classic flavours of Peanut Butter and Cookies & Cream balanced chocolate bars. With a focus on taste and quality, Chowie Wowie is committed to delivering a delicious and enjoyable cannabisexperience for all.
XMG is a top cannabis beverage brand in Canada, providing cannabis enthusiasts with a variety of bold and exciting THC drinks. The brand’s XMG+ line features a powerful CBD and CBG infusion with exciting flavours like Iced Rocket Berry, Banana Brain Freeze, Blackberry Lemonade, Lemon Iced Tea, Tropical Cream Float, and Paradise Treat. XMG has also expanded with a new line extension under the XMG Zero collection, featuring classic soda flavors without the sugar in flavours such as Cherry Cola, Cream Soda, and Orange Soda, all infused with THC for a unique and refreshing experience. With its commitment to innovation and taste, XMG continues to be a leading brand in the cannabis beverage market.
Mollo offers a collection of refreshing cannabis-infused drinks designed to deliver crisp and delicious flavours that are reminiscent of popular craft brews and lager profiles. Mollo has recently expanded its product line with the first-ever THC and CBD Seltzers, featuring a variety of citrus and fruity flavours, including lemon, mango, pineapple, and blackberry. With a focus on taste and quality, Mollo is dedicated to providing a unique and enjoyable cannabis drinking experience for all. As a result, the brand has easily become a fan favorite in the cannabis beverage market.
As Tilray Brands celebrates another milestone year, the company remains committed to leading the industry through innovation, quality, and consumer focus experiences, shaping the future of cannabis in Canada and beyond.
Research has shown that psychedelics may be useful in the treatment of various mental-health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Now new methods of cultivation are making hallucinogenic mushrooms stronger, with their effects being felt by users faster and lasting longer.
Julian Mattucci, commonly referred to as God Emperor Myco, recently revealed that he had tried about 1.5g of Psilocybe subtropicalis mushrooms. This dosage, which is considerably lower than the amount normally required to have a significant trip, was potent enough to have him lying in bed for three to four hours. Mattucci later tested the mushrooms, discovering that a single batch contained nearly 5% psychedelic alkaloids. This was surprising, especially since mushrooms in the Psilocybe genus only contain 1% of these psychoactive alkaloids. Other species, including Psilocybe azurescens, are usually stronger, with some varieties in the Panaeolus genus being even stronger.
By using imperfect techniques, hobbyist cultivators have been able to heavily inbreed commonly consumed mushrooms such as Psilocybe Cubensis mushrooms over the years. The first spore prints of this particular mushroom were first brought to the United States from the Amazon by the McKenna brothers in the 1970s.
The founder of the Center for Mycological Analytics, Ian Bollinger, argues that Mount Everest has the strongest potency.
With mushroom cultivation becoming somewhat professional, mycologists are using informed practices to breed the plants, helping improve their potency and enhancing their genetic integrity. Genetic sequencing is playing a significant role in breeding these mushrooms, with tech advancements also allowing cells to be manipulated more easily during breeding.
Mushrooms of the Panaeolus genus are being explored as part of this growing trend, with some mushrooms of this type being more potent naturally than those in other families. Matucci expects that through cultivation, the potency of mushrooms under this genus will increase four-fold.
One ecologist, Sam Gandy, believes that patients with gastrointestinal issues who may find it hard to ingest psilocybin mushrooms may benefit from these mushroom cultivars, however. While this is a plus, the growing availability of potent mushrooms may cause individuals to accidentally consume more than they had wanted to, heightening the risk of distressing trips.
It doesn’t help that safe dosing instructions are lacking, which makes it harder for individuals to gauge what they will need for a trip. Overall, consumers may benefit from doing their own research on the mushrooms, even talking to experts when possible, prior to undergoing a psychedelic trip.
The uncertainties surrounding the psychedelic mushrooms grown in nonmedical settings make a strong case for the work that different companies, such as Seelos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL), are doing to develop standardized medicines from these substances so that patients in need can access therapeutics overseen by competent regulatory bodies, including the FDA.
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Who we are and what we do reflect our life experiences; our actions directly impact everything around us. Unfortunately, as we have grown as a culture, many have favored a lifestyle harmful to Mother Nature. This way of life has led to deforestation to make way for parking lots, skyscrapers, strip malls, fast food drive-throughs, and more. There was a time when forests, meadows, and grass plains dominated the land. But today, many of the oldest trees have fallen to the sawmill. Science is discovering a wealth of information showing that the world cannot function without vast forests.
Trees and Water
Research proves that major forests are the water pumps controlling the Earth’s weather patterns. For example, the Amazon rainforest and the towering trees in British Columbia, Canada, were grown over time to capture carbon and transform it into hydrogen, oxygen, terpenes, beneficial bacteria, and more to balance our atmosphere. Rainwater collects in the layers of carbon-rich humus; the trees and plants drink this water and pump any extra into the atmosphere, cooling our planet through beneficial synergy.
Trees and Cloud Formation
Evidence shows that clouds depend on what the forest releases to form. Rain is believed to be linked to forests hundreds of miles away! Trees help transport certain types of heavier water and bacteria over long distances. Some of these bacteria are being considered catalysts for cloud formation.
Trees and Outer Space
Forests can even impact what happens in outer space. A pulse in the forest’s plants and trees plays a role in our electromagnetic conductivity as a planet. The moons, planets, stars, and galaxies affect the forest itself. There is a harmony in the greater whole of Nature that is fascinating. To observe and understand the cycles of Nature is to understand the actual order of the universe and our place within it.
Our Planet is Hurting
The fragmenting and dismantling of Nature has had a devastating impact on our environment. A walk from a hot parking lot to a canopy of shade in a natural forest will show the drastic difference in the climates trees and pavement provide. Trees are the cooling fins of the Earth, providing balance in the ecosystem, food, shelter, medicine, and more. The forests do so much for our universe, yet modern humanity disregards them.
Humanity is responsible for removing 80% of the original forest, modifying more than 50% of dry land, and creating Massive Islands of plastic in the oceans. Humans have had an enormous impact on this Earth due to unsustainable farming practices, herbicides, deforestation, over-consumption, and general disrespect.
Turning The Page
Our actions impact our surroundings, so what can we do as humans to help reverse the damage? Plant some trees, of course. Planting initiatives can immediately positively impact local ecosystems. Some people even plant entire forests by themselves. One man named Jadav “Molai” Payeng took it upon himself to transform his island in India into an oasis by planting at least one tree daily!
One of the leading reforestation names to emerge recently is the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive’s Dave Milarch. Moved by a near-death, out-of-body experience, he made an “ark” of ancient tree genetics from the oldest and largest trees left on the planet to maintain and spread those ancient genes. The idea is to propagate as many champion trees as possible because they contain the DNA memory needed to make it through thousands of years of climate change. There is a dire need to change humanity’s current industrial course, and planting trees seems to be at the root of a positive change.
To date, Milarch and the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive have propagated thousands of trees and do not plan to stop anytime soon. Through tissue culture, cloning, and seed propagation, the team plans to soon have over 20,000 new sequoia and redwood trees rooted and ready to be planted.
A Greener Future
We are the stewards of the future. Our thoughts manifest into action, so we must regard the present and future by observing the past. Having some foresight is crucial. So find some seeds, acorns, or nuts, select a safe spot, and plant some trees!
I can tell you how rewarding it is to plant trees with your family. The feeling of tranquillity as you walk through your home-grown forest is beyond measure. You feel a connection with Nature that many never get to experience. Mother Earth gives us every day to live; from food, water, shelter, medicine, and everything else she does, it’s time to understand that it’s our turn to give back!
We all make daily choices, and those choices become a habit. So, let’s get into the habit of planting trees. If the future of the Earth depended on who you are and what you do, who would you be and what would you do?
Authorized cannabis stores in Ontario sold more than one billion dollars worth of cannabis in the first half of 2024.
This was 21% more cannabis by volume and 11.8% in dollars sold in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to new figures shared by the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS).
Total cannabis sales at legal, licensed stores in Canada’s most populated province totalled $1,029,614,280, from an array of 4,746 different SKUs. The average wholesale (not retail) price of cannabis sold in this time frame was $3.84 a gram, not including HST. This figure includes both dried flower and pre-rolls.
Ontario had 1,721 authorized retailers as of June 20, 2024, a 3% year-over-year increase. The number of stores increased in every part of Ontario except for Toronto, which lost 11 stores compared to the same period in 2023, a 3% year-over-year loss.
New store authorizations have slowed down considerably. There were 123 new stores “onboarded”* from January 1 to June 30, 2024, a 20% decrease from the first six months of 2023. There were also 80 stores offboarded from January 1 to June 30, 2024, a 13% decline from the number of stores that closed in the first six months of 2023.
Charts via OCS
*Onboarding is the process an authorized retailer and authorized cannabis store goes through to be able to access the OCS online B2B portal for wholesale orders.
The OCS distribution centre shipped 204,314,110 grams of cannabis (and its equivalent) to authorized stores over this period, an increase of 18.5% year-over-year.
The number of units of cannabis pre-rolls delivered to stores surpassed dried flower in early 2023, with that trend increasing in the first half of 2024. The OCS delivered 34,063 total deliveries in this time period, a 5% year-over-year increase, and delivered more than 50 million units.
Cannabis vapes remain the most common source of product complaints, with 71% of the 14,161 complaints relating to vapes, just 16% relating to dried flower products and 9% related to extracts.
The number of SKUs available through the OCS’s flow through program increased considerably in the first half of 2024, while the number of active SKUs stocked at the OCS distribution warehouse remained relatively consistent.
Total grams of cannabis sold in the first six months of 2024 were 190,527,442, a 21% increase from the 157,495,201 grams sold in the first six months of 2023. And while cannabis sales have appeared to cool off nationally in the past year, the OCS says the total value of legal cannabis sales in the first six months of 2024 was $1,029,614,280, an 11.8% increase compared to the $921,021,041 sold over the same period in 2023.
Dried flower still dominated retail sales, followed by pre-rolls, infused pre-rolls, and vapes. A new report available to OCS vendors says that 58% of consumers are looking for lower-potency cannabis products so they can have more control over their dose.
The average wholesale price per gram of pre-rolls in the first half of 2024 was $4.63, while a 3.5 gram SKU was $5.24 per gram. A 7 gram SKU was $3.56, a 14 gram was $3.66, and a 28 gram was $2.82.
While the OCS sets wholesale prices for cannabis in Ontario, retailers choose their own retail price. According to Headset, a cannabis data tracking company, the average price of cannabis at retail stores as of September 2024 was $9.39 in Ontario. This is slightly higher than BC, but lower than Alberta, says Headset. The average sale price for cannabis in Quebec in the three months ending June 22 was $5.84.
After waning considerably in the first few years of legalization, unlicensed cannabis stores are making a comeback in parts of Canada.
Canada’s approach to legalization in the first six years has primarily been to encourage those operating outside of the rules to find ways to transition to the legal side. Provinces, which are responsible for enforcing their own approaches to retail cannabis, have seen many who were previously operating in Canada’s illicit cannabis market pre-legalization choosing to close down rather than face enforcement.
Provincial approaches vary
In provinces like British Columbia, this was encouraged through a multi-year education campaign and encouraging compliance rather than shutting down stores on the first day of legalization. BC’s approach has been relatively successful, with many formerly “grey market” or otherwise illegal store owners now operating licensed stores. While an increasing number of stores operating on First Nations reserve lands in BC eschew provincial licensing, it’s very unlikely to come across an unlicensed store within BC’s cities.
Ontario, another province with a fair number of illegal shops in the run-up to legalization, took a heavy-handed law enforcement approach (see Project Claudia), but a somewhat more measured one after October 17, 2018. Bylaw officers are now often left to handle illegal stores in cities like Toronto, an approach that seems to have encouraged some more gutsy entrepreneurs to operate in the open again with seemingly little concern for or expectation of any kind of enforcement.
Unless you’re deeply invested in understanding the nuances of legal cannabis, a weed store looks like a weed store.
Image via Google Maps
New Brunswick has also reported a number of closures of unlicensed cannabis stores in the past few years, usually operating in and around its more urban areas. After the province passed new enforcement powers for bylaw officers earlier this year, several unlicensed stores were quickly closed down in recent months.
The complicated issue of enforcement
Other provinces have taken a more hardline approach to enforcing their retail regulations, with provinces from Alberta to Quebec to the Maritimes carrying on the historic lack of permissiveness around these types of stores before and after legalization.
Like other aspects of our evolving cannabis industry, StratCann has covered this issue extensively and from multiple angles. From in-depth interviews and exposés like our recent look at the robust online Mail Order Marijuana scene or our upcoming look at the return of illegal and unlicensed brick-and-mortar shops popping up in many major cities east of the Prairies to our documenting of law enforcement actions, we’re helping to draw a bigger picture of this complex and nuanced aspect of the overall cannabis industry.
The heart of this complicated issue is enforcement, or the lack thereof. Law enforcement officials in places like Toronto and Ottawa appear to be paying no heed to clearly unlawful businesses operating in the open, but the reasons why get murky when you scratch under the surface.
Some in law enforcement will describe how they don’t often pursue cannabis-related cases because courts usually don’t give them much attention. This means that with limited time and resources, police leadership will simply prioritize many of the other myriad issues that impact public safety.
Complexity of cross-jurisdictional support
Another issue is the complexity of enforcement and cross-jurisdictional support. Shutting down an illicit store is usually a game of whack-a-mole. Without targeting the owners and suppliers, the store will likely be open again, sometimes as soon as the same day. But taking the time to build a case that can connect all these dots in a way the courts will uphold is much more complex than just seizing products and possibly arresting employees present that day.
Personally, I was surprised to see how many illegal stores were operating in Ottawa on a recent visit. Operating on major streets, sometimes just a few minutes walk away from a provincially licensed store, one can see how many casual passersby would have little reason to think these are not legal shops. Unless you’re deeply invested in understanding the nuances of legal cannabis, a weed store looks like a weed store, especially when it’s operating on a major street in a major Canadian city, rather than out of a small shack on a rural road with hand-painted signs.
The OCS currently has a campaign to draw attention to this issue, although the method has drawn the ire of many in the industry who say what is really needed is enforcement.
But that brings us back to the political football, which is enforcement. Without the courts being able to distinguish between someone operating as part of a sophisticated, organized illicit supply chain and someone standing up for, say, the rights of medical users, law enforcement in a lot of cities and provinces seem like they will continue to let this new wave of illegal stores continue, unabated.
Sure, we might see the periodic superficial raid, but not the in-depth efforts needed to tackle cross-jurisdictional supply chains with deep pockets of not only money but also political connections.
Ever wonder just how much of your hard-earned dollars make it back to the grower when you pick up some weed at the store?
A group of BC-based cannabis businesses recently launched a campaign to draw attention to just how little cannabis growers receive for their cannabis amidst a complex supply chain.
While the general public may think the cannabis industry is awash in cash, the reality is much more dire, especially for small, craft growers who are not propped up by investor dollars.
As part of the campaign, the Alliance is sharing information with retailers and consumers on where the money consumers pay for cannabis actually ends up. Using a series of infographics that feature popular dried flower SKUs in the BC market, the organization breaks down how various levels of government receive a little over half of every dollar spent. In contrast, cannabis producers receive less than 20%.
Using one example produced by the Alliance, in a popular 28-gram package of cannabis sold in BC for about $82:
nearly $9 goes to sales tax
another $28 goes to the excise tax (75% of which goes to BC)
The BC LDB receives another six dollars as the distributor
This leaves about $15 for the producer out of the $82 the consumer spends, with that $15 often further divided between processor and grower.
Various cards highlighting different popular flower SKUs in BC will be shared with retailers in the coming weeks.
In addition, the Alliance is highlighting an additional fee charged by the BC government to use their Direct Delivery program, which allows some small BC growers to ship directly to retailers. This program was touted as a way to help small, craft growers and producers in BC, but the BC LDB has kept the 15% “proprietary fee” they charge to warehouse and distribute cannabis attached to these direct sales. This is despite the provincial cannabis distributor not actually handling or processing these direct sales in any way.
“The addition of this 15% markup to be paid to the government, despite them not ever handling the product at any point in the supply chain, is an example of the government saying one thing ‘to support small farms’ and doing the opposite,” says Alannah Davis, CEO of Dabble Farms, who is apart of the Alliance.
The organization has also created a petition to draw attention to this BC-specific issue, which calls for the BC LDB to drop its “Proprietary Fee” for Direct Delivery from 15% to 3.5% to help improve economic viability for all BC’s craft producers.
“BC is now home to some of Canada’s favourite cannabis brands, but excessive taxation means our best growers, processors, and retailers are struggling to get by,” says the organization’s website. “Between taxes, fees, and mark-ups, the government often takes the most while contributing the least. For BC’s most popular products, that take can be more than half.
We’re here to rally support for simple changes while helping policymakers create a more sustainable cannabis industry.”
“Sweat more during peace; bleed less during war.” ~Sun Tzu
Let’s face it, sometimes life kicks us square in the ass. Entropy will always be there, looming like a moth attracted to our fire. It will continue to smash itself against all the shields we erect. It will always outflank us. And even if it’s not a complete walloping, it can still throw us off course or send our carefully laid plans scattered in the whirlwind of unexpected change.
The solution is having the audacity and discipline to build a better human despite a world hellbent on remaining mediocre. In this case, it means building a better version of yourself. Which is likely to hurt—mind, body, and soul.
But, as Ovid said, “Someday this pain will be useful to you.” That day just happens to be today. Today is the day you transform that pain into something useful, into something that will make you resilient enough to roll with the kicks and punches of an indifferent universe.
If you truly want to stay ahead of the curve, then you must be capable of transforming pain into purpose.
As Rumi said, “The cure for the pain is in the pain.”
Pain is inevitable. It’s a part of life. Avoiding pain just causes more pain. Ignoring or repressing pain just causes unnecessary suffering. But if you’re able to learn from that pain, it can become a steppingstone rather than a setback. Seen in this way, pain can be an initiation into wisdom (a sacred wound), and a flourishing into Eudaimonia. Which can be quite pleasurable.
There are no shortcuts. Pain is the ultimate teacher. Learn from it. Let it shape you. Let it sharpen you into an instrument worthy of magnificence.
Transform pain into self-discipline. Channel it through daily practice. Reroute it into routine. Let the routine tear you down and build you back up again. Manifest resilience despite resistance.
Pain is merely kindling for a greater fire. Gather the kindling. Become your own crucible, your own dojo, your own whetstone. Practice death in favor of life. Practice life despite the inevitability of death.
As Kenshin said, “Those who cling to life die, and those who defy death live.”
Keep the cycle going. Iterate through the pain. Destroy your delusions. Break your own heart. Tear yourself down and then build yourself back up. This is how mettle is sharpened, how character is forged, how antifragility is carved out of fragility.
As Elias Canetti said, “I want to keep smashing myself until I am whole.”
Do you want to be resilient when the boot of fate comes down? Inflict yourself with discipline. Inflict yourself with truth. Inflict yourself with philosophy. Smash and build. Smash and build. Tear and heal. Tear and heal.
Think of the human soul (or character) like a muscle. When you go to the gym to work out your muscles, you tear them down to build them up. This tearing creates scar tissue that increases blood flow to the muscle and makes you stronger. Similarly, the human soul (or character) can be torn down and built back up. The soul becoming stronger is the idea behind antifragility and post traumatic growth.
Soul growth comes down to comfort zone expansion. Muscle growth is to the tearing of the muscle as soul growth is to the stretching of the comfort zone. The comfort zone is the idle muscle of the soul. Without flexing it, without tearing it, without working it out, there can be no expansion. Thus, there can be no growth, no strength, and no flexibility.
As Nassim Taleb said, “Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.”
But everyone must build their own antifragility. It can’t be given to you by someone else. It can only be earned by digging down deep and doing the damn thing! It’s not built on wishful thinking, or pie-in-the-sky delusion. It’s built on the molten rocks of your own personal hell. It’s forged in the inferno of your deepest darkest humanness. Each brick must be dragged through the blood, sweat, and tears of self-overcoming.
Cut by the lashings of a thousand-and-one lessons, you bleed and scar, bleed and scar. You become a walking wound made sacred through discipline, perseverance, and self-iteration. You drag your own cross through the desert and imagine yourself righteous. You push your own boulder up the hill and imagine yourself happy. You howl through the thousand-and-one manipulative indoctrinating voices. You skewer the Red Herring and cook it over the smoldering flame of your existential rage. You settle all bets by turning all tables, flipping all scripts, and pushing all envelopes. You crush out like Dionysus despite rigid Apollo.
As Nietzsche said, “Dionysus cut to pieces is a promise of life: it will be eternally reborn and return again from destruction.”
Because human flourishing doesn’t just happen. It takes hard work. It takes transformation. It takes perseverance. It takes rebirth. It takes molten mettle and mercurial moxie. Because before you can get better at anything you have to suck at it first. You must be willing to be the fool before you can withstand being the master. You must surrender to the Mystery before you can become mysterious.
This surrender is a great sacrifice. It’s a leap out of comfort and into discomfort. But it’s also a leap from banality into magic. It gives rise to the mythopoetic beast within. Suddenly you’re free to howl despite the muzzle. You’re free to dance despite fetters. You’re free to play despite seriousness.
As Bukowski said, “We are far too serious. We must learn to juggle our heavens and our hells. The game is playing us, we must play back.”
Getting your ass kicked by the universe is being played. Cultivate the courage to “play back.” When your fear has you in checkmate, the only solution is to flip the table. Be a game changer and reintroduce the Infinite Game. Incorporate shamanic agency. Render yourself a philosopher king. Flip the track like an existential Deejay. Mete out the Mecca. Dig deep into your Shadow for that Black Gold. Dare to kick ass right back. Juggle heaven and hell, love and loss, purpose and pain, life and death. Form infinity patterns in the sky.
Image source: Patrick Ennis
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 (Getting Your Ass Kicked by The Universe and What to Do About It) was originally created and published by Self-inflicted Philosophy and is printed here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Gary Z McGee and self-inflictedphilosophy.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this statement of copyright.
Nebraska’s top election official and the state’s chief prosecutor are raising concerns about the validity of most signatures gathered for two medical marijuana petitions set to appear on the ballot this November. Mike Hilgers, Nebraska’s attorney general, who filed a legal motion on behalf of Bob Evnen, secretary of state, stated that inquiries are still being conducted to determine whether the 49,000-plus confirmed signatures on these petitions are authentic.
With early voting already underway on whether to legalize or regulate medical cannabis, Evnen and Hilger are urging the court to verify the total number of valid signatures and potentially nullify the election results if enough legitimate signatures are not confirmed.
In response, Nebraskans for Medical Cannabis criticized the state’s policies, stating that it is alarming that the state is attempting to silence Nebraskans based on largely speculative legal issues.
The legal filing accuses petition circulators of fraud or other misconduct in 72 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. Hilgers’ office claims that three notaries acted as both circulator and notary on an unspecified number of petitions, while six others notarized documents without witnessing the signatures in person, as required.
A total of eight notaries have been accused of misconduct. If the signatures collected by these individuals are disqualified, it could potentially void about 49,000 signatures on both the legalization and regulatory petitions.
Additionally, four circulators are accused of fraudulent activities, though the filing doesn’t specify the exact nature of the fraud. In total, about 656 signatures on each petition are at risk of being disqualified due to alleged fraud.
Hilgers argued that the burden of proving the signatures’ validity should fall on the petition sponsors, stating that when fraud or misconduct is discovered, any associated signatures lose their presumption of validity. His office is asking the court to take an even tougher stance than a 1919 state Supreme Court ruling that nullified signatures tied to fraudulent circulators during a referendum on women’s suffrage.
The investigation points to more than 30 people suspected of wrongdoing, including high rates of signature rejections. One sponsor involved is Crista Eggers, campaign manager for Nebraska Families 4 Medical Marijuana. As of now, no additional charges have been filed against any other circulators or notaries connected to the cannabis petitions.
This marks the third attempt by Nebraskans for Medical Cannabis to get the measure on the ballot. The organization’s first effort in 2020 was blocked by the state Supreme Court, and in 2022, the group failed to gather enough signatures. While several measures will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot this year, Evnen and Hilgers are focusing their scrutiny solely on the medical cannabis initiatives.
These efforts to block the passage of laws legalizing medical or recreational marijuana aren’t new. Companies such as Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF) have seen similar issues arise in different markets, but the reform movement scores gains sooner or later.
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(CNW) Edmonton – Aurora Cannabis Inc., the Canadian based global leader in medical cannabis, in conjunction with MedReleaf Australia, is pleased to announce an enhanced product range of premium medical cannabis oil in Australia. This expansion reinforces Aurora’s dedication to providing high-quality, innovative cannabis solutions to patients around the world. Now available for physicians to prescribe, the new cannabis oils include a variety of cannabinoid ratios to suit diverse patient needs.
The newly launched cannabis oil products include Aurora THC 25 (Sativa) in a 30mL bottle, Aurora THC 25 (Indica) in a 30mL bottle, Aurora 12.5:12.5 oil in a 30mL bottle, Aurora 50:50 oil in a 30mL bottle, and Aurora 10:100 oil in a 30mL bottle. Each formulation offers varying cannabinoid ratios to support personalized treatment options for patients.
“We are thrilled to bring this enhanced range of cannabis oil products to the Australian market,” said Andre Jerome, Executive Vice President, Global Business Development at Aurora. “Our mission is to offer healthcare providers and their patients a broader selection of treatment options that meet their various medical needs. By expanding our product portfolio, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to advancing patient care through high-quality, science-driven cannabis solutions.”
The newly available oils are developed and manufactured at Aurora’s Canadian TGA and EU GMP certified facility, add to the expanding lineup with increased cannabinoid variety. The new products allow Doctors to tailor treatments more precisely, enhancing patient care. These offerings are another step forward in MedReleaf Australia’s mission to expand access to quality medical cannabis options for patients across the country.
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Key features of Aurora’s new cannabis oil products include:
Comprehensive Cannabinoid Profiles: Designed to provide targeted and effective relief with a variety of THC and CBD ratios.
High Standards of Quality and Safety: Manufactured in TGA-GMP certified facilities, adhering to rigorous quality control measures.
Broad Selection: Wide range of unique oil formulations, allowing for customized patient care.
(CNW) Vancouver – A group of cannabis growers have formed a collective; the BC Cannabis Alliance, and have launched a campaign to clarify the economic challenges of the cannabis industry, including how revenues are distributed throughout a complex supply chain. The campaign is aimed to inform retailers, consumers, and the general public about just where each dollar spent on cannabis goes.
As one example, for every $10 spent on cannabis in the legal market, only around one to two dollars ever makes it to the grower, and often only months after having “sold” it. While consumers might see retail prices and think the industry is doing well, the reality is that it is often just the government making the bulk of those profits—from taxes as well as from distribution markups.
The BC Cannabis Alliance is highlighting the challenges faced by small-scale BC growers and processors due to the 15% “Proprietary Fee” imposed on direct-to-retailer sales. This program was introduced to support BC’s craft growers. However, because this 15% markup is paid to the BCLDB, many small businesses are unable to benefit from the program as intended.
“The addition of this 15% markup to be paid to the government, despite them not ever handling the product at any point in the supply chain, is an example of the government saying one thing ‘to support small farms’ and doing the opposite,” says Alannah Davis, CEO of Dabble Farms. “The BC government got this right with craft breweries and it’s time to make it right with cannabis too.”
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This high fee directly impedes small producers’ ability to deliver quality cannabis to consumers at a fair price, further reducing the already limited margins for these businesses. Lower tariffs stimulate commerce. The International Trade Administration found that a 1% tariff reduction typically results in a 2% increase in imports. While the context differs here, the underlying economic principles remain consistent. By improving conditions for small-scale producers, we can enhance the selection, quality, and affordability of quality craft cannabis for consumers.
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