Aurora Cannabis Inc. and Vectura Fertin Pharma, Inc. announced the launch of the newly developed Luo CBD lozenge. The CBD lozenge is being manufactured, packaged, and labelled by Cogent, a Vectura Fertin Pharma subsidiary, and distributed by Aurora through its medical cannabis platform. Council in Milton, ON, approved the extension of a bylaw that permits the continued operation of theTrichome Hills Corporation for another three years. Trichome Hill is a cannabis nursery and research licence holder first received its licence to operate in 2021.
The NWT Liquor and Cannabis Commission (NTLCC) has selected Buffalo Parcel Courier Services to build a new cannabis warehouse, reports NNSL Media. The territory’s current staging area for cannabis distribution has been temporary. The new space is expected to cost about $300,000 to build. Cannabis is currently sold in two liquor stores across the Northwest Territories under contract with the NTLCC, four private stores, and one private online store.
Some 40 workers at five ‘The Joint’ locations in Saskatoon voted to join UFCW Canada Local 1400.
Canadian Accountant writes that the prosecution of BF Borgers and its principal by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario closes another chapter in the Canadian cannabis story.
Decibel Cannabis says it is refocusing on its dried flower consumer, along with a reorganization of dried flower processing across its facilities as it says demand is outpacing its current supply. Much of this will be for export to the UK, Israel, Australia, and Germany.
HYTN Innovations Inc. announced the establishment of international manufacturing and pricing agreements with the UK’s 4C LABS. These agreements aim to enable the production of cannabis products in bulk and final packaged forms for distribution in the UK and other global markets.
The Canadian cannabis industry surpasses the US in greenhouse gas emissions, attributed to colder climates that necessitate heating, says a recently published research paper.
Vancouver is Awesome ran a promotional piece on BC’s retail chain Inspired Cannabis.
Cannabis agriculture is experiencing a revolution brought on by genetic research, propelling a new era in the cultivation and production of this globally sought-after crop, reports Earth.com.
International cannabis news
Japan will criminalize cannabis use and legalize medical products using substances derived from the plant under revised relevant laws, both effective on December 12, according to the country’s health ministry. The possession and cultivation of cannabis are already banned in Japan. The new law will also prohibit its use, with a prison sentence of up to seven years.
SFGate reports that a former senior official with California’s Department of Cannabis Control is accusing the agency of retaliating against her after she repeatedly warned her superiors about corruption and toxic products being sold in the legal cannabis market.
Product Earth, the UK’s largest cannabis expo, cancelled the second day of the event, citing issues with the venue. Reports say the issue was related to concerns from venue staff with indoor consumption.
And finally, for the first time, the Israeli Ministry of Health will begin regular sample tests for medical cannabis products in Israel; the move comes against the background of the transfer of responsibility for tests to the companies themselves, the reduction of the permitted ranges of active substances, and previous lawsuits on the subject.
The Northwest Territory Liquor and Cannabis Commission (NTLCC) has selected a contractor to build a new cannabis warehouse in Hay River.
Buffalo Parcel Courier Services was recently selected to build a new cannabis warehouse, first reported by NNSL Media. The procurement process for a new cannabis warehouse in NWT began in June. The territory received two applications, awarding the contract to Buffalo Parcel Courier Services on September 6.
The territory’s current staging area for cannabis distribution was temporary. The new space is expected to cost about $300,000 to build. Cannabis is currently sold in two liquor stores across the Northwest Territories (NWT) under contract with the NTLCC, four private stores, and one private online store.
In the year ended March 31, 2024, $8.4 million worth of cannabis was sold in NWT. Most of this ($5.6 million) was dried cannabis while $2.3 million was inhaled extracts.
The Northwest Territories Liquor and Cannabis Commission is responsible for the purchase, sale, classification and distribution of liquor and cannabis in the Northwest Territories and is administered through the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Finance.
NWT has one licensed cannabis producer, Boreal Cultivation, located in Yellowknife. Boreal was licensed in 2021.
According to a recent study, individuals who use cannabis are less likely to die, require a ventilator or suffer from extreme COVID-19 infections. Researchers from New York’s Northwell Health conducted the study, which was just released in the peer-reviewed “Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research” journal.
The study analyzed the National Inpatient Sample Database’s data, focusing on patients admitted with a COVID-19 diagnosis. The patients were divided into two groups: those who used marijuana and those who did not. To ensure fairness, researchers adjusted for various factors, such as race, age, gender and existing health conditions.
Cannabis users had a lower risk of passing away or developing major conditions, including respiratory failure or the need for intubation, according to the study.
According to the data, 28.2% of marijuana users experienced extreme COVID-19 infections, compared to 46.6% of those who did not use marijuana. The death rate among marijuana users was 2.8%, while it was higher at 5.1% for nonusers. Similarly, intubation rates were lower for marijuana users at 7.1%, compared to 9.7% for nonusers. Marijuana users also spent slightly less time in the hospital, with an average stay of 6.4 days versus 7.0 days for those who didn’t use cannabis.
However, Dr. Benjamin Caplan, a medical cannabis expert and author of “The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook,” pointed out some limitations in the study. These include difficulties in properly matching the patients and a lack of specific data, such as the types of products used and the levels of inflammation in patients.
Despite these limitations, Caplan stated that the results were encouraging. He suggested that cannabis could help avoid severe COVID-19 effects by reducing inflammation and immunological reactions.
Further supporting these findings, a 2022 study indicated that certain marijuana compounds might prevent SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, from infecting human cells in a lab setting. Researchers discovered that two cannabinoid acids found in hemp, cannabidiolicacid (CBDA) and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), could bind to the spike protein of the virus. By doing so, these compounds might block the virus from entering cells and causing an infection, opening up potential new treatment and prevention options.
Similarly, a recent Canadian study discovered that by keeping the virus out of cells, lowering oxidative stress and stopping the cytokine storm, cannabinoids may help lessen the severity of COVID-19 infections.
However, not all studies paint a positive picture of marijuana use in relation to COVID-19. Research from the University of Washington, published earlier this year, found that cannabis use was associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Additionally, there is no concrete evidence that smoking cannabis can cure or prevent COVID-19.
As more studies are conducted on the potential therapeutic effects of marijuana on the way people fared during the recent pandemic, there is a possibility that the science could show that the cannabis industry and its many actors, such as Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB), might have in one way or the other supported some people in their struggle against the infection.
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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.
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In 1611, King James I passed the first cannabis laws in North America, mandated that all English colonists must grow 100 hemp plants each. [1] Hemp served multiple industrial purposes, and remained popular in America until 1793, when Eli Whitney’s cotton gin shifted agricultural trends towards the more profitable cotton. [2]
After that, hemp fell out of fashion, and it took a long time for its psychoactive cousin cannabis sativa to replace it. Cannabis eventually became so popular that the Federal Government felt a prohibition was necessary to protect its citizens, but that legal precedent is slowly changing.
Today, cannabis is legal to consume for recreational purposes in 24 states, it is decriminalized in 7 more, and is legal for medicinal purposes in 13 additional states. [3] Even when evaluating markets where cannabis is still prohibited it remains the most consumed illicit drug with as many as 88% of adults feeling that it should be legal. [4] To understand this oscillating attitude towards cannabis, it is important to look at the actions of a few powerful men whose motivations affected millions of American lives.
Reefer Madness: The Rise of Prohibition
The United States didn’t attempt to regulate cannabis again until the 20th century. While the number of people using cannabis slowly rose during the 19th century, it exploded into the American consciousness thanks to America’s first Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Harry J. Anslinger. [5]
Anslinger was appointed by President Hoover in 1930, and believed that all drug except alcohol should be prohibited. To achieve this goal, he set his sights on cannabis and began spouting rhetoric designed to play on racial and xenophobic fears amongst the white population.
The primary argument Anslinger presented was that Mexican immigrants and laborers brought the habit of smoking cannabis over the border into the US, where African American communities took up the practice. Anslinger believed that this trend would eventually spread to white communities, corrupting younger generations and spoiling America’s future. This propaganda proved especially effective, as most Americans had strong opinions regarding race, and limited knowledge about cannabis.
To put this in context, Anslinger’s appointment came only 65 years after the end of the civil war, and more than 30 years before the civil rights movement. It would be unrealistic to believe that just because slavery had been abolished that Americans had overcome their racial prejudices at that time. In terms of cannabis, medicinal use had been rising in America starting in 1839, but the way people consumed it only illustrated their ignorance. [6]
Cannabis, along with several other illicit drugs, were common ingredients in tinctures sold by traveling salesmen, often referred to as snake-oil salesmen.
Snake oil today implies a substance that promotes therapeutic benefits, but has no medicinal value. These snake oils sold consistently, indicating that most Americans had no idea what side effects these would produce. Anslinger took advantage of both of these ignorances and worked with a powerful, private sector ally to amplify his message.
Like Anslinger, the newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst had his own reasons for wanting cannabis to be outlawed. [7] Cannabis scandals gave Hearst a constant source to feed his Yellow Journalism, but his commercial interests went beyond increased paper sales. Hearst had invested heavily in lumber to ensure that his paper supply would not be interrupted, and cannabis presented a possible alternative source for paper production.
Cannabis grows faster than lumber and requires fewer resources to reach maturity. Hearst feared the disruptive potential of cannabis to the lumber industry and took action to protect his investment.
Together, these two men worked to connect cannabis to certain undesired qualities associated with racial stereotypes. The rhetoric spawned many of the myths surrounding cannabis that linger today, including the idea that cannabis increases criminal behavior, it can be a gateway to harder drugs, or that it causes psychosis.
Their message culminated in the release of the 1937 film “Reefer Madness,” which amalgamated all of this rhetoric into a single, narrative form.[8] White communities responded with outrage to what they perceived as threat to their communities, and the film lead to mass hysteria regarding cannabis consumption. This resulted in the passage of, The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which was drafted by none other than Harry J. Anslinger himself. [9]
The act required that in order for cannabis to be sold in America it must bear a stamp indicating the proper taxes had been levied. With no stamps issued, this law effectively prohibited the buying and selling of cannabis, not possession. Anslinger felt this would be sufficient to stop cannabis’s spread, but that proved not to be the case.
A Call for Reason
Anslingers’ claims were not entirely accepted as fact, and one prominent skeptic went so far as to challenge the constitutionality of the Marijuana Tax Act. In 1937, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia commissioned America’s first major cannabis study through the New York Academy of Medicine. This research was published as The LaGuardia Report in 1944, and used hard data to separate truth from fiction related to cannabis consumption. [10]
The report favored objectivity, and corroborated certain evidence presented by Anslinger, including the fact that the most common cannabis users at the time were African and Latin Americans. Beyond that, the report went on to dispel many of the incorrect assertions posited by the Bureau of Narcotics Commissioner.
The report found data negating the theories that cannabis deteriorates physical or mental health, is a “gateway” to harder drugs, leads to increased criminality, causes insanity, is commonly used by school children, is physically addictive, and that it is being distributed by a central organization.
LaGuardia used these findings to argue the Marijuana Tax Act should be repealed, but Anslinger doubled down and discrediting the report claiming it was “unscientific”. [11] Even without Anslingers’ condemnation, it was a losing battle for La Guardia as most Americans’ opinions towards cannabis had already been cemented nearly a decade at this point.
The Conflict Escalates
It wasn’t until the 1960s that the American counter cultural movement began changing their attitude toward cannabis again. [12] Often called “Hippies,” a new generation chose to embrace cannabis and other illicit drugs for numerous medicinal, spiritual, and social reasons. This trend produced a new opportunity for the Federal Government to weaponize cannabis to achieve its political goals.
The late 1960s in America were a time of division and chaos unseen since the Civil War. [13] The Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Liberation Movement, and countless smaller organizations prompted bombings, assassinations, shootings, riots, and protests across the country. By the time Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968, he needed to take drastic action to restore order.
As a result, he launched the War on Drugs, one of the keystones of the Nixon administration, and an ongoing campaign today. The stated purpose was to curb drug use in America, but the administration had an ulterior motive. According to a 2018 Congressional testimony by Nixon aid John Ehrlichman:
We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did. [14]
The War on Drugs marked the moment when possession of cannabis became illegal. This allowed the Federal Government to target groups it saw as undesirable, or potentially threatening, and could issue heavy sentences for even small amounts of cannabis. When looking at drug related arrest records, it is clear that this exploitation continues today, especially along racial lines.
One of most glaring examples is the fact that African Americans are 2.7 times more likely to be arrested for drug related offenses than their white counterparts. [15] Numbers may fluctuate from one year to another, but this trend has been consistent since the start of the War on Drugs.[16]
This is even more striking considering African Americans constitute 12.2% of the population as of the 2020 census, whereas the white population represents approximately 58%. [16] That means even though there are almost five white people for every African American in the US, African Americans are almost three times more likely to be arrested for drug related offenses. The same is also true for Latin Americans, though these ratios are not as extreme. [18]
The New Era
A lot of time has passed since Anslinger, Hearst, and Nixon choose to use cannabis as a means to achieve their various goals. During that time, multiple groups advocated for cannabis legalization as a way of improving social justice, personal freedom, economic opportunities, and medical treatments in America.
The Federal Government continues to drag its feet when it comes to legalization, so most of the progress has come from state level legalization. That being said, the last two Presidents have both overseen legal changes that may signal progress for cannabis on the Federal level.
This began with former President Trump’s signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp in the United States.[19] While cannabis, and the primary psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), remain illegal, it did open a Pandora’s Box for the hemp market. Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp derived are booming, especially with new extraction techniques and delivery methods available.
When it comes to President Biden, no definitive action has occurred, but there may be a major change coming. On May 16, 2024, the US Department of Justice submitted a proposal to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, recognizing cannabis’ medical properties. [20] If passed, this would allow medical and scientific communities access to cannabis for therapeutic and research purposes.
It is difficult to predict the extent of this legal development, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent appeal of the Chevron Doctrine, but it could go so far as to constitute a Federal legalization of medicinal cannabis. [21] These actions may indicate the early stages of a new era for cannabis in America.
References:
Howe, Jonas. “Early attempts to introduce the cultivation of hemp in Eastern British America.” (1892).
Herndon, G. Melvin. “Agriculture in America in the 1790s: An Englishman’s View.” Agricultural History 49.3 (1975): 505-516.
Chapekis, Athena, and Sono Shah. “Most Americans Now Live in a Legal Marijuana State – and Most Have at Least One Dispensary in Their County.” Pew Research Center, 29 Feb. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/29/most-americans-now-live-in-a-legal-marijuana-state-and-most-have-at-least-one-dispensary-in-their-county/#:~:text=Which%20states%20have%20legalized%20marijuana.
Vankar, Preeti. “Lifetime Illicit Drug Users by Drug Type U.S. 2022.” Statista, 8 Mar. 2024, www.statista.com/statistics/611118/illicit-drug-use-during-lifetime-in-the-us-by-drug/.
Däumichen, Marvin. “The Great Cannabis Scare-Harry J. Anslinger in the 1930s.” (2016).
Mills, James H. “Colonizing cannabis: medication, taxation, intoxication and oblivion, c. 1839-1955.” (2018): 200-216.
Speaker, Susan L. “Creating a monster: Newspapers, magazines, and America’s drug problem.” Molecular interventions 2.4 (2002): 201.
Hall, Wayne, and Sarah Yeates. “Reefer Madness: an undeserved classic movie.” Addiction 116.4 (2021): 963-969.
Musto, David F. “The 1937 marijuana tax act.” Archives of General Psychiatry 26.2 (1972): 101-108.
LaGuardia, Fiorello. “The Laguardia Committee Report New York, USA (1944).” (1944).
Anslinger, H. J. (1964). Hemp Around Their Necks: The Story of the Narcotics Gangs. Retrieved July 30, 2024, from https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/33720017/Marco_A._Pinal_-_A_Moral_Crusade-libre.pdf?1400299941=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DA_Moral_Crusade_The_Process_by_Which_Mar.pdf&Expires=1722320050&Signature=McGbuR1nzlqhFLFB1sPPYYDb49fWskkcd2Uq1mHp3Ou~fTaqaE7YwTaztEYXPLWUxn3XRQfz7YyupBS8xieY6ut-RTxDrrF~AiC6xHTy8Ie3T7gjM7f3JiqXP0M5pzbjExLW08Pg0ZpFkD8-jbkIHrXB70S6gKP-V-aqUhEyyQLJ49Jlqq7KXlyrAvnbVtkkAVcRQxEB14V-5lUU1qStFOkuSe71~B8ks9ki9E7xFRhEZFRAU7phXReGlnMBywE7NAkNiJKYAn38mEz-LYAnYIPPTknKN07vXEB7-wODtNWsnvD5dCtYVtziwcXj1fmK8PXP-DOLZ6mGVXy0oXLQ~g__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
Warf, Barney. “High points: an historical geography of cannabis.” Geographical Review 104.4 (2014): 414-438.
Collins, William J., and Robert A. Margo. “The economic aftermath of the 1960s riots in American cities: Evidence from property values.” The Journal of Economic History 67.4 (2007): 849-883.
US House of Reprentatives. (2018, June 12). H. RES. 933. Retrieved July 30, 2024, from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-115hres933ih/html/BILLS-115hres933ih.htm
Mitchell, Ojmarrh, and Michael S. Caudy. “Examining racial disparities in drug arrests.” Justice Quarterly 32.2 (2015): 288-313.
Mitchell, Ojmarrh, and Michael J. Lynch. “Criminal justice, race, and the war on drugs.” Disproportionate Minority Contact: Current Issues and Policies (2011): 139-155.
US Census Bureau. “Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census.” Census.gov, 12 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html.
Lehmann, Peter S., and Ryan C. Meldrum. “Disparities in youth arrest across racial and ethnic subgroups.” Youth violence and juvenile justice 22.1 (2024): 22-45.
“H.R.2 – 115th Congress (2017-2018): Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.” Congress.gov, 2017, www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2.
“Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Submits Proposed Regulation to Reschedule Marijuana | United States Department of Justice.” Www.justice.gov, 16 May 2024, www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-submits-proposed-regulation-reschedule-marijuana.
Supreme Court of the United States. (2024, June). Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. US Supreme Court. Retrieved July 29, 2024, from https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-451_7m58.pdf
The rise in demand for American marijuana products in Europe has driven some brands to spread their wings globally. Some of the companies targeting global growth represent a growing section of the industry, with some cannabis operators finding that expanding internationally is easier than navigating regulations in the United States.
Lehua Brands, a manufacturer of infused drinks based in California, is one of these brands. The company’s CEO, Sierra Elaina, stated that issues such as market oversaturation, overtaxation and issues with distribution were affecting those involved in the industry.
The company isn’t dealing with these issues in the Canadian market, where it recently entered. The company launched its zero-carb, zero-calorie, sugar-free infused sparkling water at more than 100 stores in Ontario.
Other American operators that have ventured into Canada include Jeeter, which expanded into Canada in March. In a statement, the company’s co-CEO, Sebastian Solano, described the process as a sort of culture shock. The company primarily markets pre-rolls in Ontario and recently moved into British Columbia. This comes after it partnered with Final Bell Holdings International to manufacture products in the Canadian market.
Others such as Wyld, an edibles maker based in Oregon, have been operating in Canada for a couple of years now.
Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF), a company based in New York, has also been preparing for expansion across Europe since it acquired Emmac Life Sciences in 2021. Last year, the cannabis multistate operator bought a processing facility in Portugal from Clever Leaves. It soon started exporting flower from this facility to the United Kingdom.
Curaleaf CEO Boris Jordan also revealed recently that the company started exporting marijuana to Germany. In a recent interview, Jordan declared that the company was focused on finding new opportunities for growth in the German market, noting that the country would soon be the biggest market in Europe. This comes after Germany’s recreational marijuana law went into effect earlier in the year, a move that saw Curaleaf’s medical sales increase throughout the country.
While the legislation doesn’t permit the creation of adult-use stores similar to those under state-legal programs in the United States, it is expected that the shift in policy will bolster Germany’s burgeoning medical marijuana market. A report released in late July determined that the number of medical cannabis prescriptions issued in the country since March have risen by 400%. Internal data also showed reducing prices and a steady supply chain with more flower varieties for patients.
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CannabisNewsWire (“CNW”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on cannabis news and the cannabis sector. It is one of 60+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.
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Cannabis traders, entrepreneurs, growers, stakeholders, service providers, regulators, industry leaders, and investors, are invited to attend the state’s premier cannabis event at The Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York on Sept. 25. The NY Cannabis Insider Conference provides a major learning and networking platform to the New York cannabis industry.
As the legal weed industry grows, the conference is designed to address the evolving issues of the industry. The live events at the conference allow participants to learn the licensing and regulatory policies, the latest technology resources and products, and a number of operational tips from stalwarts attending the event.
The event format consists of keynote speaker sessions, panel interviews and training sessions for startups and veteran business owners. The NY Insider team has arranged for consultations for attendees looking to establish or expand their business.
Eminent industry leaders will preside over the speaker sessions giving impactful insights on topics ranging from current retail/AUCC/AUCP/legacy operators as well as advanced topics that will pave the way for future operations. Attendees can connect with peers and industry leaders at the networking events, lunch, a happy hour, and more.
This conference represents a phenomenal platform for industries or businesses awaiting a license as they can learn about relevant topics of accounting, business planning, insurance, real estate, retail concepts and medical marijuana, from the experts hosting the speakers and discussion panels, training sessions, and so on.
The conference will also feature a vendor fair, where businesses can exhibit their products and services to gain exposure among customers and industry businesses. The conference team has arranged onsite vendors who will offer onsite consultations and solve queries on legal, accounting, and other business matters of the cannabis spectrum. They will also assist cannabis entrepreneurs in setting up their business teams specific to their business requirements.
CannabisNewsWire (“CNW”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on cannabis news and the cannabis sector. It is one of 60+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.
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While there are several thousand cannabis stores in Canada, consumers can purchase cannabis directly from the grower at just a handful of locations.
Only about a dozen of these cannabis farmgate stores operate in a handful of provinces, allowing consumers to engage more directly with the cannabis grower or processor. Each province has a slightly different approach to this type of licensing, and each business has found its own unique angle to the model.
Ontario was the first to launch its farmgate program in 2021, licensing the first two locations on April 20 of that year. As of May 2024, Ontario listed five fully licensed farmgate locations.
In late 2022, British Columbia began allowing applications under its farm-to-gate Producer Retail Store licensing model. Since the launch of the program, only three companies have applied. The first opened in 2022, while a second was just licensed on September 12 with a grand opening expected in the coming weeks. The third applicant is currently working its way through the licensing process.
Here’s a breakdown of the different approaches to farmgate in each of these provinces, as well as the businesses operating under such licences.
The cost of licensing associated with a farmgate licence (Retail Operating Licence (ROL) and Retail Store Authorization (RSA)) in Ontario is around $10,000 for the first two years. More information about Ontario’s farmgate licensing process can be found here.
Station House Cannabis in St. Thomas ON
Cannabis farmgate in New Brunswick
There are currently five cannabis production licence holders in New Brunswick with a farmgate licence: Eco Canadian Organic in Rexton, Sana’a in Miramichi, Hidden Harvest in Moncton, Stewart Farms in St. Stephen, and Green Herb Farms in St Joseph-de-Kent. Hidden Harvest is the only cannabis nursery in Canada with a farmgate licence, allowing for the sale of plants directly to consumers.
The cost of a cannabis farmgate licence in New Brunswick is about $1,750 a year. More info about farmgate in New Brunswick can be found here.
Eco Canadian Organic’s farmgate store in Rexton, NB
Cannabis Farmgate in British Columbia
There are currently two licenced cannabis farmgate stores in BC: ShuCanna in Salmon Arm and the Victoria Cannabis Co. in Victoria, although the latter was only licensed recently and, as of publication, has yet to open.
The cost of a cannabis farmgate licence in BC is $7,500 to apply, and then a $1,500 per year annual fee if approved. There can also be municipal licensing fees, depending on location. Applications are open to all federal licence holders except stand-alone processors.
British Columbia also allows for special licensing agreements with First Nations communities in the province, two of which operate as farmgate stores. One, All Nations cannabis, is in Shxwhá:y Village, near Chilliwack, BC while the other, Sugar Cane Cannabis is operated by Williams Lake First Nation in Williams Lake.
Nebraska voters will have the opportunity to decide on the legalization of medical marijuana in the state during the upcoming November election, according to an announcement made last week by state officials. Bob Evnen, the secretary of state, confirmed that two separate measures regarding medical cannabis will be included on the ballot.
Officials from the pro-medical cannabis advocacy group, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, revealed earlier this year that they had gathered almost 114,000 signatures from voters in favor of legalization. This figure greatly surpasses the necessary 86,000 signatures to include the measures on the ballot. Evnen noted that, thus far, his office has confirmed about 89,000 signatures for each of the proposed ballot initiatives.
Additionally, both initiatives have met the state’s requirement of gathering signatures from a minimum of 5% of registered Nebraskan voters in at least 38 counties.
The initiatives campaign manager, Crista Eggers, expressed her enthusiasm about the progress made, noting that voters will now have the chance to express their perspectives on this issue after years of assiduously focused efforts.
One of the proposed measures focuses on legalizing medical cannabis while the other is designed to establish a regulatory system for the sale and production of medical marijuana. This comes after an earlier attempt to put a medical cannabis legalization proposal on the ballot was denied by the state’s Supreme Court in 2020 on the grounds that the initiative broke a state law that forbade ballot measures that addressed several legislative subjects.
Evnen noted that he has not yet legally qualified the measures for the ballot, as some counties were still in the process of verifying signatures. If the verified signatures reach 110% of the requisite number, the verification process will be concluded, and the secretary of state will certify the measures for inclusion on the ballot.
Following the announcement, supporters of cannabis policy reform celebrated the opportunity for voters to weigh in on the legalization of medical cannabis. According to a poll conducted earlier this year by the Nebraska Examiner, 70% of voters support the legalization of medical cannabis.
Nebraska’s inclusion of these ballot measures aligns it with three other states — South Dakota, Florida and North Dakota — where voters will also decide on cannabis policy reform initiatives this year. In contrast to Nebraska’s focus on medical cannabis, voters in these three states, which have already legalized medical cannabis, will be considering measures to legalize recreational marijuana. To date, 24 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use, while 38 have legalized it for medical purposes.
The entire marijuana industry, including enterprises such as TerrAscend Corp. (TSX: TSND) (OTCQX: TSNDF), will be watching how voters in those states with marijuana reforms on the ballot cast their votes since it could expand the reach of the reform movement around the country.
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RCMP in Manitoba seized around 600 kg of cannabis during a traffic stop in Portage la Prairie on September 4.
The RCMP Roving Traffic unit conducted a traffic stop on an eastbound commercial vehicle on Highway 1 in the rural municipality of Portage la Prairie, about an hour east of Winnipeg.
The traffic stop led to a load inspection, which resulted in the discovery and seizure of approximately 600 kilograms of illicit cannabis on several pallets. Police arrested a 65-year-old male from Toronto, who will face charges under the Cannabis Act, Excise Act, and Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act.
RCMP continue to investigate.
“We continue to enforce the laws against illicit cannabis as it’s possession is a criminal offence and is an issue of public safety,” said Inspector Michael Gagliardi, Officer in Charge of RCMP Traffic Services. “Anyone purchasing illicit cannabis does not know where it came from or what it could be cut with. Often, illicit cannabis is associated with organized crime and all the other criminal elements that entails.”
Officials with New Brunswick’s Justice Department say they have made the “largest” seizure of illegal cannabis ever in Atlantic Canada.
Public Safety Minister Kris Austin issued a statement today saying an assortment of products, including 432 kilograms of dried cannabis, were believed to be headed for more than 30 unlicensed dispensaries in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
Peace officers with the department executed a search warrant on Aug. 30 at a residence in Moncton, N.B., and three people were later arrested.
A 53-year-old man from Markham, Ont., and two people from Scarborough, Ont. — a 45-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man — are facing charges under the federal Cannabis Act and the Criminal Code.
Among other things, officers seized 8,000 pre-rolled cannabisjoints, 1,600 edible products, 925 electronic vape products, 540 grams of hashish and $143,000 in cash.
Austin says illegal cannabis is unregulated and may not adhere to the strict quality control and labelling requirements of the Cannabis Act, putting users at risk.
In a news release, the Justice Department said the operation “is believed to be the largest cannabis seizure in Atlantic Canada.”
“This seizure will disrupt the distribution network of dozens of unlicensed cannabis dispensaries, not only in New Brunswick but throughout Canada,” Austin said. “This is crucial, as illegal cannabis contributes to and supports organized crime.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
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