February 5th, 2018

Only cannabis and cannabis accessories will be on the shelves in legal marijuana dispensaries in B.C come July. The prohibition is one of several details Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth released Monday. Countless more will come out in the next few months before the new era of legal cannabis arrives in Canada on July 1. Farnworth said the government’s adaptation will carry on for a long time after that. And a lot of the further details will involve municipal governments, which have significant say in shaping the retail landscape and have been grappling with how to do so.

July is only the beginning…

All governments will be assessing and refining the regimes being put in place for months and years to come.

B.C. is the one taking shape, looks to be a middle-of-the-road approach comparable to what other provinces are putting together. Cannabis will be sold in both public and private stores, but only the government-run side will be able to offer online sales. Various sensible restrictions are imposed, but public use will be allowed, although not in high-traffic areas like parks or beaches. Other jurisdictions allow use only in private dwellings.

Interest groups urged Farnworth to allow cannabis to be sold in through B.C. liquor stores, but he was warned off that idea by public health officials who didn’t want to see alcohol and marijuana available together. Very few jurisdictions are going that route, so the government stores will be stand-alone cannabis-only shops. And there are no distance limits from schools or other retailers, although municipalities can set them.

The decision to sell separately from alcohol will involve building a brand-new network of dozens of government stores from a standing start. A separate wholesale system is also planned.

That is only one part of the tens of millions in up-front costs B.C. will incur, well before it starts bringing income in, by way of sales and taxes. Which means mark up on Marijuana and weed vape products.

 

 

 

http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/legal-cannabis-won-t-come-cheap-in-b-c-1.23165810

January 10th, 2018

The prospectors in Canada’s new market are working hard and cutting deals as we steadily approach the nationwide legalization of marijuana and weed vaporizers. The Canadian marijuana industry is currently valued at more than $22 billion. This figure includes growing and retail sales, transportation, security, edibles, taxes, and tourism.

Canadian entrepreneurs could also be at the forefront of a growing global enterprise. Not only exporting cannabis, but the technology used to grow it. Marijuana sales have amounted in billions of dollars while employing many people. However, this is on the black market run by illegal criminal organizations.

The first major test for cannabis entrepreneurs is whether or not that can capture the nations estimated five million customers and take them away from the black market. “Just like any other competitor entering a new market, the incumbents aren’t going to give up easily,” says Kyle Murray, vice dean of the University of Alberta’s school of business.

Replacing the black market

   Many provinces are still discussing how exactly they plan to sell marijuana and weed vaporizers to the public. The only two that have announced a retail plan are Ontario and New Brunswick. Both have agreed on government-owned stores. According to an analyst with Mackie Research Capital Corporation, they are making a big mistake. Greg McLeish things that government-run retail stores will only help the black market. “These guys have been growing for a long time,” he says, noting that price and convenience will be key in determining where people buy their weed.

When Corporate and cannabis cultures combine

  Alberta-based Aurora Cannabis is one of the early leaders in the industry, among those actively recruiting from the black market. “The hybrid culture that we’ve created, that uniquely hybrid culture has been incredibly satisfying to be part of,” says Cam Battley, Aurora’s executive vice president. 

He says, “Aurora is made up of suits like me, people from business backgrounds as well as people from the cannabis culture and have extensive knowledge and passion for the cannabis plant itself.” The company is currently producing medical marijuana at its 5,000-square meter facility.

More money, more jobs

   The impact of legalizing marijuana and weed vapors could be large, in the area of billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Cannabis companies that emerge will need to hire people like accountants, customer service professionals, packagers, security, lawyers, etc. These same organizations will need to rent out office space, purchase furniture, pay taxes, and hire a lot of new employees.

Governments are currently spending millions of dollars on education, legal authority and testing. Labs are also receiving a boost as part of research and development. The legalization of cannabis and weed vaporizers provides the potential for many new jobs. People with the skill of recognizing the subtle different qualities of a bong rip could find themselves with a career in bud-tending. The opportunities are endless.

 

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-cannabis-greenrush-1.4383010

 

December 1st, 2017

Marijuana charges have been occurring increasingly in Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec, even though the rest of Canada has been seeing a steady decline in cannabis-related charges.

For Canadians over the age of 12, 17,700 were charged with possession last year alone. This number is down from the 21,300 charged just two years ago, in 2015.

Even the more serious trafficking charges are in decline, while production and import charges remained level. This trend has been seen across a variety of provinces, and in a majority of them we are seeing record-low charge rates. But for some reason, Montreal and other Quebec cities have been evading the trend and going their own course. Charges have been on the rise, steadily increasing since 1998.

Eric Sutton, a Montreal-based criminal defense lawyer, said he was surpirsed by the discrepancy. He also said that he had noticed concernes of the medical community and other lobby groups being aired in Quebec media, more than any other places in the country.

 

“In Quebec, there has been a fairly hot debate, and that may have influenced policing and the attitude of prosecutors,” Sutton stated. “Legalizing something doesn’t mean it’s good. It’s a legal decision, not a moral decision.”

Sutton also mentioned that prosecutors usually consider somebodies prior criminal record, along with other factors to determine whether charges are pursued or left alone.

 

He said the drive to legalize “reflects an understanding that so many people use marijuana and, like it or not, it’s probably here to stay.” President of Canadian Police Association, Tom Stamatakis said that, “In certain police districts, the fading number of charges may be a question of resources and capacity.” He also mentioned that police have not targeted simple possession “for years now.”

Stamatakis stated, “The focus is on high-level trafficking, organized crime, and other related activities that are more serious and have a bigger impact on the community.”

Later saying, “I would anticipate that police forces are redirecting priorities on the basis that marijuana will become legal in the near future.”

 

It’s not clear whether or not Montreal police are actually doing that.

 

Montreal Coun. Alex Norris stated, “There’s a much bigger market here, there’s much more activity, more grow-ops, just as a percentage of criminality.” He was speculating on what could cause the discrepancy, which he thought to be pretty interesting. 

Alex is a member of Montreal’s public safety commission and plans to ask police Chief Philippe Pichet about the topic at the commissions next formal gathering.

 

Historically, Quebec police have been more lenient and tolerant when it comes to cannabis possession, compared to other provinces. In 1998, there was an average of 53 people charged with possession per 100,000 in the province. Canada’s rate at the time was 76. 

The rate in Quebec has been rising steadily ever since, following right behind the Canadian trend, but still recording lower every year up until now.

 

Blog Publish Date: 10-16-2017

References:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-quebec-pot-charges-statistics-1.4219840