doomed
6 days ago
Trudeau’s departure is a turning point for Canada’s cannabis industry
By Deepak Anand, Guest Columnist
January 24, 2025
As Canada’s cannabis industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, the impending departure of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marks the end of an era that reshaped Canada’s relationship with the plant.
Trudeau’s bold decision to legalize recreational cannabis in 2018 not only transformed the nation’s social and economic landscape but also established it as a global pioneer in marijuana reform: Canada remains the only G7 nation to have federally legalized the plant both for medical and adult-use purposes.
The impact of cannabis legalization on Trudeau’s legacy is undeniable.
Recent polls indicate that 62% of Canadians support cannabis legalization, a testament to the policy’s enduring popularity and success.
In fact, when asked about Trudeau’s top accomplishments, the largest proportion of Canadians point to the legalization of recreational cannabis, according to a survey by Leger, a North American market research company based in Montreal.
Justin Trudeau started advocating for a legal adult-use market in Canada only a month after he was elected prime minister in 2015. (Photo courtesy of Government of Canada)
However, as we look toward the future, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon.
The prospect of a Conservative Party government led by Pierre Poilievre raises concerns for the industry’s trajectory.
One of the most pressing issues is the potential downsizing of Health Canada’s Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch.
This critical department, currently employing more than 200 staff members, plays a vital role in regulating and overseeing our industry.
A Conservative government focused on reducing federal spending could target this department for cuts, potentially creating bottlenecks in licensing processes, amendments and export license approvals.
The CBD file, long emphasized as a priority in Health Canada’s forward-looking regulatory agenda, risks further stagnation under a potential Conservative government.
Such delays could result in missed opportunities to expand sales channels into pharmacies, health food stores and other traditional retail outlets beyond cannabis stores.
Additionally, it could prevent Canadian cannabis businesses from fully leveraging the rapidly growing global CBD market.
The industry has been eagerly anticipating regulatory reforms to address challenges such as marketing restrictions and limitations on THC content in edibles.
These much-needed changes could now be put on hold indefinitely, leaving licensed Canadian cannabis businesses struggling to compete with both the illicit market and international competitors.
At a minimum, the Liberal Party government should prioritize advancing proposals already in progress before the next election - or risk being blamed by a potential Conservative government for creating a financially unsustainable and unviable industry.
Cannabis reform and revenue at risk
Over the past six years, a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry has taken shape in Canada, creating thousands of jobs and generating substantial tax revenue.
Any rollback or stagnation of cannabis policies could threaten these economic gains, compromise patient access and stall Canada’s position as a global leader in the sector.
It could also risk positioning the country as a cautionary example of the challenges surrounding cannabis legalization.
As we navigate this uncertain terrain, it’s crucial that the industry unite and organize effectively.
It must engage proactively with policymakers across the political spectrum, educate the public about the benefits of a well-regulated cannabis market and continue to demonstrate the positive impacts of legalization.
Trudeau’s cannabis legacy
To maintain its position at the forefront of this rapidly evolving global industry, the Canadian cannabis industry must advocate for continued support and refinement of the regulatory framework.
Cannabis legalization should be viewed as an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement, not as an event having come and gone.
As we bid farewell to the Trudeau era, let’s remember that the Canadian cannabis industry has become an integral part of the nation's economy and social fabric.
It’s incumbent upon industry participants to ensure that any current or future government recognizes this reality and works to build upon the foundation laid thus far.
Only through collective effort can Canada hope to preserve and expand upon Canada’s first-mover advantage in the global cannabis industry.
Canadian consumers do not care for government weed as survey claims that they are well served and happy with illicit cannabis offerings.
doomed
7 days ago
GTA
‘What are we living in — a wild west?’: Pot shop owners left fuming by city’s lax rules
Owners of licensed cannabis shops are accusing authorities of turning the industry into an unregulated “wild west,” after the city said it would stop investigating unlicensed pot retailers.
Doomed
Jan. 23, 2025
Clifford Tindall, the owner of Spiritleaf Cannabis in Little Italy, says the lack of enforcement of cannabis licensing rules has left he and other legal operators at a disadvantage.
I
A visitor to the plain-looking coffee shop near Harbord Street and Spadina Avenue would need to look closely at the menu on its patio to realize it sells anything stronger than caffeine.
But inside the minimalist facade beneath a criminal law office, the store, called CAFE — which stands for Cannabis and Fine Edibles — offers a selection of cannabis-infused coffees and teas from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. A patron cautions the Star that even a low dose could cause the imbiber to walk around for hours in an aimless haze.
No smokable pot products are visible on the first floor of the store, one of CAFE’s five locations across Toronto. Upstairs, there is a smoking lounge that costs a fee to enter. CAFE’s website allows people to purchase several varieties of combustible cannabis and associated paraphernalia for pickup at the Harbord location.
The only thing missing: a required sticker in the window indicating a licence from the province to sell cannabis.
The continued operation of CAFE and dozens of other unlicensed Toronto cannabis shops is at the heart of what licensed pot retailers charge is a regulatory free-for-all that threatens public safety and undermines the legal industry.
Their anger over what they say is an uneven playing field was reignited last week by the city’s surprise announcement that its bylaw officers will no longer investigate storefronts that sell weed without a licence.
A senior city official asserted that the work is too dangerous and the municipality has no money to do it. And while he argued that cracking down on unlicensed outlets is a job best left to the police, the force has suggested it has more pressing problems to deal with.
The gap in enforcement has left Clifford Tindall, owner of the Spiritleaf franchise in Little Italy, fuming. “It’s insane. Like, what are we living in, a wild west here?” he said in an interview.
He said owners of legal shops like his pay thousands of dollars in licensing fees, and are required to buy bunk inventory from the government’s Ontario Cannabis Store at higher prices than on the unregulated market. Licensed retailers are also limited by rules about how much THC — the active ingredient in cannabis — can be in products like oils that are cut with 90% vegetable oil.
Unlicensed shops don’t have to follow those rules, so have a competitive advantage that allows them to undercut licensed sellers, Tindall argued. He also said products sold in unlicensed stores can contain harmful chemicals.
Behind its minimalist exterior, CAFE’s Harbord Street location offers a selection of cannabis-infused coffees and teas.
“We’re being regulated up the a—. But there is no regulation taking place against these businesses. How can they expect us to survive, for one, and have any trust in the system?” said Tindall, who believes the police should do more to shutter unlicensed shops.
CAFE didn’t return a request for comment.
According to city estimates, there are 372 licensed cannabis retailers operating in Toronto, and 77 unlicensed ones.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is responsible for licensing cannabis stores, but the responsibility for enforcing rules against storefronts that sell pot without a licence is left to local authorities.
City licensing officials can issue closure orders, conduct seizures, bar entry to storefronts and lay non-criminal charges under the Cannabis Control Act. According to the city, since 2019 its licensing division has secured 116 convictions against illegal operators and property owners.
But the city says it’s not aware of any other Ontario municipality that uses bylaw officers — who don’t have arrest powers and aren’t permitted to use force — to enforce the Cannabis Control Act.
At a meeting of the budget committee last Wednesday, Carleton Grant, the city’s licensing director, said investigating illegal pot shops put his bylaw officers at risk, and police, who are responsible for enforcing criminal laws against illegal drug peddling, should step in to do the job.
“It is criminal, it is organized crime, and it is not appropriate for me to send my staff into these locations where there are weapons and there’s criminal activity taking place,” said Grant.
Grant also stressed that the cash-strapped city has no money for enforcement. The $9 million Queen’s Park allocated to Toronto between 2019 and 2021 for enforcement and other costs associated with legalization ran out at the end of last year, and wasn’t replaced in the proposed 2025 city budget Mayor Olivia Chow unveiled last week.
“We no longer have funding for cannabis enforcement,” Grant told the committee.
In a statement, Toronto Police Service (TPS) spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said the force investigates reports of illegal dispensaries and lays charges when warranted. According to Sayer, the TPS “works closely” with the city on the file, but was “not informed” about its concerns about employee safety or its decision to stop enforcement.
She said that if “there is a desire for TPS to take the lead in this area,” the force “can collaborate with the city to discuss the resources that would be required.”
But speaking to reporters at city hall last Thursday, police Chief Myron Demkiw pointed out that recent police reform efforts have focused on relieving the force of responsibilities, like bylaw enforcement, that can be performed at lower cost by civilians.
He suggested shutting down unlicensed pot shops wasn’t an urgent issue for the TPS, which he said was “laser focused on our core duties,” such as responding to shootings and other violent incidents.
A spokesperson for the Ontario ministry of the attorney general warned in a statement that retailers who don’t secure a licence through the AGCO “are operating illegally and will face the consequences.” They said the province “will continue to ensure there is integrity in the regulated market by working with all partners”
In 2024, the Ontario government announced $31 million over three years for the Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team to fight illegal cannabis production, sale and distribution.
‘We are just no longer effective’: Toronto bylaw officers to stop cracking down on illegal pot shops
GTA
‘We are just no longer effective’: Toronto bylaw officers to stop cracking down on illegal pot shops
A spokesperson for the Ontario Provincial Police, which leads the enforcement team, said it will advise local police forces about illegal storefronts “upon request” and if an investigation is connected to organized crime or a broader probe into drug distribution, production or trafficking. Last year the team shut down 22 illegal cannabis storefronts in Ontario and seized $1.1 million in illegal dried cannabis from dispensaries across the province, including in Toronto.
In an emailed statement, Chow didn’t directly answer questions about who she thinks should be responsible for closing unlicensed weed stores, but said enforcement “needs to happen, no one should walk away from this responsibility.”
Ken Hughes, founder of the unlicensed Medicine Wheel cannabis shops, said that as an Anishnaabe and member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation he has the right to sell cannabis outside of provincial regulations. A Medicine Wheel location was raided last year but continues to operate.
He rejected the claim that stores like his are dangerous or connected to organized crime. “There’s no weapons at any of my stores,” he said. “I’m a businessman … I’m the furthest thing from being a criminal.
When asked, customers all agreed that government weed is bunk.
doomed
1 week ago
Home / Legal
Federal court upholds intoxicating hemp ban in Virginia
By Doomed
January 22, 2025
A federal appeals court has upheld a Virginia ban on intoxicating hemp products with any THC concentration above 0.3%.
Leonie Brinkema, a district judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Virginia, ruled that the restrictions do not violate federal law, another setback for hemp industry efforts to overturn Senate Bill 903, according to a blog post by the Troutman Pepper Locke law firm.
The legislation, which was enacted in 2023, included a THC limit of 0.3% for all hemp-derived products and a limit on total TCH on any cannabinoid or synthetic, rendering nearly all intoxicating delta-8 THC products illegal.
A federal judge in September 2023 rejected pleas from two hemp companies and a consumer who challenged the law signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Judge Brinkema wrote in her ruling upholding the injunctions that the companies failed to prove they were state-licensed processors and disputed their argument that Virginia law violated the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.
doomed
1 week ago
Home / Legal
Trump’s choice as interim DEA leader is marijuana rescheduling skeptic
By Doomed
January 22, 2025
A former top U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official who cast doubt on marijuana rescheduling last year is President Donald Trump’s interim choice to oversee the DEA – and, potentially, the agency’s historic rescheduling process.
The Trump administration on Monday tapped Derek Maltz to take over as DEA administrator on an interim basis, Bloomberg News reported.
Maltz, whose 28-year DEA career included 10 years as special agent in charge of the agency’s Special Cannabis Operations Division, assumes control from the agency’s previous chief, Anne Milgram.
Maltz will inherit from Milgram an ongoing and contentious process to reclassify marijuana under federal law.
Trump is pro-rescheduling; his DEA pick, not so much
In a September post on his Truth Social platform, Trump signaled support for downgrading marijuana’s status under the Controlled Substances Act, a process that former President Joe Biden launched in October 2022.
That process is in temporary limbo pending an appeal that seeks to remove the DEA as overseer of the process.
Trump loyalists, including Texas Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy praised the selection of Maltz, pointing to the former agent’s resume that includes successes against international “narco cannabis terrorism” and the capture of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Malts also has cast doubt on the marijuana rescheduling process that he’ll now inherit.
It all started in May 2024, when the U.S. Justice Department published the “interim proposed rule” that reclassified marijuana as a Schedule 3 drug, down from Schedule 1.
It was former Attorney General Merrick Garland – not Milgram – who signed off on the finding of “substantial evidence that marijuana does not warrant” its present Schedule 1 status.
An additional memo from the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel that cites DEA objections to reclassifying marijuana indicates the agency fought the decision to pursue rescheduling, a process it now is overseeing.
Maltz: Rescheduling is ‘politics over public safety’
Maltz, then retired from the DEA and working as head of government relations for a software company, also had strong words after the May ruling became public.
“It’s crystal clear to me that the Justice Department hijacked the rescheduling process, placing politics above public safety,” he told the Associated Press.
“If there’s scientific evidence to support this decision, then so be it. But you’ve got to let the scientists evaluate it.”
According to one analysis, such scientific evaluation already had been done: In August 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services found that cannabis has a “currently accepted medical use” in the United States.
However, as the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel memo indicated, the DEA questioned the process used to make that determination.
There’s no clear timeline as to when or if Maltz might entertain the appeal that has temporarily halted the marijuana rescheduling process.
A hearing before Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney II was to begin in earnest Jan. 21.
But that process has been paused indefinitely after an appeal from cannabis interests that accused the DEA of “bias” against rescheduling.
doomed
2 weeks ago
Bunk weed has no traction…😂
Nation’s oldest marijuana retailer facing multiple lawsuits related to unpaid bills
Doomed
January 15, 2025
Berkeley Patients Group (BPG), the nation’s oldest operational marijuana retailer, is embroiled in several lawsuits alleging the operator failed to pay invoices to vendors, landlords and service providers.
The Northern California retailer is facing at least three lawsuits that claim it owes various businesses more than $250,000 in unpaid bills, according to Berkeleyside, a nonprofit digital news outlet.
The lawsuits include:
A December 2023 civic claim by BGP vendor Event Horizon Technologies, which does business in California as Flow Cannabis Co., alleging it’s owed $60,605 for goods, merchandise and other services. Flow Cannabis – often referred to by its flagship brand, Flow Kana – has had financial struggles of its own.
A February 2024 filing by Oakland-based ABC Security Service claiming that BPG failed to pay $73,864 for security services.
A claim early last year by AZ DV Real Estate alleging the cannabis retailer owes $127,160 in rent and other costs. AZ DV owns a Berkeley property at 1101 University Ave. that BPG intended to move to but didn’t.
BGP denied all these allegations in a July 9 court filing, Berkeleyside reported.
The company first opened its doors in 1999 with a mission to serve the sick and dying, especially by providing medical marijuana to those with HIV and Cancer.
Growing at scale not working.
doomed
2 weeks ago
Go Tilray!
Home / Legal
Marijuana rescheduling process paused indefinitely after judge cancels hearing
author profile pictureBy Chris Roberts, Reporter
January 14, 2025
President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will wield a heavier hand than expected over the ongoing marijuana rescheduling saga after the agency’s chief administrative law judge canceled hearings scheduled for next week.
DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney II issued a ruling late Monday that included the cancellation of a hearing scheduled for Jan. 21 pending the outcome of a yet-to-be-filed “interlocutory appeal” to the agency’s eventual administrator.
Anne Milgram currently holds the role of DEA administrator, but she’s likely to be replaced once Trump takes office and appoints a new leader for the drug-enforcement agency.
Trump’s initial nominee to head the DEA, Chad Chronister, abruptly backed out, and the president-elect hasn’t identified another choice.
Judge reacted to pro-rescheduling participants
Mulrooney’s ruling Monday came in response to a Jan. 6 request from two pro-rescheduling “designated participants” that Milgram and her agency be removed from the proceedings for demonstrating what they argue is bias.
In their filing, the participants – Village Farms International, a Florida-based agricultural firm that produces cannabis in Canada under a federal license there, and Texas-based Hemp for Victory – requested that Mulrooney allow them to file an appeal “to the Administrator” should Mulrooney refuse to take action.
And that’s what Mulrooney did, according to a copy of the ruling obtained by MJBizDaily.
“Notwithstanding the pleas of the Designated Participants that they are anxious for action on the proposed rescheduling of marijuana, the (filers) … are apparently eager to trade a timely disposition and recommended decision for the dubious advantage of piling on more” participants, Mulrooney wrote in part.
In his ruling, Mulrooney noted that he must find that granting such permission “is clearly necessary to prevent exceptional delay, expense or prejudice to any party, or substantial detriment to the public interest.”
Doing so now might help avoid a future lawsuit challenging the validity of the whole process, he noted.
“Were my analysis to be reviewed on appeal and determined to constitute prejudicial error, a remand would clearly result in significant delay and expense to the Designated Participants and the process,” Mulrooney added.
Federal law grants the next administrator leeway to consider briefs or schedule oral arguments.
“The matter is on stay here, and the Administrator will issue a briefing schedule, entertain oral argument if he/she desires, and issue a binding, written decision on this tribunal,” Mulrooney added, in part.
Mulrooney’s shock choice to pause the long-awaited rescheduling hearings follows the Jan 6 allegations that the DEA is demonstrating a sharp “bias” against rescheduling marijuana as federal health regulators recommended it do in August 2023.
‘DEA has corrupted this hearing’
In an email to MJBizDaily on Monday, Robert Head, the chair of Hemp for Victory, said only the DEA is to blame for any delay in downgrading marijuana’s status under federal law from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substance Act.
Schedule 1 puts marijuana in the same category as heroin and LSD with no medical value.
“The DEA has corrupted this hearing,” Head said, adding that ensuring the hearing is fair is more important than a rapid resolution.
More on rescheduling
Marijuana rescheduling judge blasts DEA for ‘unprecedented, astonishing’ behavior
Colorado shut out of marijuana rescheduling hearings by ‘biased’ DEA, filing alleges
Finance experts mixed on prospects of marijuana capital infusion post-rescheduling
‘Biggest thing, ever’: Marijuana rescheduling recommendation hailed
“We owe it to the tens of thousands of activists who have worked on this issue over the past 50 years.
“We owe it to the veterans who overdosed and committed suicide because all they had was pharmacotherapy from the VA. We owe it to the people of this country to call out this corruption.
“If this new administration is really concerned about rooting out corruption, they should look into why the DEA is afraid of reclassifying marijuana to Schedule 3, and I don’t think it has to do with public safety.”
Level up your trading with our powerful tools and real-time insights all in one place.
BottomBounce
3 days ago
Lawncare1
6 days ago
EarningsCentral
2 weeks ago
Can'tSparTheGhost
2 weeks ago
Monksdream
3 weeks ago
Hot Features
Premium
