Cannabis Digest Full Issue 52 – Spring 2017

2017 SPRING

FRE E

ISSUE #52

420 Ottawa P. 13

Ted Retires Center

Vegan Brownies P.23

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

CREDITS Publisher

Kristen Mann <kristen@hempology.com>

Editor-in-Chief

ISSUE # 52 SPRING 2017

ARTICLES

Judith Stamps <editor@hempology.ca>

Graphics Editor

Owen Smith <rainbowensmyth@gmail.com>

Cannabis By Mail..........................................P.03

<cannabis.digest.advertising@gmail.com>

Dispensaries and LP's .................................P.07

Advertising

Contributors Ted Smith Judith Stamps Owen Smith Russel Barth (Pottawa) Tracy Lamourie (Toronto) Kristen Mann (Alberta) Julia Veintrop Deb Harper Brent H. Caelan Walton (Alberta) Helen Davids

Cover by Mark Lehtimaki

For editorial questions, letters, or information on submitting: <editor@hempology.ca>

Ontario Updates............................................P.09 420 in Pottawa...............................................P.11 Being a Budtender........................................P.13 Interview with Dr. Price.................................P.14 Ted Smith Retires.................................CENTER Accessing the ACMPR: Part 3.....................P.19 Choosing Pot Not Pills.................................P.21 Interview with the Mayor of Victoria............P.24 Vegan Cannabrownies..................................P.25 Trade Agreements........................................P.27 Clone Rooting Recipe..................................P.30 Shatter Stereotypes......................................P.31 Wordsearch / Comics.....................................P.33

826 Johnson Street V8W 1N3 Phone: 250-381-4220 www.hempology.ca www.cannabisdigest.ca

The Cannabis Digest will not be held responsible for claims made within the pages of the newspaper, nor those made by advertisers. We do not suggest or condone illegal activities, and urge readers to research their countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws, and/or talk to their doctors, before engaging in any activities that could be deemed as illegal or dangerous to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health.

Issue Number 52

Changes at the V-CBC www.CannabisDigest.ca

3

How to access mail order service from Victoria Cannabis Buyers’ Club

(The Cannabis Digest thanks the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club for their many years of support)

Licensed Producer, being able to phone a dispensary can literally be a lifesaver. In a technological world, its very easy for people to sign up even in a rural area, across the country. Imagine if you had to go to another town, sometimes hours away, for a prescription because your doctor said no, yet you couldn't afford physically or financially to travel there?

Julia Veintrop or the people who are unF able to access a Licensed Producer or would rather go to a dispensary, being able to sign up, place an order, make a payment, and get a trackable parcel mailed to your door can mean the difference between living or dying. The Victoria Cannabis Buyers’ Club can help. Dispensaries offer a wide range of edible and topical products that can be difficult, tedious or expensive to make. The mail order cannabis industry connects the patient to the source of their products using both modern technology and an age old system; no one need suffer for lack of access. It is easy and convenient.

For me, walking into a dispensary feels like coming home after being away, and I have heard many people express those same feelings. I love being able to see friends in the cannabis community, and get to know like minded people over a joint. Being able to see new products and ask questions directly to a staff member is a right I value...and take for granted. The prices are comparable to street prices, but I value the clean safe product, education, and consistent variety the Victoria Cannabis Buyers’ Club (VCBC) offers me.

*Your proof of condition does not need to recommend Cannabis for you, or mention it whatsoever. You are not required to tell your physician that you intend to use your POC to acquire cannabis when you go see them to get it.

As a Canadian Citizen, you have a right to access and possess your medical documents, proving your history and condition. You also have the right to take any medicine you would like to treat your own conditions.

Thanks to The Customs Act, the privacy of your mail is protected. There are serious consequences for anyone who “ knowingly opens, keeps, secretes, delays or detains, or permits to be opened, kept, The most common reasons secreted, delayed or detained, someone will ask for a POC is any mail bag or mail or any re- to explain their medical con-

"Your proof of condition does not need to recommend cannabis for you"

ceptacle or device authorized by the Corporation for the posting of mail.” (Section 48, Customs Act).

What you need to sign up:

Every place is different, but at The Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club you require 3 things to be a member from anywhere in Canada:

dition to work, or school, or to begin volunteering. It is not uncommon to really struggle to find the right words to deal with a nosy doctor. Many people live too far from any other options. This is your right and your life! Plus, we are talking about a plant that has never and will never cause a fatal overdose.

How to Contact Us:

The membership form filled out and signed Phone:250-381-4220 Email:hellovcbc@gmail.com A picture, or photo ID - Website: www.v-cbc.ca confirms your identity and provides a picture for your The email is hellovcbc@ membership card (...because gmail.com so all it takes is a we all show our best sides on quick hello which the 3 things our Driver’s License...sorry attached.

I couldn’t help the sarcasm).

It is so easy to forget that most places in Canada are operating with the knowledge, experience and political climate that Victoria faced twenty years ago. An invalu- You can scan your ID at home able key to progressing be- or at any library. yond this old world, factless Your proof of condition* environment is the mail order (POC) - A document that system. gives your full name, your For the person who has a condition, your doctor's name, very conservative doctor and and doctor's signature (eleccannot buy medicine from a tronic signatures accepted).

As soon as your information is confidentially reviewed by the staff, you will be contacted for a brief, over the phone orientation and be able to start receiving products!

Orders are made through both phone and email, totalled

and paid by e-transfer.

Using various shipping options, you can track your package from the moment it leaves the Club!

You can check out all the product options available by going to v-cbc.ca and scrolling to In-Store Menu at the top of the website. Options change often, so please check with a budtender to ensure that your favorites are currently in stock.

For a new member signing up, we understand that the entire dispensary experience, let alone making the decision to try cannabis, can be extremely overwhelming. When your health and quality of life are in danger, trying a new remedy you are feeling uncertain about is downright terrifying.

While some people really enjoy having a short phone orientation, others really want and need to be able to go over all sorts of details relating to their condition and cannabis; often in more than one conversation.

I think I can speak for every budtender when I say that we all live for the moments when we can pass on that one key piece of information that is going to change someone's life forever. If you feel like you would like to have a longer orientation, or if you just have some questions and need some in depth information and advice, give us a call in advance and we can set up a time.

The best benefit to using the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club, in particular, is the human connection element.

Even if you live in a extremely rural, mainly uninhabited area we can mail you your medicine and answer all your questions.

With new information coming out every day, there is so much to learn about and say when it comes to cannabis; it is also very hard to absorb a lot of information at one time.

If you need to, we can talk on several occasions and honestly, we are happy to repeat ourselves for you as many times as it takes. We all had to learn from a place of knowing, ask away!

Cannabis Digest â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2017

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

EDITORS NOTE: As I See It suffering. Or just fails to see it, or does see it and doesn’t care. So here, instead, is a rant.

Judith Stamps

I

t is difficult to write a cheery note in the midst of raids on dispensaries, relentless arrests (some 60,000 at last count), and the stress imposed on Canadian patients, trying to find sympathetic doctors, just too few and too far between. It is hard to feel uplifted when newfangled racketeers, who charge patients three to five hundred dollars for a simple medical recommendation, surround us. It is nigh impossible to maintain faith in a pro-legalization government that remains silent, and belligerent in the face of this

The Liberal Party of Canada, the party we cheered back in October of 2015, has broken faith with the Canadians who voted for Justin Trudeau because they wanted to see cannabis legalized—Canadians who continue to value cannabis for its incomparable qualities: its ability to aid in relaxation, to heighten senses, to heal, and to enhance spirituality. The Liberals’ continued harassment of cannabis fans, no matter what the official explanation, is a betrayal. Moreover, there are far too many federal Liberals personally invested in the success of the Licensed Producers, many of which lobby aggressively to have cannabis dispensaries shut down. So it is not a matter, as the media continue to suggest, of legitimate cannabis battling street cannabis, but rather of mega business trying to drive out

small and medium business.

Activists, to quote Marc Emery, have put themselves at risk for decades to help legalize their own activities— growing cannabis, and providing it to citizens who wish to consume it. They did not put themselves at risk to have someone march in, take over the industry, and throw them all out. We’re in a battle for the survival of cannabis culture, and of Canada’s local producers.

5

cation, therefore, remains relevant, indeed, essential.

As of this issue, Cannabis Digest is under the direction of a new publisher. Kristen Mann has stepped up to fill the place left behind by retiring activist, Ted Smith. If you have stories, or reports, or theories to share, do join Kristen and the rest of us in continuing to bring activists information, and hope. Legalization may or may not be around the corner. But let’s Sad to say, the Liberal Party make sure that activists’ voicof Canada has maintained a es can be heard in as many doggedly uncharitable way of corners as possible. framing the legalization project. Its members appear to have no positive lens through Editor@Hempology.ca which they can view it. Saving kids from gangs, as Justin puts his project, provides a pathetic framework. It can bring neither happiness nor justice to the movement that has struggled so long to bring the cannabis plant into the light. The continued campaign of civil disobedience, and especially of public edu-

6

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: An Introduction

are options to look up internet archives but it seems unlike someone will unearth a clay pot a few thousand years from now with a usb drive in it.

There is magic in uneditable words from the past speaking to you. Perhaps someday my children’s children will be going through old trunks of my things and discover my collection of Cannabis Digest. They will be able to read and understand how people like you Kristen Mann and I helped to change cannabis law and policy in Canada so that the next generation hen I heard that Ted (hopefully) could be free from was retiring at the these awful laws. beginning of February, I was surprised but I understand Sometimes when I am readthat this is what he needs in ing articles on the internet I his life. The happiness and excitement I hear in his voice as he speaks about his work on his brand new tea business, Gayle’s Teas, is reminiscent of his spirit when we first met. have to google what I am readAfter spending many years ing to make sure that I am not working closely with Ted at being fooled. Even then I could the Buyer’s Club, but also still be duped. While there are with the Cannabis Digest and many reputable new agencies Hempology, I was sad to think around the world, there are that all the hard work and love also those that are built on lies that countless individuals put and half truths. I feel more in over the years would fall confident in the journalistic into disrepair. Ted may have standards being applied when been the heart of Hempol- I look at print media. I know ogy, but our volunteers are our that an editor and a publisher arms, our eyes and our voice. have gone through what I am I have served as both a writer about to read and fact checked and editor of Cannabis Di- it. I know that printing a regest in the past, and felt heart traction is less desirable than broken that so many people’s simply updating a website. stories would lose an audience. Call me old fashioned but I I am very excited to be taking have trust in what I read in over as the interim publisher print. of the Cannabis Digest. This is a big responsibility to take One of the nicest things on, but luckily I have lots of that I have encountered in the amazing people to help. If you last few month is the people I want to help please feel wel- speak with on a daily basis. Of come. We are always looking course we could all be writing for more writers and view- our own blog posts or makpoint to contribute to both the ing our own websites to tell print articles and the website. our stories; but how would Particularly, we would love to anyone find our stories? I for feature new writers from in- one love that I can turn to one terior BC, the north, the prai- place to find cannabis stories, and Quebec. Our board of ries from across the country. directors meets monthly at the I think that we are strongest Green Ceiling in Victoria BC. when we stand together. We Check out www.hempology.ca have the opportunity to ofto find the date and agenda for fer and receive help, to learn, the next meeting. and to feel love and support

W

Speaking of community, one of the greatest things about print media is how easy it is to share. I know there isn’t a like button, but with a newspaper you can physically hand it to someone else who would enjoy it. There are many small communities across this great country that would love to have access to a compendium of cannabis information. I encourage you to take a few copies of the newspaper. Give one to your old neighbour who wonders how to make cookies, or mail one to your friend in Manitoba that has never seen a cannabis storefront or teach your mom how to find our website. The more we all work together the more likely

"One of the greatest things about print media is how easy it is to share."

While I am aware that the world en masse is switching to digital news, I believe the print media will forever fill a void that a blog can not. While you are always welcome to check us out online at CannabisDigest.ca we hope to continue printing the paper for years to come. The permanency of print has yet to be replicated by digital media. I know there

from our community. We will always offer the information Cannabis Digest has for free so that everyone can access it.

We have asked all the businesses and dispensaries and people that distribute the digest to help cover the costs of mailing and printing it. Please remember to thank your local provider for their commitment and contribution.

it is that legalization will take a sensible shape that works for everyone.

As I dig deeper into the many roles that Ted filled with Cannabis Digest, I can see how overwhelming of a job he really had. On an average

day I have answered emails, phone call and facebook messages while trying to organize with a team that all work remotely and network with other activists in the movement. I hope that the countless hours I have been putting into getting us organized will pay off in the end with an easier work stream for all of us and less confusion and delay when new people and organizations want to become involved.While I know that I have some very large shoes to fill I can express how grateful I am to Ted for his gentle guidance and patient answering of all my queries.

Many of our long term advertisers, writers, and dispensary distributors have heard from me in the last few weeks.

I am trying to reach out to all of the beautiful people that help to make this newspaper possible. There may be some big changes as we move forward but I hope that we can do a bit of pruning now so we can grow strongly into the future.

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

LPs and Dispensaries How The Grey Market Adds Legitimacy To Licensed Producers

and someone has some cannabis to sell. You can also order online without documentation, or if you live within a reasonable distance from a cannabis dispensary, you can go there.

By Debra Harper A significant percentage of patients (42%) reported accessing cannabis from illegal/unregulated sources in addition to access via LPs, and over half (55%) were charged money to receive a medical recommendation to use cannabis, with nearly 25% paying $300 or more.

-International Drug Policy

Journal

For those with legal access, many times patients will log on to their LP’s site to order product they want, but find that it is not available. Mettrum was sold out of all their dried flower product for several weeks.

fer oil, but none stock baked goods, tinctures, and topicals, which represent increasingly popular methods of using cannabis. Some grey market dealers are even offering cookies and brownies to stay competitive in today’s high stakes market. Online and retail grey market dispensaries offer a wide variety of products from dried flowers to baked goods, tinctures, topicals and oils.

W

The statistics tell the story: A significant percentage of patients (42%) reported accessing cannabis from illegal/unregulated sources in addition to access via LPs, and over half (55%) were charged money to receive a medical recommendation to use cannabis, with nearly 25% paying $300 or more. Why is that?

manner, the grey market will continue to thrive. The challenges ahead are many, but looking at what works and what doesn’t will help to assimilate as much of the grey market as possible into a regulated market.

References (1) Int J Drug Policy. 2017 Feb 9;42:30-35. doi: 10.1016/j. drugpo.2017.01.011.

Medical cannabis access, use, and substitution for prescription opioids and other substances: A survey of authorized medical cannabis patients.

Lucas P, Walsh Z. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pubmed/28189912

of

e hear how well Licensed Producers (LP’s) are doing in the legal medical cannabis market, how stocks are going up, how the market is expanding, and how everything is rosy and fine.

But many problems with the legal market are being masked by the entrenched grey market.

The proof is summarized in a paper entitled, “Medical Cannabis Access, Use, And Substitution For Prescription Opioids And Other Substances: A Survey Of Authorized Medical Cannabis Patients,” published recently in the International Journal of Drug Policy. (1)

7

What are patients supposed to do? They turn to the grey market of course. We don’t hear much grumbling about the LP’s for this reason – everyone is getting what they want one way or another.

Compared to accessing the grey market, the procedure to access legal cannabis is onerous. Once you have a doctor’s recommendation, you have to pick an LP, and if you are not satisfied, you must go back to your doctor, get another medical document for a different LP, wait for it to be processed, then place your order. With the grey market you have lots of options.

There is also the wait for delivery, and the charges. Canada Post delivers the medicine in 2-4 business days (longer if a weekend falls within the delivery time), and if you miss the delivery, which requires a signature, you wait an extra day, and must pick it up at the post office. With the grey market, access can be fairly instantaneous if you have a dealer that is well stocked, with delivery or pickup within an hour. You can also see what you are purchasing, and sometimes get credit if you are strapped for cash. Nothing like that exists with the legal market.

In the legal market, you must get a recommendation from your doctor. For some, this is no problem, especially if they live in an urban centre that has cannabis clinics. Some clinics charge a fee, up to $400, to access this service, while others do it for free. For some patients, their doctors refuse to Another shortfall of the legal sign and that leaves them out market is the lack of choice of in the cold. To access the grey ingestion methods. LP’s offer market, you simply ask around, dried flowers, and some of-

If the government is serious about eliminating the grey market, these are all things it should keep in mind. Without allowing people to access cannabis in an easy and timely

Cannabis Digest â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2017

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

Ontario Updates

9

The Province Sees A Rapid Rise in Raids and Arrests OF PROV PARLIAMENTS AND MUNICIPAL POLITICOS, which was published in its entirety on the CannabisDigest.ca a day after the hearing.

I'll share a short excerpt of that here, because I think it's important to consider.

win, long time Toronto activist (and one of the CC5) said to Cannabis Digest, "This year is the Farewell 420 at YDsquare, so that is the biggest thing. The plan is to make it the biggest best one ever."

Now, there is one thing I've learned about the resilience of this community. No matter what they throw at us, they can't stop the parties! And they make a difference.

"I’d like to clear a few things up for you. Whatever you think of Marc Emery, and we certainly have had and still do have our major disagreements and differences, and we are not friends, it will not keep me from But the Ontario canna comTracy Lamourie saying this: the action he and munity isn't just gearing up for Jodie Emery took in opening a party. They're showing their his issue marks my one Cannabis Culture dispensaries heart. year anniversary writing across Canada serving adults this column, so let me start it by thanking you all for coming along on this journey with me.

The last 12 months have been interesting ones in the canna world, to say the least, and as we look ahead to spring and summer 2017, 420, and the Global Marijuana March, it's hard to say where we'll be when all the smoke clears.

T

Normally at this time of the year, the canna-community's thoughts are on the 420 celebrations. From the iconic YongeDundas Square event in Toronto, where each year’s event is bigger than the last, seeing upwards of 20,000 people creating literal clouds of smoke in the skies, to the smaller towns and cities where 420 celebrants still face arrests and police actions.

We always knew this year’s 420 celebrations would be different.

(Britney Guerra and Jodie Emery in Court)

over 19, showed thousands and thousands of people across this country what a store selling cannabis as a regular consumer product could look like. Canadians voted with their dollars, each CC practically had lineups around the block upon opening.

Most of those people had never had the chance to see a medical dispensary in operation. People liked what they saw, regular people, regular Canadians. The government noticed, and saw it as a threat to the plans they have for cannabis distribution.

With the government's promise of legalization in the air, initially many expressed the hope, and concern, that this might be the last traditional 420. Perhaps the years to come would bring Though the initial media reattempted corporate co-opting ports parroted the police deof the day, much the way Pride partment's lines (full of fear has gone from an activist event of the new drug, ‘shatter,’ and to a corporate behemoth! equating a dispensary using a But in March, the government franchise model to "organized and local Police forces ramped crime,') in recent days, many up their battle against the plant, more thoughtful pieces have apmost notably the Toronto Po- peared from all sides of the police, who added the well-named litical spectrum denouncing the Project Gator (it's a croc! It's Project Gator raids. slimey!) to their list of shame, Cannabis Digest will be reright beside 2016's Project porting on this situation as it Claudia. continues to develop.

I attended the Bail HearAs I write this, 420 is just a ing for the Cannabis Culture month away, and cannabis activ5 in Toronto after the Project ists and enthusiasts are gearing Gator arrests, and I shared my thoughts in AN OPEN LET- up for a memorable one. ToronTER TO MY FRIENDS IN to's 420 has long been celebrated MEDIA, MEMBERS OF at Yonge Dundas Square, since PARLIAMENT, MEMBERS the earliest days of the legendary Hash Mob. As Erin Good-

In Ottawa, at the 290life Canna Charity Event's 420 Afterparty, hosted (with a dab bar!) at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch on 330 Kent Street, passionate canna-community supporters, and reggae/rock band, The Yappers, have put together a fantastic fundraising event in support of a local canna-needy

patient, little 9 year old Liam McKnight, who needs cannabis medicine to help him fight Dravet's Syndrome. Canna community businesses from across Canada really have answered the call in support. The Yappers were able to gather so many donations, they ran out of room to list sponsors on the poster! Raffles and Draws were being held with 100% of the profits going to the McKnight family.

Meanwhile, back in Toronto, CannaBliss events is once again planning their annual KIDSTER event, "our annual fundraiser to buy Easter gifts for children living in a homeless shelter. " This year's fundraiser for the event includes comedy hosted by Bobby Knauff and special guest, Precious Chong.

They have secured sponsorship for this year’s event, but if you are seeing this before Easter, you still have a chance to donate gifts or funds for the purchase of gifts and a wonderful, organic, healthy meal for the kids at the shelter.

Thanks to The Yappers and to CannaBliss for having so much heart!

If you're a local cannabis activist or canna business working to make a difference like this in your community, tell us about it!

This is what our community is all about! And these kinds of initiatives are to be applauded.

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

An Open Letter Regarding the Emery's Tracy Lamourie AN OPEN LETTER TO MY FRIENDS IN MEDIA, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, MEMBERS OF PROV PARLIAMENT AND MUNICIPAL POLITICOS :

I

'd like to clear a few things up for you. Whatever you think of Marc Emery, and we certainly have had and still do have our major disagreements and differences-we are not friends--but that will not keep me from saying this: the action he and Jodie Emery took in opening Cannabis Culture dispensaries across Canada serving adults over 19 showed thousands and thousands of people across this country what a store selling cannabis as a regular consumer product could look like. Canadians voted with their dollars, each

CC practically had lineups around the block upon opening. Most of those people had never had the chance to see a medical dispensary in operation. People liked what they saw, regular people, regular Canadians. The government noticed, and it was a threat to the plans they have for cannabis distribution. Others followed their 19 plus model. The actions against them and their three co defendant activists in the

lot of you 'remember,' let's be real). Responsible producers now use safer closed loop systems for extract production, and many patients find it a more effective way of medicating. Further, the reason the police are using ‘shatter’ to spin you, is because they KNOW they've long lost the public relations war on pot, and the Canadian public doesn't support cannabis arrests.

investigation started the day after Jodie made some excellent points when interrupting the Toronto Police press conference after last year's Project Claudia raids attacking other dispensaries. Now 5 people, Marc Emery and Jodie Emery, but also long time Toronto activists Chris Goodwin and Erin Goodwin and Hamilton's Britney Anne Guerra, face serious charges. No prison for pot!

PLUS... This is POLITICAL - and the bail conditions even silence their speech about Cannabis Culture. They can't even operate their media sites. This is I've never been a fan of the CANADA, and that is just Emerys, and I have been vo- not right. cal about that at times, but as an observer watching it all unfold in the media and seeing two locations, I fully support their actions in opening the Cannabis Culture stores. I was in court yesterday, and I am incensed that the government is using these extremely heavy handed tactics in what is clearly a political move. Note: the

"I fully support their actions in opening the Cannabis Culture stores" "Project Gator" raids are unjust, heavy handed, and pretty damn shocking. Equating a franchise model to "organized crime" is disingenuous and the fear tactics about the new drug, ‘shatter’ are ridiculous. I don't want to see any of my media friends repeat that. You should know better. Shatter is nothing more than an extract made from cannabis (similar to hash and oil that I KNOW for a fact a

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

Ottawa's Unique 420 History

11

How the Iconic Celebration Found It's Way To The Nation's Capital that, with no police presence, there were plenty of dealers and weirdos around.

People got backpacks grabbed, girls were putting up with uninvited sexual touching, and every freak from The Byward Market was in there doing what freaks do in crowds.

Russell Barth

T

he first 420 celebration in Canada was held in Vancouver in 1995, and some time shortly after that, Ottawa held its first informal 420 gathering in Major’s Hill Park, immediately across the street from the eyesore of a US Embassy on Sussex Drive.

does a 420 event take place on the lap of the seat of power. Toronto and Vancouver might have much larger crowds and open sales, but they are not sitting right on the lawn of the Federal Government. Aside from bursting into the building, we cannot get any closer to the people in All of that changed in 2012, power. when The City Of Ottawa passed a new bylaw prohibiting smoking There are many challenges to of any kind in all parks. When putting a 420 show together on I arrived at Major’s Hill Park at The Hill, however, not least of about 3:00 pm that April 20th, which is sound. Because of the

"We cannot get any closer to the people in power."

there were maybe 20 attendees spread out in little groups of four and five on the lawn, and 25 cops telling them to leave. Marc-Boris St-Maurice organized that one, and it was the first time I These early gatherings were had ever addressed a crowd that small: a few hundred people, no size (about 4,000). advertising before the event, no posters around town, no PA sysSince then, 420 has been on tem, no speeches, no bands, no Parliament Hill exclusively, and activists. The crowd grew in size every year (weather permitting), and by 2002, Parliament Hill was seeing informal gatherings as well, spill-off from the crowd over at Major’s Hill.

I am not sure who did it, or when it was that someone first brought a PA system onto Parliament Hill for 420, but there were several cannabis-related events on The Hill before that for Million Marijuana Marches in May, and other medical-potrelated protests during the summers of 2000-2005.

The Major’s Hill Park events, which I never attended, were reportedly a mixed bag.

it has been a varying success evThe good part was, there was ery time. basically no police present at all.

The events were just informal, The cool part about Ottawa loose gathering of stoners, which 420 is that nowhere else on earth felt very free. The bad part was

Centre, East, and West blocks of the complex itself, and the stone, glass, and concrete across the street, the sound on The Hill is just terrible. Whether you bring a bullhorn or a stadium-sized PA system, all you get on most of the lawn is a cacophony of overlapping syllables (or music) that is really hard to tolerate.

zone close to the PA where you can hear clearly without going deaf, but if you move further back it becomes increasingly messy.

The next challenge is the weather. Whatever the weather is in Ottawa, the weather on The Hill will be even more so. Cold and windy? Worse on The Hill.

Too hot? The Hill feels like an anvil. Also, the weather in Ottawa in mid-April can range anywhere from “parkas-and-bootcleats” to “t-shirts-and-sandals”, sometimes in as little as 48 hours, so renting a huge PA system and stage setup for a show that could be rained or even snowed out is too risky.

The other challenge is the lawn itself. The lawn on Parliament Hill is not a lawn on the ground, like you’d find in a park, it is just several inches of topsoil and sod sitting atop a two-story building.

Inside that building are (among other things) weather-avoidance tunnels connecting the East, West, and Centre blocks of Parliament to the PM’s and others’ offices across the street. This can make the “lawn” quite soggy in April, meaning it can be unpleasant to stand on, and impossible to sit on, even if it hasn’t rained in a few days.

The other issue is the massive police presence, which many people find off-putting, and which just as many people love (because they get to toke in front of cops with impunity!). The RCMP guard the entire Parliament Hill complex year-round, so whether it is a 420 crowd or a Canada Day Celebration, they have a set of protocols that says a crowd of a certain size needs a corresponding number of officers.

Speeches and songs become a garbled mess, audibly, if you are Organizers of any kind of too far back, and making it loud- event must get a permit from er only makes it worse. Like any Hill security to hold any event, amplified event, there is a sweet and there is a list of rules that

“[A] prominent lawyer in modernizing cannabis policies.”

must be followed. They can’t say no to anyone who asks for a permit, so there was some confusion in 2016 when event organizer David-George Oldham got a permit without knowing that someone else had already acquired oneweeks earlier. To avoid this confusion, I acquired the permit for the 2017 in May, phoning The Hill on April 21st to make sure.

between the organizers and the Liberal Party Of Canada. But this year is different. The event will be hosted by local activists Alex Nucombe, Shawn Mac, and Ming Saad.

Mac, of course, is one of The Ottawa Nine, having the distinction of being the first person in Ottawa’s history to be cuffed in a marijuana dispensary raid.

Nucombe was busted at CannaFor many years, people from all bis Culture this March, and Saad over Canada have asked why Ot- is one of the founding members tawa’s 420 isn’t more like Toron- of Patients’ Lives Matter. to’s and Vancouver’s, why the envelope doesn’t get pushed more, The PA system is being proand why people are not throwing vided and handled by impresario joints to the crowd, or selling ed- Wayne Robillard (of BuzzOn ibles or giving away fancy bongs. and Reefer Madness fame), and local business, Crosstown TrafThe answer is simple enough. fic, THC Emporium, (and othThis is the cops’ place; we are ers to be named later) are sponjust using it. Well, to be more soring the event. clear, it is public property, but it is managed like private property.

Pottawa producer Nathanael Sort of like the lawn around a Newton is attempting an unmuseum as opposed to a public precedented five-part, multipark, the whole place belongs camera live stream of the entire to everyone, but we hired these event (with breaks), which I will people to manage it, and that’s be “hosting.” We are also setting what they are doing. up systems to record the entire event for posterity, and for the For example, there is no com- first time, 420 Ottawa will have merce on The Hill. Not just for marshals (decked out in snazzy 420, but for anything, ever. green/white tie-dye TEAM 420 shirts).

So no open sales. Next, they provide the power. If, at 3:45, The roster of speakers is still someone decides to take the being compiled as this article stage and throw a pound of goes to my editor. The main joints to the audience, the power feature of this year’s event will gets shut off, and the cops start be The Freak Zone. With the dispersing the crowd, spoiling vastly-increased presence of edThe Big Moment at 4:20pm for ibles in Ottawa, and the surging everyone. popularity of dabbing, we are expecting a few attendees to catch No tents are allowed on The a dose of the Cold Sweats. We’re Hill, so we can’t even have kiosks planning a fenced-off zone to for activism groups to offer their the west of the stage where peoservices. ple can bring any friends who Green Out. So, with all these challenges and setbacks, why do people Ottawa is known to be dull, come to this event? For each not just for locals, but for the other. They come to be part of tourists who come here, and the crowd, to say that they were the people who travel here frethere, smoking pot on the front quently for work. Sure, we have lawn of Canada’s Parliament.

Bluesfest and a few other funish events, but April 20th, 2017 I have not been to every 420, promises to be the coolest that and have even boycotted a few of Ottawa has ever been. them because of what I considered a far-too-cozy relationship

—Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

“Vancouver-based lawyer who recently won a landmark medical cannabis case in the Supreme Court.”

—Winnipeg Sun

“Kirk Tousaw has always been a thorn in the side of authority when it comes to the laws surrounding marijuana.”

—Law Times News

“[Successfully] represented many clients in high-profile marijuana-related cases.”

—The Globe and Mail

Cannabis Criminal Defense • Medical Cannabis Compliance Strategic Litigation • Law Reform • Dispensary Regulation ConTACT uS for information about our customizable ReTAineR PACKAgeS

Kirk Tousaw

•

Barrister & Advocate

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

Being a Budtender

13

The Reality of Being A Budtender When Everyone Is Getting Arrested

Julia Veintrop

f you ask any budtender on a good day why they chose their particular line of work, most of them will have a very personal reason; some of have recovered from grave illnesses, watched a loved one miraculously heal, or just had a passion for the plant. In many cases, the logic behind choosing a cannabis job “outside the law,” as it was put by the police chief responsible for the raids in Saint John, is usually more about moral obligation than it is about mischief. There is a complex combination of different levels of rationale that drive us to do what we do, and all of them

I

are connected to a feeling in the heart and deep in the gut. The possibility of having the police walk in to arrest and charge you with drug trafficking is no small or idle threat, and everyone doing this job is well aware of that.

However, the alternative we face is looking a dying cancer patient in their lashless eyes, and telling them you can get what they need but you cannot give it to them.

I think I can speak for all of us currently working as budtenders when I say, “arrest me officer or let me get back to work.”

Furthermore, we are wasting tax dollars arresting people for a law that is past due to become invalid. During the 2016 Toronto raids, a.k.a. Project Claudia, police arrested 90 people, yet most of these charges were dropped or committed to bylaw fines. This entire operation was labeled a “colossal waste of resources” by representing lawyer Selwyn Pieters.

The difference that exists between legal and illegal dispensaries in Canada is simply difference between those who can,

"Arrest me off icer or let me get back to work"

Regardless of whatever spiritual beliefs you have, I believe we can all agree that if you can spend your life helping end the pain and suffering of others, then you have done something good with the time you are given. It is horrifying to me that in 2017, we are still fighting amongst ourselves for the ability to simply heal each other.

and those who cannot, pay the amount required to apply to become a Licensed Producer.

There are definitely benefits to be becoming an “LP” but there are also many negatives; the biggest negative is the restriction on products that you will be allowed to offer. Thanks to the Extracts Case in 2015, Her Majesty The Queen vs. Owen Smith, patients

have the right to access edibles.

But LPs often carry no edibles, capsules, salves or extracts, and if this is what targets your condition, you will find no help at a Licensed Producer. Dispensaries allow for access to those who can’t get what they need at an LP, not to mention variety!

If you work at a dispensary as a budtender, your job is considered illegal. Even if you are paying taxes and employment insurance, the police can arrest and charge you with something that will follow you for the rest of your life. In fact, this is happening right now all over North America. However, if you decide to quit, there might be many who suffer for having lost your talents and all the gifts they bring to this industry. This is no small burden; in my heart, I bear it with pride. For those of us budtending, waking up every day and going into work is an act of civil disobedience done with love. In the words of Bob Marley, “The sun shall not smite I by day not the moon by night, and everything I do shall be upfull and right.

Cannabis Digest â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2017

Interview with Dr. Price Doctor Shares His Forward Thinking Perspective On the Use of Cannabinoids in Medicine

should be the creed of all medicine. Using cannabis is no exception. We have been extremely fortunate with cannabis, for the past 30 years governments have funded plenty of studies trying to prove the harmful effects of cannabis on the human body, and each time, and for the most part, without exception the majority of these studies failed to show significant harm, and in the contrary, showed us that cannabis has a large safety profile.

opioid overdoses! Each shift, I see at least 1 or 2 overdoses, intoxications or abusers all because of opioids and it needed to stop. This is my way of stopping it. I have 2700 patients in my Hamilton clinic, all of whom work on decreasing their narcotic use! Our success is astonishing.

Tracy Lamourie : You've become extremely well known in the medical community in

Tracy Lamourie r. I r a Pr i c e i s D an Assistant Clinical Professor in

the Division of Emergency Medicine through the Department of Internal Medicine at McMaster University. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons trained in Emergency Medicine, with a Fellowship in Sports Medicine. Dr. Price is internationally known for his leadership in the clinical application of cannabinoids.

The founder of the Medical Cannabis Journal Club of Hamilton, Dr. Price also opened Synergy Health Services, a groundbreaking clinic that was the first in Ontario dedicated solely to evaluating patients for the use of medical cannabis. Relying on evidence based principles, Dr. Price developed an effective clinical pathway for the evaluation of patients. His second clinic, Synergy Health Services in Burlington, opens April 19th.

Dr. Price's dedication and forward thinking on the use of cannabinoids in medicine has been recognized in Canada and abroad, and he has lectured to countless physicians around the world on the topic. Dr. Price's extensive knowledge and varied expertise in different aspects of the cannabis market makes him an authority on the medical cannabis industry in Canada.

He sat down with Cannabis Digest's Tracy Lamourie for this exclusive interview.

Tracy Lamourie : Tell me about how cannabis helps patients with various ailments, from a medical perspective Dr. Ira Price : The key is to first "Do no Harm," then do everything you can! This

Sure we need larger longitudinal studies, but which drug doesn't? To deny this body of literature is to deny our duty to do no harm. And not seeing cannabis as an alternative to traditional medicine, especially opioids, is to cause patient harm!

Tracy Lamourie : Cannabis as treatment for opioids has been in the news lately, and a lot of patients who use cannabis report success in replacing opioids with cannabis based medicine. What can you tell us about your experience in that regard?

Dr Ira Price : Cannabis has the potential to be used for an array of diseases and ailments.

The vast majority of pain patients are tired of their opioids.

They are tired of popping pills that can potentially kill them.

In Canada, one of the leading causes of death in young people, either intentional or otherwise, is opioids. Have you seen cannabis killing people? I don't think so. If cannabis is so dangerous the bodies would be piling up. 40 percent of our population has tried it and 14 percent use it on a regular basis, but there are no bodies!

While on the other hand, opioid overdoses are increasing to a dangerous level! We know there are synergies between opioids and cannabis, so of course it works. We have the literature and I certainly have the patients to show for it...I got into cannabinoid medicine because I was tired of seeing

terms of training other physicians on the applications of cannabis for medical reasons.

What has the response been to your message?

Dr Ira Price : For the past 5 years I've been fortunate enough to educate hundreds of physicians on the clinical application of cannabis. Cannabis wasn't one of the subjects we studied in Medical school, and to no physicians fault, most don't even know where to begin. It can be intimidating for a physician, who is held to the unrealistic standard of "knowing all" about health, to sit with a patient who knows more about a drug than they do. So I don't blame physicians who don't prescribe cannabis. That being said, cannabis is here to stay, and so I made it my mission to educate as many physicians as possible on the use of cannabis in medicine. I've taken serious flack for it in the early years for sure. When I first started, there weren't more than a handful of physicians prescribing cannabis, and there were no guidelines or protocols, I sat out there basically waving my flag all alone and ya, it brought a lot of attention. I didn't care, I was helping patients! One day I'd be used by the media as a medical expert (for example Global National) and the next day I'd be their public enemy. There was a significant amount of poor reporting. This still happens. It's a systemic issue, just as it is in medicine. At least in medicine, we search for truth,

no matter what our particular bias. So I found myself trying to change the message and now colleges accept cannabis, physicians are prescribing it, a legal industry is literally blooming in front of us, and I'll keep on educating until that message is clear: cannabis is a safe and a viable alternative or adjunct for many ailments.

Tracy Lamourie : We still have a way to go before most physicians are as comfortable prescribing cannabis as they are pharmaceuticals. What kinds of things do you hear from other doctors who are confused about cannabis as medicine, and how do you respond?

Dr Ira Price : I sometimes hear other doctors say: "My patients just want to smoke the stuff and be lazy." My response to that is, that any drug can be abused. The message should be clear, it's not for everyone and no drug, whatever it is should be abused. Doctors also often ask me, 'How do you dose cannabis.?' That requires a long answer. The short answer is follow "The Price Protocol," which is the protocol I created 4 years ago for initiating the naive user.

The most fascinating sociological part of cannabis is that it's the only medicine I can think of that truly requires a collaborative process between patient and physician.

Tracy Lamourie : You also have an interesting perspective on all of this, because in addition to your clinics you work not only as an emergency room doctor, but you actively work in sports medicine. What is your opinion on athletes and the use of cannabis?

Dr Ira Price : We know it's safe, we know it isn't a performance enhancing drug, we know it's Neuroprotective (it protects the brain), so why not?

Why are opioids that kill people ok? It's backwards thinking. It's not progressive and it's not science, if we continue to ban cannabis! Addiction amongst athletes is an issue, I know because I work with teams! We can avoid these things! It's my recommendation that cannabis should to be seriously considered and taken off the ban substances list!

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

tells us a story that sticks out about a patient who benefited Tracy Lamourie : What is from cannabis where other your opinion on the way the medicines had not helped? mainstream media reports on cannabis as medicine?

Dr. Ira Price : I'm going to give you hundreds of stories!

Dr. Ira Price : I have one The experience is not unique major regret throughout this anymore.

I have approxiwhole experience, and that's mately 2700 patients in my that I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to Hamilton clinic. We have a change the conversation in 75% success rate at decreasing the media. We are still using patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opioid use. We have terms like marijuana, despite a huge success rate at getting knowing its origins, we are patients off their opioids altostill portraying cannabis users gether. Patients whose opioid holding big blunts and smok- doses are 8-10 times higher ing joints. When the news than the recommended daily comes on I see it being report- amounts come in at wits end! ed as the Wild West or "pot They are frustrated, their phynation," but the truth is cannabis is far from this, and it's my regret that I haven't been able to explore these avenues with a reliable media source.

For the most part I've always avoided the media because after what Global National sicians are frustrated, their did, I didn't trust any of them. family is in shambles, and no What they did was totally one knows where to turn. So inaccurate, sensationalized they put their faith in us. This reporting, that severely dam- is the story of Synergy on a aged both the medicine and daily basis, and it doesn't matmy reputation. So I avoided ter if you are 3 years old (our them. They seem always to youngest CBD prescribed pacome back when there are tient) or 93 (our eldest candefeats, but never during the nabis patient). We work with successes, and the success of our patients. We don't judge cannabis far outweighs the de- them. We accept them. We feats and setbacks. I focussed collaborate and counsel, and on my patients, and I still do then create a treatment plan. but the conversation needs to I couldn't be more proud of change, and now it's time. a group of healthcare workers and patients than those that you see at Synergy. Sure, canTracy Lamourie : Can you nabis doesn't work for every-

one. I've had to fire patients for being abusive to our physicians and staff. I've had to call the police, and I've dealt with threats and complaints from patients, unsatisfied, and not getting what they want. But at the end of the day, these people are far fewer than our outstanding patients. In general, I explain the benefit of cannabis on a population like this; out of five people, it works excellent for two, OK for one, and doesn't do much for two.

Tracy Lamourie : How has the landscape changed?

"There was negative feedback from everyone, aside from the patients"

Dr. Ira Price : When I first began prescribing Cannabis in 2010, there was negative feedback from everyone, aside from the patients. I had the media accusing me of "charging money to access health care," I've had the college investigate my clinics for four years, and 97% of my patients were self referred. Today, seven years later, I have a 99% physician referral clinic with over three hundred referring physicians; I have 2700 patients in my Hamilton clinic and am just about to open a Cannabis Wellness Centre in Burlington full with Vape Yoga and

15

exercise therapy.

I've published a clinical guide to prescribing Cannabis with a specific dosing protocol "The Price Protocol" named by another physician, which is used by physicians around the country. My practice has been peer reviewed and accepted by the College. I've lectured at most large medical schools around the province. I've educated thousands of physicians around the country. The conversation in the media, although still has a way to go, has come quite far; and most importantly, cannabis is viewed, in my opinion, by the majority of Canadians as a therapeutic option! This is amazing. Has the journey been easy? Hell no! I've taken bumps and bruises. I've been the scapegoat for everyone at some point. But I've also never felt better. I've seen cannabis change the lives of thousands of people and I've been at the forefront of a new, developing medication, and an industry built on the request of patients who have had enough.

Sure, there are roads that still need to be crossed. Landlords are hesitant to lease space, and community members are hesitant to have cannabis related services in their neighbourhoods, but this is just a matter of education and these barriers are being "uprooted" one lecture at a time.

Cannabis Digest â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2017

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

19

Kid Canna Ted Smith Draws Curtain

Ted Smith T

Little did I know as I was preparing to be the Master of Ceremonies at the first 420 in Vancouver in 1995 that I would have such an important role to play in the legalization of cannabis. At the time I had committed to writing a textbook for Hempology 101 to educate the public about cannabis, hemp and prohibition. Soon after moving to Victoria and starting a Hempology 101 Club at UVic, I began meeting patients that needed access to cannabis products. I met an herbalist and baker, and started the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club while living in a van in Jan 1996.

wenty two years ago, at the tender age of 25, I started to attend Hempology 101 meetings, and was infected with a passion that has fueled me in a course that would change Canadian history. That passion brought me together with the most incredible woman I have ever met, a woman who died at home last fall after a long battle with cancer. Now my broken heart is It has been a wild ride since. too heavy to continue and I can look back on my career with great pride, One day I hope to write a book of having accomplished all of the goals stories of my activism, as I could tell that I set out to do, and much more, dozens of tales about this fascinating with few major setbacks, and little jail journey.

Here are some of the hightime. lights: For many reasons I feel extremely Founded the world`s oldest compasproud of the work I done over these sion club, the Victoria Cannabis Buypast 2 decades. Indeed, I might be one of the most successful grassroots pio- ers Club, which is in the process of getneers this soon to be legal multibillion ting a license from the city, including dollar industry has seen, and it is not an exemption for its smoking room. from lack of success that I am stepping Wrote and published HEMPOLaside. If anything, I am leaving while OGY 101: THE HISTORY AND at the top of my field, with fame and USES OF CANNABIS SATIVA. potential fortune within my grasp.

Thankfully much of what I started will continue. Owen Smith will stay as the anchor of the Cannabis Digest, producing the design and website material, along with editor Judith Stamps and my dear friend Kristen Mann is temporarily taking over as publisher until a permanent one is found. At the VIctoria Cannabis Buyers Club, general manager Brandi Woods has a firm grasp of the organization, which will be blossoming this year as the final stages of licensing are completed. April 20 in Victoria is going to be organized by several people, and I am not worrying about it any more than I am about the 420 circles at UVic.

ogy 101 club at UBC, which has held weekly 420 circles for 6 years.

Created the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first live cannabis gameshow, REACH FOR THE POT. Appeared at or organized approximately 3,500 cannabis rallies, court hearings, board meetings, press conferences, lectures, conferences and other events.

Of course there have been a few failures, but for the most part I have not made any major mistakes in my career, and have spent little time in jail for a guy who managed to sell about $25 million dollars worth of cannabis with a megaphone in his hands. That number includes all of the years before the fall of 2012, the year I turned the VCBC into a non-profit society and let it take a life of its own. Selling canna-

Created and published a national newspaper, the Cannabis Digest.

Managed the court case of Owen Smith, my former head baker that won a unanimous Supreme Court of Canada decision that made cannabis extracts legal for patients.

Defended the club with lawyers in 5 trials, which included 4 raids on the club, beating all 15 trafficking charges bis to the sick and dying in the face of using various constitutional arguments. the authorities for so long was a righteous way to put food on the table, and Got arrested giving out 420 pot anyone who knows me can assure you cookies, and eventually convicted of that I took as little as I needed for mytrafficking THC by a jury after a week self, knowing the source of my income long trial. Was given a one day jail sen- was mostly sick people on disability. tence, making me a cookie convict.

Out of all of my accomplishments I Appeared in the movie Kid Cannabis am certainly most proud of the VCBC, in my club doing my job. especially the edible and topical cannabis products we developed over the Spearheaded rallies and phone jams years. Many people have improved across the country in protest of man- and extended their lives by using the datory minimums and the government many different products we have creattempt to take patient gardens away. ated from patches to salves, lozenges to Wrote a press release and attended a Budda Balls, and of course our cookies. rally on Parliament Hill April 1, 2014 That is one of the things that brought when the MMPR came into effect.

Gayle Quin and I so close.

Alas, it is clear to me that for my own personal health, it is time to take a bow and leave the stage of public life, as the stress of this work combined with the profound sadness I feel will eventually take a huge toll from me if I do not look after myself first. After decades of caring for others and putting the world first, I am drained and not finding working in the cannabis field to have the same vibes I once felt. Mentally, physically and spiritually I need a major change of pace, with less presFormed weekly 420 circles at UVic Her story could also fill a book. When sure, and much more time digging in for 18 years, and helped start Hempol- she came into the club in the summer the earth.

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

abis Retires After 22 Years Of Activism of 2003 we were both struggling. Years of poor health and poverty had taken a toll on her, while stress and my exgirlfriend were draining me. In many ways she saved my life.

sional event, but now that she is not even here to talk to when I get home, there is an empty hole in my life that cannot be filled. I do not have the passion I once had, the passion that made me successful. Between the long years We fell in love at work. It was intense. of stress and the loss of my love, it is Our passion for helping others and time for me to retire to a much quieter building community was contagious. life.

We made cannabis superhero costumes to parade around in. We constantly While at first in my despair I thought challenged each other to do better. We I would just find a job working on a farm shared our love freely and fiercely with growing food, it soon became clear to those who touched our lives. Our love me that I should build a tea company in shone from the depths of the club, vi- Gayle’s name, using the various recipes brating like a drum in the night. she developed, using wildcrafted and easily cultivated herbs. That is going Cancer took that all away. to be my focus now: Gayle`s Tea. Now I am an herb farmer and tea dealer. It The last 3 years of Gayle’s life were feels good to do this in her honor, a spent in my care. We became so at- tribute to the knowledge she left betached during this period of our rela- hind, and it feels good for myself, a way tionship it was like I was her arm to to heal in a work environment that will the world and the key to her heart. be less stressful and ground me to the earth.

Now I find myself grieving the loss of my friends I have made across the country, indeed the world, in this line of work. There have been so many incredible people come into my life along this journey that I feel rich just knowing them all. Hopefully many of them will be able to visit me at the Cobble Herb Retreat on Vancouver Island, where I plan on hosting many tea parties.

While I have decided to avoid going to any more cannabis events, it would be nice to say goodbye to many of the people I have cared for and worked with. I also planned on going back to Ontario to see my mother, family and friends in Cambridge in the late spring.

There are still hundreds of my textbook The last 2 years were very intense, as at my sister`s house in Cambridge and she spent most of the time in a hospital a big pile here too. bed at home with a broken back and leg where the cancer had eaten it away.

So I am going to have retirement parShe passed away peacefully at home in ties in Victoria and Cambridge, giving September last year. some of my friends a chance to say farewell, smoke a joint with me and At first I thought I could continue in buy a book for the special price of $10. my activism. It seemed like work was In Victoria I will be going to 3 places helping me focus on something posi- on Saturday, May 20, starting in the tive. After all of these years of risk VCBC at noon, where I will stay until with little reward, my work was ready it is time to march to Beacon Hill Park to pay off in all sorts of ways and my for 4:20, and before ending the day at future seemed certain. At least that is the Green Ceiling. what my head said.

In Cambridge I plan on renting the My heart, however, had a different old scout hall in Forbes Park on Sunplan. My heart could not bear doing day June 4 starting at 2 pm. Hopefully cannabis activism any longer without a couple of old high school buddies will my love. It was hard enough going be able to provide some music enteralone the last few years as I delivered tainment. It will be really great getnewspapers, and attended the occa- ting together with my old friends from

where I was born and raised, as well as seeing many Ontario activists that have had little direct contact with me over the years. Hespeler will have never seen a 4:20 circle like the one we are about to form then.

It has been an honour and pleasure to work with many of you in this industry, and I look forward to watching the cannabis scene develop over the years as legalization unfolds. My decorated career has witnessed many memorable experiences that have made my life rich and made the world a better place.

Leaving behind this legacy like a trophy on my fireplace mantle will always fill me with great pride. Now I have another legacy to create, one in the name of my love Gayle Quin and the gifts she brought into the world.

Before I say goodbye I must thank everyone who supported me over these years. Thousands of people have done big and small things with me, from trusting me as a source of medicine, advertising in the newspaper, hosting rallies in other cities, writing articles, financially supporting me when I cared for Gayle and so many other acts that it is impossible to even try to remember everyone I owe thanks to. Through all of my work I have been surrounded by a team of people willing to follow me as we faced a seemingly unbeatable opponent. Saying ‘thanks’ does not feel like enough, and hopefully I will have a chance to do that in person to many of those that mean the most to me.

Saying goodbye to the cannabis movement feels much like when I said goodbye to my friends and family in Ontario when I finished university.

While I am not going anywhere physically, and will be in fact spending much more time at home now, this feels very much like making that huge decision, one I will never regret though it still pains me to be so far from family and friends I love dearly. The old Kenny Roger’s song keeps playing in my head, “You Got To Know When To Hold Ém.”

This is goodbye to my work liberating cannabis but it is not a goodbye to the many wonderful people I have met.

Hopefully over the years I will be able to share a tea with many of those I have come to know and love along this journey. Until we meet again, my friends, this is farewell. Thank you for all of the great memories.

Accessing the ACMPR: Part 3

Issue Number 52

Julia Veintrop

W

ith the date of my consultation in Vancouver booked and approaching, I went to my GP in Victoria to score my free medical travel pass. Plus, I wanted to take another shot at getting him to sign my weed papers.

At this point, I realized my GP was inclined to refuse, and was uncomfortable, but I see him as a victim of stigma and the ignorance it has perpetuated. Thus, I feel it is my duty to help free him from these mental bonds so that he can make up his own mind without bias.

Yes, there is a tiny part of me way deep down that feels the slightest, smallest, teensiest little smidgen of guilt for making his job harder; but, unfortunately for him, it is overshadowed by my need to rage against this absurd system that is directly affecting me. My doctor is in a position to do something about all of it. If he won’t, I and many others like me will take up this cause, and all that relates to it. At this appointment, he is visibly relieved to be able to hand me off to a “specialist’s specialist” and as you can probably guess...he refused to sign the paperwork. Oh well, maybe I will get him next time! Thinking ‘river and a rock’; I will either go around him, above him, push him over going through him or slowly wear him down with constant pressure and persistence...poor guy…

Pre Vancouver visit: I have sat here for days trying to find the words to describe just how bad I felt up to this appointment, and they just don’t exist. I like to fake that I am brave but I am really not. At this point, I am so scared that the foundation of my thoughts are all based on what is going on in my

www.CannabisDigest.ca

Appointment With My Family Doctor body. I have to get an organ and I know I am lucky. Many removed and I have to do it people don’t get to hear this without any opiates. kind of good news; I appreciate and savour it.

The only pain medicine I can and will take is cannabis; Remembering the shell which is why someone is sign- of a person I used to be when ing my form. I don't want to I was addicted to that awhave to discuss my cannabis ful medication, this doctor is use with a police officer when proud of me for finding a way I am fresh out of the hospital; to let it go, and she tells me I really feel I shouldn’t have so. Having her ask me intellito, especially considering this gent questions like, “Can you topic would never come up if I administer your own cannabis were taking a prescribed a pill. in the hospital?” and “ What I am determined and ready to form will you use? Extract? go full B WITH AN ITCH Vapor?” relieves an enormous MODE if my human rights amount of stress. Hearing don’t start getting respected. her address the fact that she Someone had better get their doesn’t know enough about pen out fast. cannabis to prescribe a gram

per day amount is not a surVisit with my Specialist In prise and good, reliable inVancouver: formation is accessible these days, hooray! So, I am left Remembering how great my with a promise to sign my last appointment in 2011 with ACMPR... in the future. I her was, I have big time hope think I just won a battle and in my heart...and I am not dis- maybe I am about to finally appointed. She is smart and win the war for my ACMPR. for the first time in a while, I am going to get my legal I feel like my doctor can tell right to medical cannabis; its me a thing or two about my just a matter of when. health, and what is going on with it...what a concept. *In case you are not aware, the Government will pay for She knows what is causing your travel expenses if they me pain, what to do about it, are medically necessary. So, if and she is confident that this you are travelling to another surgery will successfully be city for a medical appointmy last. The best part of the ment, the ferry and/or plane appointment was seeing her ride will be covered for you, delight at my disdain for opi- an escort provided if requestates, and my desire to use can- ed and a vehicle, if applicable. nabis as a pain reliever. If you Go to your family doctor or had asked my GP, he would walk in clinic and request the tell you I would practically forms; they will be given to be biting down on a piece of wood wrapped in leather; my surgeon however, believes that cannabis is an effective pain reliever for both short and long term acute pain. Thank god! I was pretending to be fearless so that my doctors would allow me this constitutional right, but truth be told, I was pretty scared. Hearing a world renowned surgeon tell me that everything that has to happen is going to be just fine was an enormous relief,

19

you on the spot, for free. In addition, there are a variety of hotels around BC that provide significant discounts and benefits if you are staying for a medical reason. On the BC Government website, you can search through these hotels by discounted rate, date and location; to access this easily, google Medical Travel Accommodation Website.

A Point Worthy Of Note: I would like to take a moment to mention something about the places where you can pay a fee to have a doctor sign your form. Another perspective was brought to my attention: without these places offering this service, access would be a lot harder for patients. The fact that doctors have to put their life’s work on the line every time they sign this form is not only ludicrous, it is a shining example of our government deliberately ignoring its legal responsibilities. I cannot fault a doctor for wanting to be able to save money in case they lose their license, and without these fees, people like me would be entirely at the mercy of the medical system. I am in no way against the places that provide this service; quite the contrary. I just can’t afford the fees.

It is not a secret that I have a deep respect and appreciation for dispensaries, especially The Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club. The reason is simply that they provided me with access to consistent medicine that I can afford. Everyone responsible, all the growers, bakers, packagers and budtenders at my illegal dispensary, can go to jail for actions that are saving lives, including mine. I believe there are benefits to all avenues of patient access and that room should exist for all of them.

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

CANADA’S EASIEST AND FASTEST

CANNABIS MAIL ORDER - canada’s highest quality lab-tested cannabis products - quick and convenient door-to-door delivery - $10 shipping to anywhere in canada, no minimum order -

get started at canmedi.com use promo code CDN425 at checkout and receive 25% off your first order. canmedi is a registered Canadian non-profit organization providing medicinal cannabis to eligible clients 19+ nationwide.

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

Choosing

Pot

not

pills

21

New Research Shows Patients with a Choice Opt for Cannabis over Prescription Meds

In the case of illicit drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol, reaHelen Davids sons for the switch to cannabis often include avoiding the severe withdrawal symptoms esearch undertaken by which can be faced when quitthe University of British ting. Alcohol withdrawals, for Columbia and University of Victoria has shown that given the choice, those suffering from chronic pain, and those taking medication for mental health conditions, would choose cannabis over their medication. Lead author of the study, Associate Professor Zach Walsh, notes that although it was previously known that those taking meds for pain and mental illness often used cannabis as a substitute, the study is the first ever to show which medications (and to what extent) are being substituted. It is also the first instance, can cause seizures, to track medical marijuana an irregular heartbeat, and under the new system of mul- tremors. Opioids and tobacco tiple licensed producers; all are also highly addictive, and participants were authorized difficult to quit; cannabis, on by their health care profes- the other hand, is only mildly sional to acquire cannabis in habit forming, meaning that addition to their prescription individuals can cease use of medications. this substance without having to face withdrawal symptoms In the study, 270 patients such as those encountered registered to obtain canna- when quitting heroin or cobis from federally licensed caine. producer, Tilray, were asked to complete an online survey In the study, researchers also containing 107 questions, fo- discovered that some patients cusing on patterns of use, the effect of substituting cannabis for medications, demographics, etc. The results showed that in general, patients felt that cannabis was effective to treat pain and mental health difficulties. Cannabis was used to substitute for prescription meds in 63 per cent of cases: pharmaceutical opioids in 30 per cent, benzodiazepines in 16 per cent, and antidepressants in 12 per cent of cases.

Participants also stated that they used cannabis as a substitute for illicit drugs (3 per cent), cigarettes (12 per cent) and alcohol (25 per cent).

R

obtained their cannabis from unregulated sources. Moreover, many were charged money for recommended medical cannabis. These findings highlight the need for policy changes at a federal level.

Ideally, all cannabis should be

obtained from licensed providers, to ensure quality and compliance with regulations.

Licensed providers often provide a wide variety of products, and can advise patients on the most suitable products and doses.

Cannabis enables patients to avoid many of the particular side-effects caused by the above-mentioned medications. Health authorities have consistently warned the public regarding the spike in pain-

killer prescriptions and overdose deaths. In Canada, approximately $93 million was spent on medications to treat addiction to illicit opioids and prescription painkillers in 2014, compared to just $57.3 million in 2011. Experts state that the problem started two decades ago, when doctors, prompted by the pharmaceutical industry, began prescribing opioids for moderate or severe pain. A recent Globe investigation found that in

Canada, 53 prescriptions were written for every 100 people, and spending continues to increase as doctors take to prescribing Suboxone to treat opiate addiction.

Benzodiazepines, meanwhile, are prescribed for a host of conditions including anxiety disorders. In fact, they continue to be one of the most commonly prescribe medications for this condition, despite efforts to promote antidepressants as a first-line treatment. Benzodiazepines are successful in the short term because they quell anxiety symptoms quickly (within minutes of ingestion), they are relatively safe, they are consistent, and there are few side-effects. However, there are several issues associated with long-term use, including â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;benzodiazepine withdrawal syndromeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which can manifest itself in sleep disturbance, irritability, numbness or tingly sensations, and feelings of depression.

As for antidepressants, both Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) can cause a number of side effects, including nausea, insomnia, headaches, shakiness, poor appetite, and erectile dysfunction. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), meanwhile, can cause constipation, a slight blurring of vision, and weight gain. Some people who take antidepressants experience a desire to self-harm, and harbour suicidal thoughts; others who take SSRIs and TCAs for prolonged periods of time face an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes; elderly people who take antidepressants, meanwhile, can suffer from hyponatraemia (an extreme drop in sodium levels).

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

Russell Barth or the past year, BuzzOn F co-founder Wayne Robillard has been hearing wild ru-

mours about himself. People email him, call him, and talk to him in person, telling him that they had heard he was arrested, that BuzzOn had been raided, and worse. None of which was true, of course, but Ottawa, like many small communities, has a bigger rumour mill than it does reliable media. It comes as no surprise to me that rumours are pushed as fact, while facts are dismissed as hearsay.

So here is the real story.

After years of trying, Wayne Robillard finally managed to get someone to finance his idea of a marijuana vapour lounge in Ottawa. He had a soft opening on April 20th, 2015, and was formally open on May 1st.

The media caught wind of it, the Mayor commented, and the police dropped by to see what was going on and what Wayne was all about. Then the bylaw inspectors came, and there were a lot of changes that needed to be made. Robillard says that after discussing his situation with other businesses that had started new ventures in Ottawa, he realized that BuzzOn was being subjected to excessive scrutiny, and was not being given anywhere near the same level of leniency as were other non-pot-related businesses.

For starters, their space was originally zoned as retail, but the city made them change it to “place of gathering,” which meant they had to install wheelchair accessible bathrooms. They also had to install a mammoth air ventilation system. “We could find ones bigger than we needed, and smaller than we needed,” explained Robillard, “but not the middle size that we needed.”

A contractor heard him lamenting this on the radio, contacted him, and made a custom ventilation system for the lounge.

Robillard feels that it took much longer than it should have to get all the renovations done, partly because of the city’s need to inspect and sign off on every little thing, and partly because his investor/partners often took longer than necessary to get these tasks completed. This

process dragged on until October, when they were finally able to open their doors to the public again.

gan to feel more like we were hanging out in the basement of someone’s parents’ house than in a place for adults. It was in no way a violent or menacing atmosphere, but for many people who had bought long-term memberships to the lounge, it was simply no longer a very comfortable environment.

Business was slow to return.

Some people thought that BuzzOn had been busted, and for that reason, didn’t want to enter the building. Others had heard wild and untrue rumours about the lounge having a lot of poThen in April, the entire Buzlice hassle, or guys with “beefs” zOn family of employees and making trouble with rivals. regulars was devastated by the death of their friend, BuzzOn Then, no one would sell Buz- employee, Alex Cross. Cross zOn advertising. They were was on his way home from Buzonly able to buy one advertise- zOn in the early hours of the ment in the Ottawa Sun, which morning, when his car was hit hardly anyone reads any more. by another car that was fleeing But business eventually picked Ottawa Police. up, and by January of 2016, for the first time, they made more Despite a 420 party hosted by money that month than they Robillard, a well-attended visit had spent. This is when Ro- from Dana Larsen, and another billard and the financiers dis- Dab Throwndown, the death of agreed about how much money Cross cast a gloom over the enhe should get for his efforts, tire venture, and the wind had and parted ways. been taken out of everyone’s sails.

Then there was a rather heated falling out that one of the Because of sagging attenowners had with someone from dance, the lounge simply didn’t Yuk Yuk’s, which ended Buz- have the financial wherewithal zOn’s sparsely-attended com- to scoff at and simply pay - or edy night. lawyer up and f ight - any fines that might have come their way In February I tried to bring from new provincial bylaws resome attention to the lounge garding public use of medically with my weekly live podcast, prescribed marijuana.

Pottawa. Although Robillard was no longer managing the BuzzOn closed its doors on lounge, he still had enough in- the last day of June 2016. fluence with the owners to convince them that having a weekBut really, BuzzOn was its ly show like this could help own worst enemy. It had the business, especially since they blessing of the community of no longer had a weekly comedy vendors in the area, it was not night. facing any police harassment, and it had name recognition Business remained slow but as the f irst lounge of its kind steady through the early months in the city’s history. But they of 2016, but picked up signifi- dropped the ball. They couldn’t cantly in March, when BuzzOn buy advertising, which wasn’t hosted the Mastah Concen- their fault, but they could have trate Series Dab Throwdown, had a lot more online hustle. the first event of its kind in Ot- They had a Facebook page tawa. which had posts for events, and that is about all. The last tweet As the weather improved, the lounge posted was from me business dropped to half of when I was volunteering there what it had been in the win- one day in May of the previous ter. But this decline might also year! No Instagram, no Youhave had something to do with tube videos…in fact, one of the how BuzzOn’s vibe changed af- employees was adamant about ter the departure of Robillard never appearing on camera. from the lounge’s helm.

Not just in the background of Pottawa, but ever.

The music playing in the lounge began to consist of the So as sad as I was to see the same 30 songs played all day place close, I was not the least from some internet radio sta- bit surprised, and neither, it tion, every song rich with N- seems, was anyone else. words, “bitches,” and references to guns, money, sex, and drugs.

But Robillard is not deterred.

A group of about twelve people In fact, he has started hosting - the owners, the employees, monthly “speakeasy” events and their immediate group of with open sales, and raffles, friends - became the regulars, and taste testing, and everyand being in the lounge be- thing any self-respecting stoner

would expect at a public pot event. Sure, you have to kind of know someone to find out where and when the event is being held, and it is usually in a rented commercial space somewhere in the outskirts of the city. But having attended two of them, I can tell you that it was as cool as Ottawa has ever been.

Issue 18 Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

24

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

Interview with Mayor Helps Victoria’s Mayor Discusses Dispensaries With Retiring Activist

interested in giving the two old compassion clubs the opportunity to consume on-site. The other club is not interested in opening a smoking room at this point, so the exemption is really just for the VCBC, as we have had a safe, free place for patients to smoke for over 20 years.

Ted Smith

E

nding my fantastic career as a cannabis activist by interviewing the mayor of Victoria, Lisa Helps, has been a perfect encore performance.

After 22 years of struggling, this very friendly conversation about the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club, the city licensing dispensaries, smoking lounges and April 20, clearly shows how far our movement has progressed in B.C.’s capital city.

Giving viewers concise, detailed answers, Lisa Helps was very kind to take the time to explain much about what is happening on these matters, providing a window into city politics during these fascinating times.

This interview was set up shortly before I realized it was time to draw the curtain on my cannabis career and it seemed like a nice, classy way to conclude my exceptional journey in this field. In January, the mayor paid a short visit to the VCBC, her first time stepping inside a dispensary. In fact it may have been the first time in Canada that a mayor of a major city walked into a medical cannabis dispensary on friendly terms.

“It was really great to have a tour. Seems like a place where people gather, where people feel safe and where community exists, and all of those things are important to me... I am impressed with how well organized you folks are.“ When I thanked the mayor and council for giving the VCBC an exemption from the bylaw prohibiting consumption on site, Helps pointed out that the exemption had not actually passed third reading yet, and was therefore not quite officially in place. She seemed very firm in the position that such an exemption would only be given to a non-profit society, and that council is really only

When I started my activism the mayor was Bob Cross, a former butcher who fought his way to the top on a law and order platform. At a city council meeting in Nov 1996, days before the election, I shocked the room by thanking the police for leaving me alone despite working publicly for 11 months, and showed everyone some cannabis salve that we had available. In fact, from 1995 until

During a business licensing hearing in 2005, two councilors Rob Fleming (currently an NDP MLA) and Denise Savoie (retired NDP MP) voted to grant the International Hempology 101 Society a license to sell pipes, scales, and t-shirts at 826 Johnson St, while the VCBC sold cannabis products to sick people in the back of the store. However, most of council thought it was best to turn down the application, but figured we could continue to operate the VCBC because we were a private club not open to the public.

While the next mayor, Dean Fortin, was a strong advocate for community and non-profit societies, very little seemed to change. He refused to be in-

than sitting in the large throne overlooking the room above them. Challenged by the homeless situation immediately upon getting elected, she has taken on many issues with a grace and passion for community that is inspiring a generation to get involved in public affairs.

In her interview, Lisa gives straight-forward answers that give viewers a clear sense of the current affairs, “In the absence of leadership and direction from the federal government, which we are welcoming, we had to do something to make it fair because we had dispensaries popping up and no rules to follow...The benefit in regulating is we have some control in where they go.”

When asked whether the city wants the April 20 celebrations to move away from the front doorsteps of City Hall she seemed to think the event was fine where it was. “You folks always clean up and the square is left in better condition than before the gathering begin.”, was wonderful to hear from the mayor.

It was also very touching to hear her say, “You have been an amazing force. You have built community in such a profound (Lisa Helps and Ted Smith at the V-CBC) way. You are a community leadthis year I have made annual terviewed by anyone from the er and an inspiration.” presentations to city coun- Cannabis Digest, for example. cil, keeping them informed of Over the years, however, I deThis final chapter as a cancourt cases and other political veloped a strong relationship nabis activist gives me a sense developments while giving up- with many city councilors, some of pride and accomplishment dates about the VCBC. Over going as far back to my days as that is difficult to express in the years Mr. Cross developed a youth worker, to the point words. To go from being a a certain amount of respect for where I consider many on the stranger from Ontario living my efforts, in part because I was council my friend as much as in a van with a dream, to seedoing some important work they are a comrade in making ing that dream come true and helping street youth, but I was the world a better place. more, has been truly epic, and clearly a thorn in his side for this interview with the mayor years.

Lisa Helps has been a breath clearly shows how successful of fresh air in politics in Vic- my unique approach has been.

The next mayor, architect toria. She has impressed many Having the opportunity to inAlan Lowe, seemed less hostile by refusing to swear allegiance terview the mayor about these to the issue, but only slightly. to the Queen when she took of- interesting developments in leWhen the VCBC started to get fice, and by sitting in the coun- galization was the icing on the raided in 2002, I attended ev- cil at a chair equal in height cake for the final curtain call on ery public meeting for over two to her fellow councilors rather my exceptional cannabis career. years, providing council with all sorts of information about the dismal Health Canada programs. I even ran for mayor myself in 2002, as I figured I was going to jail and it would help bring attention to my cause if they did arrest me during the campaign, which they did not.

After council got a report from Health Canada, Mayor Lowe wrote a letter condemning their programs as inadequate and in need of review, which was as close to a letter of support as I could get.

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

25

Vegan Cannabrownies The Cannaisseur’s Vegan, Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownie Recipe

Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan.

Make sure you’ve rinsed and thoroughly drained your black beans at this point.

Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl

Caelan Walton (Check out TheCannaisseur on Youtube and Subscribe)

he Cannaisseur’s Vegan, T Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownie Recipe: Ingredients 1 15 oz. (425 g) can (~ 1 3/4 cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained

nowhere close to runny.

moving from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently Evenly distribute the batter with a fork. into the muffin tin.

Store in an airtight containOptional: Sprinkle with er for up to a few days. Recrushed nuts or coconut. frigerate to keep longer.

Bake for 20-26 minutes or

(Adapted from Minimalist Baker) Follow The Cannaisseur On Social Media!

YouTube: www.youtube. com/c/TheCannaisseur Twitter: www.twitter. com/420Cannaisseur Instagram: www.instagram. com/420Cannaisseur FaceBook: www.facebook. com/420Cannaisseur

2 large flax eggs (2 heaping Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water) 1/4 cup medicated cannabis oil 3/4 cup cocoa powder (the higher quality the better) 1/4 tsp sea salt

of the food processor. Pulse a until the tops are dry and the couple times and then let rest edges start to pull away from 1 tsp pure vanilla extract the sides. generous 1/2 cup honey (or for a few minutes. maple syrup for the true vegAdd remaining ingredients Remove from oven, and let ans) (except toppings) and puree cool for 30 minutes before re– about 3 minutes – scrap1 1/2 tsp baking powder ing down sides as needed. You Optional toppings: Crushed want it pretty smooth.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS nuts or shredded coconut.

If the batter appears too 1. Silence—You can refuse to talk to the police or answer their questions. thick, add a Tbsp or two of Instructions You must give your name, birthdate, and address, or show them your ID. water and pulse again. It You DO NOT have to say anything else.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees should be slightly less thick 2. You can say NO if police ask to search any of your things. than chocolate frosting, but F (176 C).

3. You can leave unless you are being arrested or detained 4. You have the right to know why you are being detained, and to speak privately to a lawyer—even if you can’t pay.

5. You can only be strip-searched in private, and only by someone of the same sex.

6. You have the right to know the officers’ badge numbers.

7. You can report an officer who abuses me, swears at me, or violates your rights Example of what to say if you are being detained: “Officer, if I am under arrest or being detained, please tell me so...If I am free to go, please tell me so. If I am not free to go, please tell me why...I wish to exercise all my leagal rights, including my right to silence and my right to speak to a lawyer, before I say anything to you. I do not consent to be searched. I wish to be released without delay...Please do not ask me questions, because I will not willingly talk to you until I speak to a lawyer...Thank you for respecting my rights.” *Every situation is different. Use courtesy, and common sense.

Legal Aid BC: 1-866-577-2525 Check out Pivot Legal Society for more info < www.pivotlegal.org>

Cannabis Digest â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2017

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

Government trade agreements

27

The Opiate Epidemic, Cannabis Legalization and The Greed Of The Pharmaceutical Industry gether in a basement lab. All the necessary equipment can be legally purchased online as so many questions are no longer asked.

If you look at the statistics released by The BC Coroners Service, you cannot argue with the fact that since Canada signed the Trans Pacific Partnership, the opiate epidemic in Canada has steadily escalated.

Julia Veintrop here Are All These W Opiates Coming From? It Started With The Trans Pacific Partnership

The Trans Pacific Partnership was signed in 2008 by Canada, and included a total of 12 nations. Pro-corporate, customs law-slashing, tariff eliminating and negotiated in secret from 2010 to 2015, this highly controversial agreement slashed hundreds of trade fees and restrictions that protected the rights of the public.

Illicit Drug Overdose Deaths and Death Rate per 100,000 population; 1990 2016; BC Coroners Service

Someone tell me why Canada hasn`t actually legalized cannabis yet? Thank The Single Convention Of Narcotic New rules by the TPP al- Drugs Treaty! low new individual patents Currently with over 185 for various uses and doses of State Parties, including The older drugs with expiring patHoly See, this Treaty was ents. Instead of having one patent, the TPP grants an in- signed in 1964 to prohibit the dividual patent, for example, global production and supto Viagra as a blood pressure ply of classified narcotics. Esmedication at each dose avail- sentially, this is done using a able, then grants additional, series of four classifications, separate patents to every dose creating a uniform attitude of Viagra for Erectile Dys- towards each drug for the function. The TPP increased purpose of identical policies restrictions for generic drug between State Parties. companies, limiting competiCannabis is classified as a tion between them. Without Schedule IV narcotic; this is having several drug companies producing the same medica- the most restricted level of tion, access to drugs is greatly classification where you will reduced, causing extremely find drugs like Heroin, labelled as having “particularly dangerhigh health care costs. ous properties.” Article 36 of In my opinion, the most civ- the treaty requires that Parties illy devastating aspect of the implement various measures Trans Pacific Partnership is against "cultivation, producthe fact that it eliminates a lot tion, manufacture, extraction, of rules, thus, making it outra- preparation, possession, offergeously easy to buy any phar- ing, offering for sale, distribumaceutical online. Many peo- tion, purchase, sale, delivery ple are simply taking a chance on any terms whatsoever, broGoogling the black market, kerage, dispatch, dispatch in and buying a bottle of pills transit, transport, importation with a prepaid credit card... and exportation of drugs conand getting exactly what they trary to the provisions of this were looking for. The other Convention". option is for a drug dealer to The consequences for nonbuy legal, bulk pharmaceutical compounds and mix them to- compliance to The Single

Convention Of Narcotic

Drugs Treaty are penal sancIt is both easier and more tions and at one point, there cost effective for our Federal were even talks of using an Government to work within embargo. the fear based, unconstitutional cannabis barriers of this The Loopholes - How LPs outdated treaty than to put Have It Easy And Dispensa- in the effort to change it. An ries Are Left Out obvious and understandable

goal of our Government is to Being tolerant or allowing improve our economy and enpersonal use, or distribution courage healthy trade. Howfor scientific or medical pur- ever, the mark has been defiposes are not considered “pun- nitely missed. ishable offenses” by a signed We have the Trans Pacific Trade Deal making pharmaceutical companies a lot of money, yet people are dying so they want to get off those drugs, and find new ways to deal with their aches and pains. As more and more pharmaceuticals have been replaced by this natural remedy, the general stigma towards using cannabis has irrevocably shifted and the drug companies are losing sales.

Party to the Single Convention. However, legally allowing a Schedule IV Classified narcotic to be made available for recreational purposes is a direct violation.

Articles 23 and 28 require that any cannabis sanctioned to be cultivated must be done so with the oversight of an appointed Government Agency.

If there is extra bud left over at the end of the four month harvest period, the cultivators must deliver it to the Agency as they have the exclusive right of "importing, exporting, wholesale trading and maintaining stocks other than those held by manufacturers."

Another option is to request an amendment to the drug schedules through the UN Security Council Commission On Narcotic Drugs. However, this can be vetoed. The declassification of Cannabis was brought up in 2005 by a collective of Countries, but was struck down by The United States.

What This All Means…

This treaty has no ending clause, meaning that these rules will exist unless every country denounces them, rendering them ineffective and redundant. It aims at reducing global drug trafficking by forcing global rules, and potential punishments on governments that do not adhere to them.

To attack the opiate crisis at the source of the drugs, Canada would have to place more restrictions on trade, and lose money. Legalizing cannabis would also further reduce the average amount of pharmaceuticals taken as it allows for an alternative to a variety of different ailments. The cannabis industry is a phenomenal economy booster that cannot be ignored.

So, the Federal Government can either: A, Controversially remove itself from the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, risking trade sanctions, and work to have cannabis descheduled.

This would allow them to create a new, lucrative industry that includes dispensaries. As the economy improves from this new industry, risky trade deals like the TPP will disappear. Without the regulations that financially benefit them there, the influence of pharmaceutical companies will be successfully reduced, along with their profits.

Or B, Abide by the Single Convention (easier and cheaper short term for the Government) and work within the framework outlined by the Treaty. The government could designate a governing body and Licensed Producers with strict requirements and high fees to control and make as

Cannabis Digest â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2017

much as possible. By taking advantage of this corner on the market, the government can control the pharmaceutical and cannabis industries, using the language chosen in regulations. Thus, if the Federal Government decides to place restrictions on trade, major corporations will still be able to make up the financial loss those restrictions will cause.

you now why this is happening. It is about money but there are so many more factors involved. There are complicated and insidious reasons why we are hearing stories in the news about major pharmacies discussing cannabis contracts with the government.

Make no mistake, the opiate epidemic, cannabis legalization, Licensed Producers and the future inclusion of dispensaries and craft cannabis are So, that is why Cannabis is all deeply connected issues. not legal on a Federal levelâ&#x20AC;Ś yet...

It may have seemed like old, conservative fear blocking the way, and didn't make sense to still have to fight for legalization, especially when the people of this country were so clearly pro-cannabis, but now

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

30

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

Clone Rooting Recipe Clone Corner shares tips on how to root your clones

tings/clones) in the trays with holes in the bottom, you will be able to leave them for a few minutes in the bathtub or shower after watering them til iddle me this Riddle me they drain. that, how do I get my plant roots to act?

Brent H. Clone Corner

R

We all love this plant and what it can do, yet what seems like an easy endeavour can become troublesome when propagating cuttings from mother plants. Here are some tips to follow that will make all the difference between success and lowered expectations. Always remember these plants are weeds with needs. Your weeds will grow so long as they are given the proper amount of these key resources. In order to thrive and grow they want: (Cuttings are best if kept for 7 – 14 days under these conditions, if kept too long plants may stunt) (Put 50 cuttings per tray, any more will crowd them and cause leaf rotting as well as reduced quality) Soil or Growing Medium: First things is first, let's talk about what you are using to plant in. Typically most people in the Cannabis industry are familiar with “peat pucks”.

These are great and usually about three cents a piece if purchased in bulk, thus quite inexpensive. Peat holds moisture for a relatively long time although other rooting mediums may do a superior job.

Next to peat pucks there are “rockwool cubes” which are blown fibreglass into a square cube about 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches cubed. These do a solid job with respect to holding both air and moisture and some of us who make clones swear by this product.

Now there is another less known product that has hit the shelves lately and it has the potential to replace the two previous mediums, and this new product is “coco peat”. At the moment it requires filling trays with coco peat and then watering the trays so as to let water run off. To do this step most hydroponics stores or garden centres carry trays with planter inserts of 72 plugs and domes/lids. Trays can come with holes in the bottoms or not, by first putting your planters(which hold 72 cut-

summer the heater is lowered to 24 degrees Celsius as the other environmental factors are heightened and plants do not need so much heat when it is naturally a lively Summer climate. Each room and

go with the Sunblaster's brand of lighting. These are in most garden centre and hydroponic stores, a four foot long bulb is plenty of light for a couple of trays. The light can be directly over the dome lid, raise it in a dark room so that you can see if the light spreads over the entire tray.

Place your cuttings in plastic trays with large dome lids, the short lids are not as beneficial as tall dome lids will be. The reason for this is that it is easier to maintain consistent humidity and temperature within the dome when a larger volume of space is used i.e. the environment will fluctuate less which reduces the stress on our soon to be clones. It is as easy as Water: house and micro climate may 1-2-3-4, just follow these four be modified for best results. above steps and watch as the Maintain PH for best resuccess of your cloning grows sults, cuttings like a PH of 6.3 Light: like a weed!

- 6.8. To remove impurities from the water use 1 teaspoon Use the best full spectrum Whether growing Cannabis of hydrogen peroxide(allow 30 florescent tube bulbs you can plants indoors or outdoors, minutes to pass before cut- find. There is always LED you will need to ensure that tings contact this water) per lighting, although until per- it gets the proper amount of gallon to clean your water and sonally using such a setup, I these resources. Happy Clones add oxygen. Add PH up or PH have no comment. Preferably make happy gardener's :) down to water before watering your medium that cuttings will be placed in, this can be purchased at any hydroponic store, but you will also need a PH tester kit to test the PH of the water. Do not use any nutrients, cuttings do not need to be fed until the second watering after being transplanted, and even then they should be fed at 25% of the instruction amount.

Temperature: For cuttings to root, temperature and light are the two variables which must be controlled over 7 to 14 days to ensure quality of roots and plant health. Too cold and the plant will not be able to use the rooting compound and metabolize the hormones into nice fluffy white roots. Too warm and the leaves lose their moisture turning flaccid then drooping and causing pithium(a rotting of the leaves and organic material that spores and spreads onto the neighbouring leaves...). I keep my heater at 27 degrees Celsius on the low setting as to not draw too much electricity to a device that does not turn off and may burnout the electrical outlet or blow the breaker in the fuse box. Of course this is during Winter & Spring & Fall seasons, but during the

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

Shatter the Stereotype

31

A Look into the Medicinal Uses of Cannabis Concentrates How Much Stronger is Shatter?

The shell of the resin glands is composed of plant waxes. The plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cannabinoids are mixed Anyone who has smoked any with a terpene/phenol liquid in

Owen Smith

t's been called the "TeI quila of Marijuana"(1) the "Crack of Cannabis" and "Marijuana on Steroids."(2)

New concentrated forms of cannabis have become the latest demon for the languishing purveyors of prohibition, used to conjure dread and alarm.

They follow the path of the narrative that argues, 'Today's cannabis is much stronger than what your parents smoked.' At this time in history, not many people understand the benefits that concentrated cannabis products can provide to consumers in general, and to medicinal users in particular.

kind of hash, perhaps by employing the common method of mixing it with tobacco, has used a concentrated kind of cannabis. Hash of this type is made by hand rubbing, drysifting, and water washing to remove the resin glands from the surface of the plant. Without the green matter, the white and gold resin glands contain approximately 3 times the cannabinoids by weight than when connected to the dried flower bud (see image 1).

sieves, buckets, or just your hands and a knife. The new masters of the craft utilize high-grade solvents and custom precision equipment. Technologies like the high vibration sonicator, vacuum oven, rotary evaporator and liquid chromatography, add to the producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to remove anything that is not a desired ingredient.

Among the creations emerging from these advanced cannabinoid extractors are shatter, "wax" or "crumble," budder, rosin, and distillate. This new assortment of options with subtle variations in potency and flavor, have only recently become a feature on dispensary menus, so it is understandable a reservoir of resin, suspended that many haven't yet caught at the end of each brittle wax on. stalk (see image 2). According to data taken from lab tested cannabis extracts in Colorado, What is the Benefit of products like shatter are about Shatter?

1/3 stronger than the simpler forms of hash described above. The Toronto Police Chief This increase is the result of the recently said in a television greater clarification of natural interview that understanding impurities, like the plant waxes, shatter is "crucially important," from the resin glands. stating: "I have yet to see where Shatter is for medicinal purTraditional methods of hash poses, Shatter is for monetary making involve mesh bags or gain." Like the Chief, most

Canadians have yet to grasp the importance of clarified cannabis resins.

One of the important facts established in my R.v.Smith constitutional challenge, that won in the Supreme Court of Canada, was that there is no good reason for people to consume inert, and potentially harmful natural impurities. Without a good reason, there are no grounds to impose this restriction on Canadians, who have the right to make important decisions about their health.

The supreme court stated in its ruling that the restriction "subjects the person to the risk of cancer and bronchial infections associated with smoking dry marihuana, and precludes the possibility of choosing a more effective treatment." (4) Medicinal users who consume cannabis consistently over long periods of time will find that their tolerance to cannabinoids increases, along with their need to consume higher doses. Unless their product is clarified, they will be consuming higher doses of these undesired materials. Medicinal users dab or vape when seeking immediate relief, and supplement the short lasting effects with an oral or topical dose for a sustained systemic load to treat chronic ailments.

A Dab Will Do

have breathed fresh life onto the glassware shelves at head shops, with new paraphernalia like rigs, nails, domes, and those tiny containers for your

diluted using a complementary medium like coconut oil before being distributed as an array of products with assured potency.

slow” to ensure optimal benefit and minimal discomfort. Let us hope that with prohibition coming to an end, the subject of cannabis extraction will be discussed less by bewildered law enforcement authorities, and more by responsible adults who make the informed decision to partake of this beneficial plant substance.

References (1)www.nbcchic ago.com/ news/local/Potent-CannabisDrug-Leads-to-Several -Arrests-inIllinois-351582331.html (2)www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ marijauna-shatter-1.3383095 ( 3 ) w w w. t h e c a n n a b i s t . co/2015/06/19/ marijuana-concentrates-kiefbho-water-hash-co2-oil-waxshatter/36386/

smidgen of extract.

Inexperienced users should take caution with concentrated cannabis as only a small amount is required to achieve the desired effect, and overconsumption can lead to undesired effects such as anxiety and dizziness. If you are a casual user or just getting started then it's likely that the herb in it's naturally diluted form will suffice.

It is now standard to find lab results alongside cannabis concentrates to ensure that users are in control of their experience. (5)

Self-titration is the hallmark of sensible cannabis dosing. As the cannabis culture has adapted this innovation in potency, it has popularized using very small amounts. "A dab will do" is the motto, and presumably the inspiration for Barcelona's annual "Dab-a-doo" festival Innovation Moving Forward of cannabis concentrates. Instead of plastic bags filled with As I mentioned at the start, green buds, people are now car- modern hash makers value rying thimble sized containers science as much as art, taking packed with sticky resin. advantage of their new abilities to separate, clean, process, Dabbing is basically high- and purify phytocannabinoids. strength vaping. With all of The dangers associated with the combustible material re- highly flammable solvents used moved, the resin vaporizes to in extract making are being bytake effect quickly to address passed by sophisticated closedacute symptoms or conditions. loop systems, and solventless As cannabis consumers transi- techniques like Rosin pressing. tion to a little dab of extract, A sensible plan for cannabis lethey move away from large galization will include specific smokey joints. This smoke-free regulations to allow these procommunity has begun to dis- cessors to continue to improve tinguish itself from the April their work.

20th (4/20) crowd by carving out their own annual day of Despite the opinions of the celebration on July 10th (7.10) current opponents to concenwhich reads a bold OIL when trates, it makes little sense to read upside down. imagine that the retention of residual plant waxes will makes Not only does the move away cannabis safer. It makes wholfrom smoking low potency ly more sense to pass regulacannabis benefit the user, but tions that will ensure users are it also reduces the increas- informed enough to control ingly unwelcome presence of their dose. Concentrated canstinky smoke clouds. Dabs nabinoid extracts can also be

Cannabis legalization should correspond with a public education effort aimed at educating the public regarding the relative strengths of cannabis products. It is not difficult, but does require some basic instruction like “dose low, go

(4)scc-csc.lexum.com/ scc-csc/scc-csc/en/ item/15403/index.do (5) www.cannabiscare.ca/ collections/ concentrates/shatter/

“[A] prominent lawyer in modernizing cannabis policies.”

—Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

“Vancouver-based lawyer who recently won a landmark medical cannabis case in the Supreme Court.”

—Winnipeg Sun

“Kirk Tousaw has always been a thorn in the side of authority when it comes to the laws surrounding marijuana.”

—Law Times News

“[Successfully] represented many clients in high-profile marijuana-related cases.”

—The Globe and Mail

Cannabis Criminal Defense • Medical Cannabis Compliance Strategic Litigation • Law Reform • Dispensary Regulation ConTACT uS for information about our customizable ReTAineR PACKAgeS

Kirk Tousaw

•

Barrister & Advocate

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

33

HEMPOLOGY 101 WORD SEARCH

Check out Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website to see some of her other comics, read her blog, and help her spread the good word by picking up a copy of her book of the Happy Hippie comics.

Cannabis Digest • Spring 2017

CANNABIS CLUBS ACROSS CANADA Cannabis dispensaries in Canada, due to a lack of regulation, all operate under unique and individual mandates. As such, the membership requirements of each dispensary differ. We recommend travelling with a copy of your original proof of condition (doctor’s note) which the VCBC staff will be happy to provide to its’ members. It is also recommended to research the dispensaries in the region you will be visiting and try to establish contact, if possible, before your visit. Please be discreet and polite when contacting another dispensary—you are representing the VCBC too!

Keep in mind: Some dispensaries have problems with supply and accessibility. The VCBC cannot guarantee that another dispensary will have supply or accept your card as proof of condition. Please help grow this network and support your local clubs by encouraging quality gardeners to direct their product to local dispensaries, or by growing yourself.

(Updated March, 2017)

Sunshine Coast

British Columbia

GRASSROOTS CANNABIS DISPENSARY 4730 Willingdon Ave, Powell River Tel: 604-485-6636 www.grassrootscannabisdispensary.com

Vancouver Island VICTORIA CANNABIS BUYERS’ CLUB (VCBC) 826 Johnson St., Victoria Tel: 250-381-4220 www.v-cbc.ca

RAINFOREST COMPASSION CLUB 103-703 Gibsons Way, Gibsons,BC Tel: 604-886-9796 therainforestcompassionclub@gmail.com

OCEAN GROWN MEDICINAL SOCIETY 1725 Cook St Unit 1, Victoria Tel: 778-265-1009 www.ogms.ca

Vancouver

VANCOUVER ISLAND COMPASSION SOCIETY 853 Cormorant St., Victoria Tel:250-381-8427 www.thevics.com GULF ISLAND ORGANICS 1040 Fort Street, Victoria Tel: 778-265-5919 www.gulfislandorganics.ca FIVE STAR DISPENSARY 2622 Douglas St, Victoria Tel: 778-265-8420 fivestarmedicinal@hotmail.com GREEN BUDDHA MEDICINALS 2616 Bridge Street Victoria Tel: 778-265-5935 www.greenbuddhamedicinals.com GREEN HART 475 Gorge Rd E, Victoria Tel:778-265-5725 www.thegreenhart.com WARMLAND CENTRE Pioneer Square Mall, Mill Bay Tel: 250-929-5588 www.warmlandcentre.ca

GREEN CROSS SOCIETY OF B.C. 2145 Kingsway, Vancouver Tel: 778-785-0370 4296 Main St., Vancouver Tel: 604-875-6640 www.greencrossofbc.org VANCOUVER MEDICINAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY 880 East Hastings St. Vancouver 1182 Thurlow St. Vancouver Tel: 604-255-1844 www.cannabisdispensary.ca EVERGREEN CANNABIS SOCIETY 2868 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC Tel:604-900-1714 www.evergreencannabissociety.com THE HEALING TREE 529 East Hastings St., Vancouver Tel: 604-5599600 21 West Broadway , Vancouver Tel: 604-336-5600 8188 Champlain Cres Vancouver Tel: 604-428-7896 www.hdcvan.ca CANNA FARMACY 1259 Kingsway, Tel: 604-558-3225 8546 Granville St. Tel: 604-563-3250 736 E. Broadway (Fraser) 2935 W.4th Ave (Kitsilano)

T.A.G.G.S 11696 - 224th St., Maple Ridge, BC Tel: 604-477-0557 www.taggsdispensary.ca

Interior British Columbia BE KIND COMPASSION CLUB. 288 Hwy. #33 Kelowna BC Tel: 778-753-5959 3012 30th Ave Vernon BC Tel: 778-475-5592 www.bekindok.com KOOTENAYS’ MEDICINE TREE #4-1948- 68 Avenue, Grand Forks Tel: 250-442-8248 Nelson Location: #106 - 601 Front Street Tel: 250-352–0961 www.kootenaysmedicinetree.ca

Ontario C.A.L.M. Toronto, Ontario Tel: 416-367-3459 www.cannabisclub.ca

Maritimes FARM ASSISTS - THCC 2320 Gottingen St. Halifax Tel: 902-266-4769 www.thefarmassists.com THE HEALING TREE 276 Water St, St. John's, NL Tel: 709-754-0189 www.hdcvan.ca *To add your club to this list, please contact: cannabis.digest.advertising@gmail.com

Issue Number 52

www.CannabisDigest.ca

WARNING

E BRITANNIQUE - CANADA DUTY PAI

The Surgeon General...

Said Nuthin’ About Smokin’ The Competition.

Check Us Out Online at: www.thesmokezone.com Enter our contests Nanaimo, BC

The ORIGINAL

50 V I C T O R I A C R E S C E N T