In the past week, StratCann shared the story of a Manitoba court upholding the province’s ban on growing cannabis at home, and new data emerged showing legal cannabis is now more than 70% of the cannabis market in Canada. Lori Stickles, President & CEO of Cannabis NB shared with us her thoughts on the evolution of legalization in New Brunswick, while the Cannabis Council of Canada called for regulatory changes on the fifth anniversary of legalization.
A cannabis-themed restaurant opened in Edmonton, Health Canada announced changes to sale authorization of cannabis products to processing licences, New Brunswick producer Crystal Cure pivoted to a micro licence, and the BC gov is providing funding for a cannabis testing research project.
StratCann also held our fourth Growing Relationships networking event on October 16, this time in Winnipeg. Martin Cash of the Winnipeg Free Press came out and spoke with attendees about the event, including Graham Taylor of Lineage Distribution, Sharon Clark, of Big Buds Cannabis Sales and the new Retailer Cannabis Council of Manitoba, and Delta9’s John Arbuthnot.
With the fifth anniversary of legalization, there was, of course, an avalanche of media coverage, mostly providing the typical, superficial overview we’ve come to expect on cannabis from mainstream news outlets, equating the decline of a handful of large pubcos with the state of the entire industry. We’ve skipped some of those this week to make sure we have room for some of the more informative and interesting coverage below.
CTV ran a 5-year retrospective with comments from several researchers like Robert Schwartz, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and Dr. M-J Milloy, a research scientist at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use and an assistant professor in the University of British Columbia’s medical department.
Three researchers in Quebec took an in-depth look at the SQDC, cannabis regulations, and policies in La Belle Province, while a survey showed that the number of those who admit to using cannabis since legalization has increased, from about 17% to about 24%.
Le Devoir says that the sky has not fallen in the five years since Canada legalized the weed.
Radio Canada interviewed Cannabis NB’s Lori Stickels, who says the province is looking at in-store consumption and samples
Researchers Daniel Bear and Joshua Meisel compared legalization in Canada and California.
Global News ran their own 5-year retrospective, speaking with UBC’s Zach Walsh and StratCann’s own David Brown (that’s me!),
Global News also spoke with Jennawae Cavion at Calyx and Trichomes, and Xavier Cyr, who is the manager at Inspired Cannabis in Ontario.
Food in Canada explored the potential for innovation in cannabis edibles.
Also, a Canadian comic book creator has priority usage of a “Captain Cannabis” mark, the US Federal Circuit ruled Thursday, concluding that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board hadn’t abused its discretion in ruling in the creator’s favour.
SNDL Inc. will be consolidating all cultivation activities at its Atholville, New Brunswick Facility following the centralization of SNDL’s manufacturing, processing and production operations to Kelowna, British Columbia.
CBC ran an interesting, in-depth piece on the issue of jurisdictional authority for Indigenous–owned cannabis businesses, speaking with Cecil (Junior) Shawana of Northern Superior Cannabis in Michipicoten First Nation, Curtis Avery of Kana Leaf in Nipissing First Nation, Matthew Esquimaux, from Buddies Smoke Shop on Manitoulin Island, Paul Corbiere of Creekside Cannabis in Mississauga First Nation, and lawyer Michael Swinwood.
CBC Radio’s Front Burner did an interview with MJBiz’s Solomon Israel.
McMaster University shared a research article showing that legalization didn’t lead to a significant rise in cannabis use among young adults.
High Tide’s Omar Khan wrote an opinion piece calling on the Liberal government to take more ownership for legalization.
Rolling Stone ran a piece on cannabis beverages, inducing a look at the Canadian market.
Global News looked at five years of legalization in Saskatchewan, speaking with the owner of Living Skies Cannabis, with news outlet CKOM adding to the story, as well.
Software company Elevated Signals is making inroads into Australia’s cannabis market.
STORZ & BICKEL GmbH, a subsidiary of Canopy Growth, announced the launch of their new dry herb vape, the VENTY. And finally, Western Wheel spoke with Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta. Red Tape Reduction, and several cannabis retailers and marketers about the state of the industry in Alberta.
