This episode I encourage you to join in and help out the Canna Winter clothing drive, we cover some petty squabbles in government, survey says 72 percent cannabis consumers are buying legal, Health Canada facing some funding cuts ,and a Canadian company has acquired High Times. On Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up in Smoke, we’ve got some Smallz BB Yoduh up for a taste.
This episode I encourage you to join in and help out the Canna Winter clothing drive, we cover some petty squabbles in government, survey says 72 percent cannabis consumers are buying legal, Health Canada facing some funding cuts ,and a Canadian company has acquired High Times. On Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up in Smoke, we’ve got some Smallz BB Yoduh up for a taste.
00;00;00;00 - 00;00;08;29
Ian
From a studio high above the clouds of the Okanagan Valley. This is the cannabis potcast.
00;00;09;01 - 00;00;19;16
Ian
Exploring the world of Canadian cannabis culture. One toke at a time. Here is your host and budtender, Gary Johnston.
00;00;19;18 - 00;00;39;25
Gary Johnston
And on that note, that's an opportunity for me to welcome you back to the Cannabis potcast. Thanks for coming back. I appreciate it each and every time. Or maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps this is your very first visit. If it is, here's an especially warm welcome for you. We're going to spend the next 30 or 40 minutes or so talking about a plant I am absolutely passionate about, and that is cannabis.
00;00;40;02 - 00;01;00;09
Gary Johnston
I assume you have some affinity to that as well. Now, before we get too much further, this podcast is intended for those of legal consumption age in your jurisdiction and is intended purely for entertainment and perhaps educational purposes. You should always consume your cannabis responsibly in episode 185. We're going to touch a little bit on the Canada Winter Clothing drive.
00;01;00;10 - 00;01;23;05
Gary Johnston
Make sure you know that that's going on again this year. And in addition to that, we're going to touch on a bunch of other things. How about the fact that cannabis is not associated with age related IQ decline? I think that's kind of cool. We have our politicians debating cannabis in the House of Commons, and I'm not so sure I'm appreciating where that conversation is going.
00;01;23;07 - 00;01;43;27
Gary Johnston
Did you know that 72% of Canadian cannabis consumers are buying from legal sources? That's some good news. And we're going to check out the fact that Health Canada has some reductions in money. They're going to be spending less on the cannabis file in the future. Some significant changes in that and on cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up in Smoke.
00;01;43;28 - 00;02;02;27
Gary Johnston
We are heading to Smallz Smallz and Baby Yoda. Delicious. Indica dominant. And that's coming up on Cultivar Corner. All of that and more on episode 185 of the Cannabis potcast.
00;02;03;00 - 00;02;20;03
Gary Johnston
And as always, before we get too much further, let me thank you for being here. I am so appreciative of the fact that you come back and listen to the Cannabis potcast. I'm very grateful for that. And I also want to make sure that I always thank those people who support me. So let me thank Jordan at buy Me a coffee.com/cannabis potcast.
00;02;20;04 - 00;02;39;28
Gary Johnston
If you feel so inclined and you like what you hear, you can go there too and buy me a doobie. And I want to thank the patrons of the podcast on Patreon. I truly appreciate your support each and every time. And for that I say thanks to Tony, Rob, Gage, Lloyd, and Roger. I am truly grateful. Another thing I wanted to talk about is the Kenna Winter Clothing Drive.
00;02;40;00 - 00;02;59;06
Gary Johnston
Now it happened last year. And in fact, when I met in the mirror this week, I realized that he, along with Dylan from Pistol and Paris and a couple of others, he. I think he said some names, but I forgot who they were. We're the ones who started the clothing drive last year on the Lower Mainland. And then, of course, we had Jeff from Smoker Farms and Kevin from Royal Harvest.
00;02;59;07 - 00;03;20;18
Gary Johnston
They kind of took the reins in the interior here. I know, because I was still a manager at Spirit Leaf in Kelowna last year, and we participated in that and we're accepting donations. So let me remind you again, check out your local cannabis shop. If they're not accepting donations, ask them why not find a store and take your used, gently used or even new if it works for you.
00;03;20;20 - 00;03;40;28
Gary Johnston
Everyone needs a hand to keep warm this winter. So there's a whole bunch of stores that have jumped on board, and I think there's 95 that are tuning in. A bunch of cannabis companies as well. Amazing. It's great to see the community coming together to help those who need a little bit of extra help so they can a winter clothing drive is running until December 18th.
00;03;40;29 - 00;04;00;26
Gary Johnston
Find a place where you can donate your clothes and let's help somebody out this Christmas. And now let's get to our first story and we're back to the ganja Preneur for another story, this one written by Graham Abbott. A study published this month that followed more than 5000 men over 44 years, found that long term cannabis use is not associated with IQ decline in older adults.
00;04;00;28 - 00;04;28;02
Gary Johnston
A decades long study found cannabis consumption is not associated with age related IQ decline, according to data published in the November issue of the journal Brain and Behavior. The study followed 5162 Danish men over 44 years, and researchers relied on extensive self-reported data covering the participants health and lifestyle choices. The mean starting age of the participants was 22, and the mean age among participants at the end of the study was 62.
00;04;28;05 - 00;04;52;16
Gary Johnston
Men with a history of cannabis use had less cognitive decline from early adults to late midlife, compared to men without a history of cannabis use, the researchers wrote. Among cannabis users, neither age of initiation of cannabis use nor frequent use was significantly associated with a greater age related cognitive decline, Paul Aumentando, the deputy director for the cannabis political advocacy group normal, said.
00;04;52;18 - 00;05;18;07
Gary Johnston
The results contradict one of the more prominent and long standing stereotypes about cannabis and cannabis consumers. It's unfortunate that these stereotypes often go unchallenged in the media and elsewhere. It's even more unfortunate that studies refuting these long held stereotypes seldom receive the type of mainstream attention they deserve. In a 2020 study, Israeli researchers found that senior citizens who use cannabis did not show evidence of cognitive decline.
00;05;18;10 - 00;05;28;25
Gary Johnston
And that's an interesting story from the ganja Preneur Law.com. I'm hoping that is in fact true and holds true as we get older.
00;05;28;27 - 00;05;33;03
Ian
The cannabis infused studio in the clouds. This is the cannabis potcast.
00;05;33;06 - 00;06;01;27
Gary Johnston
And we go to DragonCon for the next story written by David Brown, a bit of a spats and debate and one upmanship going on in our House of Commons during a debate in the House of Commons regarding issues Canada is facing with the incoming US president, Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre briefly squared off on cannabis legalization in Canada amid a back and forth between the prime minister and the official leader of the opposition, with plenty of challenging Trudeau on how he will manage Trump's threats of tariffs on Canadian products.
00;06;01;27 - 00;06;31;07
Gary Johnston
The conservative leader suddenly pivoted to the subject of legalization. His comments appear to seek to conflate cannabis legalization, the only drug legalized by Trudeau's Liberals with the growing opioid crisis in Canada. The prime minister's disastrous legalization and liberalization of drugs has the Americans worried that, in addition to costing 47,000 deaths in Canada, where is the plan to stop the drugs and keep our border open to trade as poorly, even a somewhat disjointed send in response to note.
00;06;31;08 - 00;06;55;24
Gary Johnston
Asked if the leader of the opposition is suggesting that he wants to decriminalize marijuana, let him just say that Pontiac's comments were part of a broader conversation. In response to recent comments by US president elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose tariffs and products coming into the US from Canada, China and Mexico until those countries address issues with illegal immigration and the importation of illegal drugs into the US from those countries.
00;06;55;27 - 00;07;22;16
Gary Johnston
Conservatives in Canada have at times in the past few years, tried to misrepresent cannabis legalization as part of a supposed plan by the Liberal government to legalize other, harder drugs. But no such plans exist with Health Canada's approval. Some provinces have implemented very limited decriminalization efforts for small amounts of some drugs, such as British Columbia famously did earlier in 2024, and is a sidebar that is now going by the wayside.
00;07;22;17 - 00;07;44;08
Gary Johnston
They are no longer doing those small amounts of drugs. End of sidebar one conservative MP, Arnold Verson, who has said he would vote to reverse cannabis legalization if given a chance, was sitting behind Paul in the video clip. These programs, though, are not a form of legalization, but instead a prioritizing of law enforcement priorities against small amounts of personal possession.
00;07;44;13 - 00;08;11;27
Gary Johnston
The legalization of cannabis, of course, implemented a regulated supply chain for a controlled product, rather than simply removing existing criminal penalties. Sarah Blythe, the founder of High Hopes, a community group providing access to medical cannabis in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, says she finds such comments disappointing. But understands they are part of the election process for politicians. Just saying that a failure and they're legalizing everything is easy to say, but it's not what is happening, says Blythe.
00;08;11;29 - 00;08;32;25
Gary Johnston
But it's part of campaigning and getting votes, using and saying outrageous things and seeing if it will stick is not anything new in politics. Connecting the legalization and regulation of cannabis with the opioid crisis also makes little sense, she points out. Since cannabis is often used as an effective opioid substitute, something her own organization has years of experience with.
00;08;32;27 - 00;09;01;20
Gary Johnston
It's unfortunate that a health crisis where so many are dying is being used for politics like this. If anything, cannabis is often helping people move away from harder drugs like opioids, so connecting the two doesn't make sense, and we'll see where that goes. I'm not exactly enthusiastic to hear conservative MPs saying they would like to remove marijuana legalization, because that would be a big deal, and none of us want to see us go there.
00;09;01;23 - 00;09;29;14
Gary Johnston
In this story, we are picking up from the Ganja preneur.com. Nearly 72% of Canadian cannabis consumers said in a recent survey that they purchase their cannabis exclusively from legal sources, primarily citing concerns about the safety of unregulated products and the convenience of the legal market. Almost three quarters of legal cannabis consumers in Canada, 71.7% say they purchase products exclusively from the regulated marketplace, according to a national survey published in March.
00;09;29;16 - 00;09;52;19
Gary Johnston
Recipients listed the following primary reasons for their decision to utilize the legal market 38% said they buy legal due to concerns about product safety. 16.9% said the legal market was more convenient, and 12.9% said they wanted to follow the law. The survey found that the most commonly used product types in the previous year were drive cannabis, flower at 62%, followed by infused edibles at 57%.
00;09;52;26 - 00;10;25;24
Gary Johnston
Notably, cannabis vape pens and cartridges were more popular among younger cannabis consumers, while infused topicals and oral cannabis oils were more popular among older consumers, the pollsters wrote. Among consumers age 25 or older, cannabis flower products were more commonly used by men at 70.2% than women at 48.4. Additionally, the survey found that more than one third of people aged 18 to 24 and 25 to 44 reported having used cannabis at least once in the 12 months leading up to the survey, compared to just 15% of adults aged 45 plus.
00;10;25;28 - 00;10;44;29
Gary Johnston
Remember that Canada legalized adult use cannabis in 2018, and was one of the very first countries in the world to undo cannabis prohibition at the federal level, according to a recent report. Licensed cannabis companies in Canada have destroyed 3.7 million pounds of cannabis since the legal market launched, largely due to the products being too old or low quality.
00;10;45;06 - 00;10;55;02
Gary Johnston
And that story from written by Graham Abbott from Ganja preneur.com. Interesting. 72% are buying legal. Are you part of that? 72%.
00;10;55;02 - 00;11;04;22
Ian
To see CBD tripping profiles? What's in me? Oh, please explain to me. Go to the cool.
00;11;04;22 - 00;11;11;01
Unknown
Go. Go to your club. Oh, yeah. Go to. No, no, no.
00;11;11;01 - 00;11;14;21
Ian
Please explain this stuff to me.
00;11;14;24 - 00;11;35;05
Gary Johnston
Welcome to Cultivar Corner. Brought to you by Up in Smoke at 258 West Broadway in Vancouver and online at It's Up in smoke.com. Check out today for some direct delivery exclusives like we're sampling today from Smallz, Baby Yoda and a shout out to the mirror at Smallz. This is exclusive to the direct delivery channel, and lucky for you.
00;11;35;10 - 00;11;50;14
Gary Johnston
You can check it out for yourself if you are 19 years of age or older and live in BC, you can check it out. It's up in smoke.com. Unfortunately, if you live in another part of Canada or another country, we're just going to have to tease you with that. And what is on the line for today? Well, we talked about it.
00;11;50;14 - 00;12;20;10
Gary Johnston
It is Smallz and it's Baby Yoda for Baby Yoda. Whichever you would like to squeeze that into. Time to open up the bag. And it open up fairly well. And let's get our first aroma of Eddie Yoda grown indoors on the Sunshine Coast, said Meridian, 125 West in Powell River and distributed by the folks at Smallz. And I can get my bag open.
00;12;21;20 - 00;12;44;23
Gary Johnston
Why are these bags so tough? I just ripped it along the top, and I'm trying to find my space where I can freaking open it. I finally get it. Oh, that's a part of the industry that we have to get better at, or that some nice aroma coming out of that. So they are Smallz. Definitely Smallz. But that was the intent.
00;12;44;26 - 00;13;11;13
Gary Johnston
Oh, and some delightful aroma in there. So the lineage of Baby Yoda, and of course Yoda is y od u h. Just to make sure that they didn't have any, anybody with had some other ideas and start fighting them about that. So Baby Yoda, lineage, Khalifa, Kush and the menthol hand trimmed, slow cured, non irradiated.
00;13;11;13 - 00;13;36;21
Gary Johnston
And what do we got inside this bag? Oh, some strong diesel, some sweet aroma with some earthy undertones and a hint of skunk and berry. Definitely some spicy notes in there, some pungent taste and some really nice looking buds. Now again, these are Smallz, but I pulled out one here that isn't all that small. And that's what we're going to take a peek at when I pull up my jeweler's loop.
00;13;36;23 - 00;13;46;22
Gary Johnston
And let's see what we got in terms of our flower and how it is looking. A slow cured, a hand trimmed. And what do we got here? So I'm pulling my jeweler's loop.
00;13;46;22 - 00;13;47;22
Ian
Out.
00;13;47;24 - 00;14;04;19
Gary Johnston
And let's take a look at the quality of the flower we have from Smallz and Baby Yoda. So this is the, mid green. Not dark, not really light, kind of in the mid tones on. As I pull that up.
00;14;04;21 - 00;14;26;23
Gary Johnston
Yeah. There's a couple of places where perhaps the, the trimming could have been a little bit tighter on on this bud, but I can't blame them for that. These are Smallz. They are very tricon rich. So as I spin that into certain areas, I've got lots of trichomes, nice bulbous heads. I'm not seeing a lot of amber in there.
00;14;26;25 - 00;14;45;28
Gary Johnston
Most of the stuff that I can see is going to be in the milky consistency in terms of the tricon globular heads, but some really nice odor and aroma on that. It's, pretty fresh, nice and fresh. So lots of squish on there. And as I start to break up those buds, oh yeah, I get more of those diesel aromas.
00;14;46;01 - 00;14;47;08
Ian
Oh.
00;14;47;10 - 00;15;08;06
Gary Johnston
The diesel and the sweet are definitely oh my goodness, are definitely the predominant tones out of this guy. So let's get ready. Let's get ready to give Baby Yoda a try from Smallz. And again Smallz part of the hi Mark brands. Where we got Smallz, we got high quads, we got fans, we got a few others in there.
00;15;08;06 - 00;15;43;05
Gary Johnston
And today we are doing the Smallz version hand-selected BK craft, grown small flower. So what have I got in my Smallz? Baby Yoda indica dominant in some of the stuff I looked at. Looked like the split was about 70% indica, 30% sativa. And now I always find those splits interesting, how they how they figure out those percentages. But anyways, indica dominant and THC on this guy is sitting at 30.3 and my total turps as I split the bag over are sitting at 2.7.
00;15;43;07 - 00;16;09;18
Gary Johnston
And then the terps that make up that my dominant groupings, vitamin C, limonene and baby carrier and that kind of makes sense with a diesel smell. I'm getting out of here. So my flavors are going to be spicy and pungent. Taste. As we've already talked about, the Khalifa Kush and the menthol is the lineage. Strong diesel, sweet aromas and earthy undertones with a hint of skunk and berry and definitely some earthy undertones.
00;16;09;25 - 00;16;29;09
Gary Johnston
I'm picking up some of that. Absolutely. I really like the smell as I open up that bag again. Really musky. Lots of diesel. Lots of those earthy undertones. I think that comes from the murder scene. In my head, that's where it's coming from anyways. So really a nice, smell, nice aroma coming out of that. My trip sitting at 2.7.
00;16;29;12 - 00;16;51;18
Gary Johnston
So it's not filling my room with aroma, but it is definitely there with I stick my nose into the bag and then I start to break up all of my buds. So the mighty is in the prep of getting ready. I am almost ready with my first joint, and that means we are almost ready to carry on with the operative part.
00;16;51;21 - 00;17;08;17
Gary Johnston
Cultivar corner. There you go. That was my mighty telling me. It's ready to go. Sitting down on the desk. This is the taste of Baby Yoda from Smallz.
00;17;08;19 - 00;17;27;01
Gary Johnston
Oh, and when I put it in the vaporizer, those diesel tones just suddenly turn themselves up to, like, number ten. And still some of those earthy undertones as well. Really like the taste.
00;17;27;04 - 00;17;28;17
Ian
Yeah.
00;17;28;20 - 00;17;48;16
Gary Johnston
Now again, these are Smallz. There's the there's not a whole lot of big buds in here. But but there's a lot of buds in here. And, when you're picking it up, through the direct delivery, you're getting it pretty fresh, and you're giving an opportunity for the growers who are producing all this wonderful cannabis to actually make a business.
00;17;48;18 - 00;18;06;22
Gary Johnston
And for that, again, we're talking about Meridian one, two, five West. They're the folks that are actually growing this weed. And I got one little tiny story on them and let me pull that up. Now, this is from last year's what might not be terribly accurate, but this is something I picked up from the MJ daily after receiving his license from Health Canada.
00;18;06;22 - 00;18;28;17
Gary Johnston
Meridian 125 West Cultivation is now in the throes of cultivating cannabis. Joe de la Plant, vice president of operations and marketing, said the company, with its plant in the Old Mill office in Town site, received its license in mid-February, which switched the company from the construction phase to a conservation stage and there are now plants growing at the Meridian 125 West, Operation La Plant said.
00;18;28;17 - 00;18;50;25
Gary Johnston
It takes upwards of 14 weeks from the time seeds are planted to the time the grower is able to sell the product, which means a period of no revenue. Once we have finished product, that's when the sales cycle begins, said the plant. You can look at for 5 to 6 months from the start without any revenue. Our company is a great position because we don't have any debt on our balance sheet, so we are well-funded, we are well managed and we keep a tight rein on our finances.
00;18;50;27 - 00;19;11;01
Gary Johnston
Essentially, what we're trying to do is commission our facility. A lot of work was done before Meridian took it over, so for better or worse, we had to take what they had done and finish it the way we want for maximum efficiency. And based on the weed that I'm smelling and tasting today out of my Smallz bag, my Baby Yoda created and grown at Meridian 125 West.
00;19;11;04 - 00;19;20;25
Gary Johnston
You guys are doing a pretty good job. I like the taste through the vaporizer. It's time we got off the joint.
00;19;20;27 - 00;19;34;18
Gary Johnston
Yeah, definitely some diesel notes in there, and some of those earthy tones are fairly prominent as well. Let's pull off the joint and let's see what we get out of that.
00;19;34;21 - 00;19;49;02
Gary Johnston
A nice consistent straight draw and a straight joint. I do like to roll straight joints. It's something I pride myself in. So a nice smooth draw on that one.
00;19;49;04 - 00;20;04;22
Gary Johnston
Oh, and is that the part where I start to feel this may be the part where I start to feel those endocannabinoids erupting across my CB1 receptors.
00;20;04;24 - 00;20;28;03
Gary Johnston
Oh yeah. Oh, there's a nice little bit of euphoria kind of slipping in there through the back door on I like that. So really nice taste out of the vaporizer. Nice taste of a joint. Keep our eye on the ash that's coming off the end of this joint. Once it gets some ash onto it. Oh, I love my job.
00;20;28;06 - 00;20;48;01
Gary Johnston
Every week when it comes time for Cultivar Corner, I sit down in my studio and turn the microphone on, and I just love to be able to share the experience with you. And I'm so thrilled that that many of you were enjoying the experience of listening to me smoke weed. When I first started the podcast, my wife said, nobody's going to listen to it.
00;20;48;01 - 00;20;59;05
Gary Johnston
You just sit there and smoke weed. I think she was wrong. Yeah, I'm definitely starting to feel the buzz from this.
00;20;59;07 - 00;21;15;24
Gary Johnston
Okay. And the ash, that's coming off nicely. I don't have any black on that. It is nice and gray and nice and gray. Almost white ash that's coming off of that. Let me pull a bit by bit more.
00;21;15;26 - 00;21;52;03
Gary Johnston
Yeah, that's looking good. That is looking good. And I'm going to throw the other dosing capsule into the mighty so I can get another taste. Oh yes. And now here comes the. I just love this feeling. There's a reason why I am so passionate about cannabis. It's because when I get to a state where I am about to imbibe the cannabis and I get it into my endocannabinoid system, and I start to feel my CB1 receptors going a little.
00;21;52;03 - 00;21;53;19
Ian
Bit.
00;21;53;22 - 00;22;13;18
Gary Johnston
As the TC gets dumped, THC gets dumped upon them, and I start to feel really, really euphoric. Really, really nice. Just a just a lovely feeling I am having right now. And I'm going to take another hit off the vaporizer.
00;22;13;20 - 00;22;34;25
Gary Johnston
All the diesel comes out of there like wow. It's like they turned up the volume on the diesel. When you put it into the vaporizer. So again, it is available for you at it's up in smoke so you can check out their menu at it's up in smoke.com. Check it out for yourself. If you live in BC and you're 19 years of age or older that's your criteria that must be mentioned.
00;22;34;25 - 00;22;53;14
Gary Johnston
They'll figure out some way to get it to you. Even though the postal strike is still on. But that's an entirely different issue. So Baby Yoda is an indica dominant strain created through crossing the iconic Khalifa Kush and the menthol strains. This bud has a spicy diesel flavor with an earthy and woody pine aroma to go with it.
00;22;53;17 - 00;23;10;06
Gary Johnston
And yeah, I guess there would be some pinus on the end of that to some tightness. See, I also create words when we are part of Cultivar Corner, we get to create our own words that allow us to express ourselves better.
00;23;10;09 - 00;23;31;00
Gary Johnston
There's a hit, a pine. There's. Here are some of those earthy undertones, which for me is the mercy and the diesel. That's probably a combination of the limonene and the beauty. Carry off clean. There's some nice strong diesel tones on that and really nice taste on the joint. And again, that joint is continuing to produce some nice gray ash at the back end of it.
00;23;31;03 - 00;23;38;19
Gary Johnston
And my endocannabinoid system is continuing to produce some nice euphoria and then some really good feelings.
00;23;38;22 - 00;23;39;07
Ian
I.
00;23;39;08 - 00;24;12;08
Gary Johnston
Love it. THC 30.1 or 30.3%, for this indica dominant THC. No, I just did the THC, and then I totaled terms 2.7. And once again, my terps are beta, mercy, limonene and beta carry off the lead, producing some nice spicy diesel and some pungent taste in Baby Yoda exclusively through direct delivery. And you can pick it up for yourself through it's up in smoke comm.
00;24;12;08 - 00;24;36;29
Gary Johnston
Check out their menu and they'll figure out a way to get it to you. Or you can just walk into the store and pick it up that way too. That also always works. Shout out to Amir from Smallz and the high Mark brand family. Really enjoyed meeting of the other day and Amir thank you so much. And the Smallz man I am liking the Baby Yoda.
00;24;40;00 - 00;24;59;28
Gary Johnston
There's a reason why I enjoy doing Cultivar Corner every week. And that's because when I get some really nice weed into me and it smells good, it tastes good and it gives me good effect. I'm passing some good information on to you and my day with Baby Yoda is going to be enjoyable.
00;25;00;02 - 00;25;05;11
Ian
Sharing stories about good weed while trying good weed. This is the.
00;25;05;11 - 00;25;29;17
Gary Johnston
Cannabis potcast, and for this story, we're going to track Entercom. This was written by David Brown, Health Canada's cannabis program. We'll see about $20.5 million in cuts over the next three years, as part of the federal government's goal of finding some $15.8 billion in savings over five years under its ongoing refocusing government spending initiative, reports the Hill Times.
00;25;29;20 - 00;25;54;19
Gary Johnston
The cuts to Health Canada's cannabis program constitute the largest made in order to reach the budgetary goal, Health Canada's pharmaceutical drugs programs and management and oversight services will also see billions in reduced spending. This document, shared in the House of Commons, shows Health Canada's refocusing government spending reductions for its cannabis program by $4.7 billion in 2024 and 25 7.5 million.
00;25;54;19 - 00;26;23;12
Gary Johnston
The following year, and 8.3 million in 2026, 2027 and ongoing in budget 2023. The federal government announced the refocusing government Spending to deliver for Canadians measure, with the goal of reducing the pace and scale of growth in government spending back to a pre-pandemic path. The Hill's Times reporting comes from a recently tabled hosted Commons documents showing cuts to federal programs, from affordable housing to vaccines, the Department of National Defense and more.
00;26;23;15 - 00;26;55;00
Gary Johnston
The table documents are in response to a question from Peter Julian, the NDP MP for New Westminster Burnaby, B.C. the cuts were first announced as part of budget 2023, which announced the goal of refocusing $14.1 billion over five years from different government organizations and 1.3 billion over five years from enterprise crown corporations. The 2023 Fall Economic Statement announced that the government will extend and expand its efforts to refocus government spending in the amount of $345 million in 20 2526.
00;26;55;02 - 00;27;19;26
Gary Johnston
The public safety portfolio was contributing a total of 141 million to refocusing government spending. And in response to a request by the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, the office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer issued a report that provides an overview of the $500 million in announced reductions in spending on consulting, professional services and travel for 2023 and 24 proposed in budget 2023.
00;27;19;29 - 00;27;41;02
Gary Johnston
The report identified $179,000 in savings from health Canada's Cannabis File, which it said would have no impact on service levels. The interesting. We'll see. We've already yeah, I'm going to just leave it there. Some reductions in service for Health Canada are forthcoming. We'll see what impact those have.
00;27;41;05 - 00;27;46;06
Ian
From Studio High. But the clouds of the Okanagan Valley, this is the cannabis potcast.
00;27;46;08 - 00;28;09;27
Gary Johnston
And we're going to Ganja Preneur for our next story. This was written by TJ brand Falls high Times intellectual property has been acquired by a Canadian firm. High Times, the famed counterculture publication turned cannabis retailer, last week entered an intellectual property partnership with Lucy Scientific, a Canadian based company with holdings in operations in a variety of psychotropic businesses.
00;28;10;00 - 00;28;36;12
Gary Johnston
The deal includes all of High Times existing licensing agreements, including rights to the High Times Magazine, Cannabis Cup for 20 icon brands and respective domain names. Lucy Scientific Discovery Incorporated is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada based, Nasdaq listed company with holdings in operations in a variety of psychotropic businesses. The company holds a Controlled Drugs and Substances dealers license granted by Health Canada's Office of Controlled Substances.
00;28;36;14 - 00;29;03;00
Gary Johnston
Under the deal, Lucy will issue 19.9% of its outstanding stock to high times and make payment semiannually for the next five years, based on EBITDA generated from the acquired IP. Lucy will license the right to operate retail stores and manufacture and sell THC products in the U.S. back to high times, in return for a license fee of $1 million per year, increasing to $2 million per year upon federal legalization.
00;29;03;02 - 00;29;30;27
Gary Johnston
The company expects the acquisition of High Times IP to add at least $10 million of revenue and 5 million of EBITDA in its 2024 results. In a statement, Richard Nano, CEO and executive chairman and Lucy, said the firm expects the partnership to drive high margin revenue quickly and sustainably across the cannabis sector around the world. Adam Levine, executive chairman of High Times, added that there is no better partner than Lucy to drive the brand forward.
00;29;30;29 - 00;29;49;09
Gary Johnston
This transaction will open up tremendous new opportunities to grow and expand the High Times brand, he said in a statement. High times currently owns eight retail cannabis stores and several retail brands. So there you go. Some changes for High Times because they have been acquired by a Canadian firm.
00;29;49;11 - 00;30;09;03
Gary Johnston
And as this topic came up, it was an opportunity for me to realize that even though I think I know a lot about cannabis, there were a few things that I have no idea whatsoever, and this was one of them. It all comes down to a product that we're going to be featuring on Cultivar Corner and that is a wax blunt.
00;30;09;06 - 00;30;29;25
Gary Johnston
Now, you probably know what I'm talking about. Maybe you don't. Maybe you're like me and you're a neophyte and you had to understand what waxing is as well. Here's an explanation from AIP premium Scotch gum. What is waxing? It's a term coined within the cannabis community that refers to the practice of adding concentrated cannabis, such as wax to a joint blunt or a bowl of flour.
00;30;29;28 - 00;30;59;25
Gary Johnston
This innovative method enhances the potency, flavor, and overall experience of cannabis consumption. As the cannabis industry evolves, waxing has emerged as a popular trend among enthusiasts seeking to elevate their smoking sensations twice since. Origins can be traced back to the innovative practices of cannabis enthusiasts, who sought to enhance the potency and flavor of their smoking experience. As popularity of cannabis concentrates grew, users began experimenting with adding these potent substances to their joint and blunt.
00;30;59;28 - 00;31;31;13
Gary Johnston
This experimentation led to the development of tracks, a method that combines the nuanced flavors of concentrate with the traditional smoking experience. The illusion of wax reflects a broader trend of customization and personalization within cannabis culture. Enthusiasts are constantly exploring new ways to consume and enjoy cannabis, leading to innovative techniques. This method not only enhances the potency and flavor of the smoke, but also offers a unique visual appeal, with the glistening concentrates adding an esthetic touch to the rolled cannabis.
00;31;31;16 - 00;32;01;06
Gary Johnston
As 18 continues to evolve, it represents the dynamic nature of cannabis consumption. It's a testament to the community's creativity and willingness to push the boundaries of traditional smoking methods. Tracting has become more than just a way to consume cannabis. It's a cultural phenomenon that highlights the ongoing exploration and experimentation within the cannabis community. Twice involves a meticulous process that combines cannabis flower with concentrates to create a potent and flavorful smoking experience.
00;32;01;09 - 00;32;22;26
Gary Johnston
The first step into it is choosing the right concentrate, which can range from sticky waxes to more solid shatters and oils. The chosen concentrate is then applied either inside the rolling paper or on the exterior of the joint or blunt. This can be done by spreading a thin layer of concentrate on the inside of the paper or drizzling it over the exterior, often resulting in a visually striking pattern.
00;32;22;29 - 00;32;46;23
Gary Johnston
The application method chosen depends on the user's preference and the type of concentrate being used. Some prefer to lay the inside of the rolling paper with concentrate before adding the flower, ensuring a consistent blend of concentrated cannabis throughout the smoke. Others enjoy the esthetic and gradual potency increase provided by tweaks on the exterior of the joint or blunt, allowing the concentrate to melt and blend with the flower as it burns.
00;32;46;25 - 00;33;16;26
Gary Johnston
The art of waxing not only enhances the smoking experience, but also allows for personalized and creativity. Users can experiment with different types of concentrates, application methods, and patterns to create a customized smoking experience. The benefits of waxing well. One of the primary advantages of tweaks is the significant increase in potency it offers. Concentrates used in waxing contain a higher level of THC compared to regular flower, amplifying the psychoactive effects and providing a more intense experience.
00;33;16;28 - 00;33;44;07
Gary Johnston
The toxin introduces a complex array of flavors due to the chirping profiles found in cannabis concentrate. These options contribute to a more nuanced and enjoyable tasting experience. Elevating the sensory aspects of smoking and the addition of concentrates can prolong the burning time of a joint or blunt, allowing for a more leisurely and sustained smoking session. This extended duration is particularly beneficial in social settings or during longer periods of relaxation.
00;33;44;09 - 00;34;06;07
Gary Johnston
So how do you to act? Here's your step by step guide. Select your materials. And actually I'm going to call it at that. So we'll do another article on how to do the wax because we are going to be featuring a wax blunt on Cultivar Corner. And I can fill in the details for that on you. It's going to be.
00;34;06;09 - 00;34;35;06
Gary Johnston
Golden shatter snake encased within freshly ground flower and carefully wrapped in a slow burning hemp of blunt paper. Said paper is then coated with pure THC distillate and generously decorated in a premium chilled Keef crust, accompanied with a natural hemp wick to preserve the pure cannabis flavor when lighting. And there's even instructions on the box and how to light it, which I thought I would never need, but apparently I did.
00;34;35;09 - 00;35;00;04
Gary Johnston
So that's coming up on Cultivar Corner. Now you know what waxing is. And in fact, next episode you get to meet the creator of the can is our wax blond. Carolyn Cudmore is going to be joining us for a conversation, along with the CEO of Pure Sunfarms or of observation, and of course, Pure Sunfarms brand Saw is bringing the Canada market, so we look forward to that conversation next episode.
00;35;00;07 - 00;35;29;14
Gary Johnston
I'm not sure how I started thinking about this. Her where this story suddenly burst back into my memory, but it did. And so I'm going to share it with you now. I went to high school in a town in the interior of British Columbia. We'll just leave it at that. And it was a very unique high school. It was almost like in a university setting, in that the school was set across many different buildings, and there was a campus kind of in between those buildings.
00;35;29;16 - 00;35;59;13
Gary Johnston
And because it was also challenged for for population, there was a number of portables that were part of that school as well. And I was attending the drama class in one of those portables, which is what this story is about. Now, not only was the setting for the school unique. It was also there were some stuff that we could do then that you just wouldn't even dream that you could do now how about smoking in the classroom?
00;35;59;15 - 00;36;08;03
Gary Johnston
Yes, in our drama class, because it was in one of the portables we were allowed to smoke in class.
00;36;08;05 - 00;36;08;17
Ian
It was.
00;36;08;17 - 00;36;16;22
Gary Johnston
Totally bizarre. I still don't I don't remember I mean, I know what happened because I was there.
00;36;16;24 - 00;36;17;08
Ian
But just.
00;36;17;08 - 00;37;01;02
Gary Johnston
Think about that. We were in high school, which of course is the first note. And, and here we were smoking in class and, and and it was accepted by the teacher. However, we took it a little further to where it was not perhaps accepted by the teacher. So in this one particular class, we'd broken up into, into groups, I think there was probably 4 or 5 different groupings of four people that were scattered around the the floor of this portable, and many of us were smoking as we were going through our exercises, and that the the drama teacher was up at the front of the class was kind of directing.
00;37;01;02 - 00;37;23;04
Gary Johnston
We were doing well, you know, a drama. It's like you do all these weird exercises where you're thinking of stuff and you're trying to get yourself into that space. Well, we were doing some of those in me and my group were, you know, we were perhaps not had as invested as we should have been. I reached into my pocket and I had a little chunk of hashish.
00;37;23;06 - 00;37;47;27
Gary Johnston
I nodded to the guys I was with and we all kind of agreed. Why not? So I broke off a little chunk of hash, and whoever had the cigaret going at that point put their cigaret out. I dropped a little chunk of hash on the end of that cigaret. We waited for it to burn, and then we just started moving it around in between us.
00;37;48;00 - 00;38;03;24
Gary Johnston
Take a nice little big hit of that, then moving it on. Of course, we had to just keep going because the hash kept burning, and that's what created our problem when it came around for, I think the third time, and I don't remember who it was, I won't mention any names.
00;38;03;26 - 00;38;04;03
Ian
But.
00;38;04;03 - 00;38;25;00
Gary Johnston
It got to that person. As they took that up, they just started coughing and hacking their lungs out. And of course now the whole classes attention is on the four of us, and the teacher sees what we're doing, and I pop the hash off the end of that cigaret, drop it into the ashtray, and we just try to carry on.
00;38;25;03 - 00;38;48;02
Gary Johnston
We were bold. That was a real bold move, and yet we got away with it. I still can't believe that we could smoke in that school, but that was an experience that, as I have just shown you, I will remember my entire life. Surprisingly enough, we've managed to achieve Nirvana once more, and we have reached the end of another episode.
00;38;48;07 - 00;39;09;15
Gary Johnston
And today, instead of some really punny jokes, we're going back to some thoughts. I want to invigorate your brain to think of some good things today. So these are some things that are going to make you think about marijuana like marijuana is like a peaceful forest glade. It's a place where you can let your mind wander and find inspiration in the natural world.
00;39;09;17 - 00;39;33;04
Gary Johnston
Getting stoned marijuana is like visiting a faraway land. It can expand your horizons and introduce you to new perspectives. Marijuana is like a cozy nest. It's a place where you can curl up and find comfort and security. Smoking marijuana is like a doorway to a parallel universe. It's a chance to explore different versions of yourself and the world around you.
00;39;33;07 - 00;39;51;05
Gary Johnston
And now I'm going to repeat that in the other universe. I hope that brought a smile to your face. And on that note, I think we have concluded from the Guy in the clouds. That's it for episode 185 of the Cannabis potcast.
00;39;51;07 - 00;40;07;13
Ian
From the cannabis infused studio high above the Okanagan Valley. This was the cannabis potcast.