We look at the change in cannabis consumers since legalization, they're smoking more weed on Vancouver island, Ontario using under age agents to police cannabis and we share in success in creating our very own cannabis infusion and we had success. On Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up In Smoke, we try Astro Labs Cereal Milk live rosin – mm, mm.
We look at the change in cannabis consumers since legalization, they're smoking more weed on Vancouver island, Ontario using under age agents to police cannabis and we share in success in creating our very own cannabis infusion and we had success. On Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up In Smoke, we try Astro Labs Cereal Milk live rosin – mm, mm.
Ontario using minors to police cannabis
Vancouver island consuming more weed.
Cannabis Potcast listeners can save!
Astro Lab Cold Cure Live Rosin
00:00:01Ian
From a studio high above the clouds of the Okanagan Valley, this is the Cannabis Potcast.
00:00:09Ian
Exploring the world of Canadian cannabis culture, one toke at a time.
00:00:15Ian
Now, here's your host and budtender, Gary Johnston.
00:00:19Gary Johnston
Let me welcome you to the Cannabis potcast.
00:00:23Gary Johnston
Thanks for coming back.
00:00:24Gary Johnston
I'm so glad to have you here.
00:00:26Gary Johnston
Maybe this is your first visit.
00:00:27Gary Johnston
If it is, I'm so pleased that you're here.
00:00:30Gary Johnston
And if it's your 17th visit, I'm even more pleased by that.
00:00:34Gary Johnston
We're going to spend the next 30 minutes or so talking about a plant I am absolutely passionate about, and that is cannabis.
00:00:41Gary Johnston
Now, before we get too much further, let me remind you that this podcast is intended for those of legal consumption age in your jurisdiction, and is intended purely for entertainment and perhaps educational purposes.
00:00:56Gary Johnston
You should always consume your cannabis responsibly.
00:00:59Gary Johnston
here we are, the anti-penultimate episode of the Cannabis potcast.
00:01:04Gary Johnston
We are three from the end.
00:01:06Gary Johnston
This is episode 238.
00:01:09Gary Johnston
And today we're going to look at the change in cannabis consumers with legalization.
00:01:13Gary Johnston
They're smoking more weed on Vancouver Island.
00:01:16Gary Johnston
Ontario is using underage agents to police cannabis.
00:01:20Gary Johnston
And we share in success in creating our very own cannabis infusion.
00:01:24Gary Johnston
And we had some success with it.
00:01:28Gary Johnston
On Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up in Smoke, we try Astro Lab's Cereal Milk Live Rosin.
00:01:37Gary Johnston
All of that and more on Episode 238 of the Cannabis potcast.
00:01:44Gary Johnston
And of course, before we get too much further, I want to stop and say, thanks.
00:01:49Gary Johnston
Thanks for being here.
00:01:51Gary Johnston
Thanks for being a listener of the Cannabis potcast.
00:01:53Gary Johnston
I'm absolutely thrilled that you come along and join me for the ride.
00:01:57Gary Johnston
We're coming to the close.
00:01:59Gary Johnston
There's another three episodes, so this is the anti-penultimate episode.
00:02:03Gary Johnston
I've always loved the word penultimate.
00:02:05Gary Johnston
You'll find I use that next week.
00:02:08Gary Johnston
But there is a word for the third in a series, and that is anti-penultimate.
00:02:14Gary Johnston
So after seven amazing years, the Cannabis potcast is going to air its final episode on December 28th.
00:02:22Gary Johnston
It has been a journey I have absolutely loved.
00:02:26Gary Johnston
filled with stories, insights, community, and over 200 cultivars sampled.
00:02:34Gary Johnston
I am deeply thankful to everyone who has listened and supported along the way.
00:02:40Gary Johnston
As we approach the closing chapter, your encouragement means more than ever.
00:02:46Gary Johnston
If you'd like to help celebrate the journey and support the podcast in its final stretch, you can do so at buymeacoffee.com slash cannabis potcast.
00:02:55Gary Johnston
Thank you for being a part of the Cannabis potcast story.
00:03:00Gary Johnston
It wouldn't have been possible without you.
00:03:03Gary Johnston
And especially appropriate if you want to say happy birthday, because yesterday was my 70th birthday.
00:03:13Gary Johnston
December 13th with Neil Young, Taylor Swift, Dick Van Dyke.
00:03:19Gary Johnston
There's a lot of people that were born on December 13th.
00:03:23Gary Johnston
I am 70 years old.
00:03:25Gary Johnston
Holy crap, I'm getting old.
00:03:28Gary Johnston
But I guess I have to accept it, because there's not much I can do about it.
00:03:32Gary Johnston
And then we talk about some of the people who have contacted me recently.
00:03:35Gary Johnston
Antonio sent me a note, thanking me for the last seven years.
00:03:41Gary Johnston
He's gone back, and he's found now all of the episodes.
00:03:44Gary Johnston
He's gone through the entire catalogue.
00:03:47Gary Johnston
He really likes what he's doing.
00:03:48Gary Johnston
He wishes that I would do some more.
00:03:51Gary Johnston
that I wasn't saying goodbye.
00:03:53Gary Johnston
But I may come back in the future.
00:03:56Gary Johnston
You never know.
00:03:58Gary Johnston
Well, I have to say, my association and working with Adam Vanderme, who is your can of chef, worked out well today.
00:04:09Gary Johnston
As we had a conversation on the podcast a couple of weeks ago, I made some reference to the fact that I'd really like an opportunity to be able to know how to do this stuff and to do it properly.
00:04:20Gary Johnston
And coincidentally, just at about the same time, Adam was thinking of launching a new thing on his website called a virtual infusion guide.
00:04:30Gary Johnston
Meet Adam, your infused guide.
00:04:34Gary Johnston
So we worked it out.
00:04:36Gary Johnston
He offered me the opportunity.
00:04:39Gary Johnston
And in fact, my wife, Jan, and I both took advantage of it and went through the course today.
00:04:45Gary Johnston
We know now how to decarb with confidence.
00:04:48Gary Johnston
We can get reliable in our dosing, in our ratio math.
00:04:52Gary Johnston
We know that we're using some oil, and we are straining and finishing like a chef with a fine mesh, no cheesecloth involved.
00:05:02Gary Johnston
It was a blast.
00:05:03Gary Johnston
We had a gas.
00:05:04Gary Johnston
So we set up with a Zoom meeting.
00:05:07Gary Johnston
I had it running on my iPad in the kitchen, and we had Adam back in his chef, or back in his kitchen, with all of the stuff.
00:05:15Gary Johnston
So what did I need?
00:05:16Gary Johnston
I didn't need a whole lot of things.
00:05:18Gary Johnston
I needed my weed.
00:05:20Gary Johnston
I used sweetgrass, cannabis, and 3 1/2 grams of that is what my product is.
00:05:27Gary Johnston
I had a glass mason jar where my infusion was going to end up in.
00:05:34Gary Johnston
I didn't need the cheesecloth.
00:05:36Gary Johnston
I was ready for it if we had to, but we didn't need it.
00:05:40Gary Johnston
And so we started talking about what's the process?
00:05:43Gary Johnston
How do we get this started?
00:05:45Gary Johnston
And the first step in the process is getting your weeds prepared.
00:05:50Gary Johnston
Because I had turned my oven on 5 minutes before we joined, so it was ready by the time I had chopped it all up.
00:05:58Gary Johnston
And then Adam says, don't grind your weed.
00:06:02Gary Johnston
It gets way too powdery, and you're not going to get the benefits out of deep carving.
00:06:08Gary Johnston
So I didn't.
00:06:09Gary Johnston
I put it on a cutting board.
00:06:12Gary Johnston
used my big knife, and I literally just cut.
00:06:16Gary Johnston
I cut all that wheat up till it was in grains of sand across my board, and then I moved that board onto some parchment paper on my pan for the oven, which was at 240 degrees, and I stuck it in.
00:06:35Gary Johnston
And it needed about 40 minutes in there, and while that was going on,
00:06:41Gary Johnston
Adam and I shared a whole lot of stories.
00:06:44Gary Johnston
He talked about some of the things that he's going to teach us in terms of being able to infuse your weed.
00:06:50Gary Johnston
Now, here's the trick.
00:06:52Gary Johnston
When Adam talks about adding some infused weed to a meal, it's done as a finishing step.
00:07:00Gary Johnston
He doesn't use the oil in any sense to cook the dish.
00:07:05Gary Johnston
So, for example, I'm cooking up some puff pastry
00:07:09Gary Johnston
with some pizza dough on top of it.
00:07:12Gary Johnston
And that's going to be my first infusion try.
00:07:15Gary Johnston
So I have my infusion, and I'm going to add about a tablespoon of that, which will be 20 milligrams.
00:07:22Gary Johnston
And I'm going to infuse that and do a little drip on my pieces, not on my wife's pieces, so she will be virgin, so to speak.
00:07:30Gary Johnston
And we'll see.
00:07:32Gary Johnston
We'll see if it worked.
00:07:32Gary Johnston
It was a fabulous process.
00:07:35Gary Johnston
So we talked about it while we were doing that.
00:07:38Gary Johnston
And then once it had gone through the decarb process, on to the next step.
00:07:43Gary Johnston
So I had my mason jar and I had a pot big enough to hold the jar and hold water deep enough to cover all of the oil.
00:07:55Gary Johnston
And that's exactly what happened.
00:07:57Gary Johnston
It was perfect and was running at about 208 degrees.
00:08:02Gary Johnston
Yeah, 198, 200 degrees where you want the water to go.
00:08:06Gary Johnston
It got a little hot, but we brought it back down a little bit.
00:08:10Gary Johnston
And so it's in a tightened jar inside the water in a water bath.
00:08:17Gary Johnston
And then you give it a good shake every 10 minutes.
00:08:20Gary Johnston
So we shaked it up when I first put the weed in, give it a good shake.
00:08:25Gary Johnston
And then we chatted for another 10 minutes.
00:08:29Gary Johnston
He gave me some ideas for some recipes, some adding some infusion to pesto,
00:08:34Gary Johnston
or some infusion for an aioli, all those kind of things, which is fabulous.
00:08:39Gary Johnston
I'm just so looking forward to doing kind of that kind of stuff with it.
00:08:44Gary Johnston
And 10 minutes later, Gary pulls up the jar, holds it with a hot mitt so it doesn't get burned, shook it up vigorously, and then we put it back into the water.
00:08:57Gary Johnston
And to keep my eye on the temperature, because it crept up pretty quickly.
00:09:01Gary Johnston
But then I brought it back down.
00:09:03Gary Johnston
And so another 10 minutes, do a little shake.
00:09:06Gary Johnston
And then finally, at the last 10 minutes, so now it's been 30 minutes and 40 minutes, we spent infused in the water.
00:09:15Gary Johnston
And then, now what I'm going to do with that, I'm going to pour it into another glass jar.
00:09:21Gary Johnston
Eventually, that's going to end up in the mason jar that I started with.
00:09:25Gary Johnston
I had a interim jar that I was going to use to extract this stuff.
00:09:30Gary Johnston
And then we discovered with Adam and I communicating that the fine mesh screen that I have that really only holds like it's just for a hand handheld amount was perfect.
00:09:45Gary Johnston
I didn't need to use any cheesecloth because the fine mesh was good enough.
00:09:53Gary Johnston
So I put it over top of my container.
00:09:56Gary Johnston
I poured my 1 cup of olive oil right into it.
00:10:00Gary Johnston
and collected all of the cannabis.
00:10:03Gary Johnston
And boy, did I have a beautiful amber color to my oil after it was done.
00:10:11Gary Johnston
And so then he says, what's your, what's the first thing you're going to cook with that?
00:10:15Gary Johnston
And so I repeated the fact that I'm doing a puff pastry as a pizza crust.
00:10:20Gary Johnston
We're going to do that today.
00:10:21Gary Johnston
And then I'm going to take 20 milligrams of that.
00:10:24Gary Johnston
And now one thing Adam suggested that I do,
00:10:29Gary Johnston
was to kind of do a preload, get a little bit ready before it's time for that.
00:10:37Gary Johnston
So I think I'm just going to take probably a tablespoon, maybe a little less than a tablespoon of weed, and just going to put it on some bread, just something to have a snack with.
00:10:52Gary Johnston
And I'll have that after about an hour, and then it's time for supper.
00:10:58Gary Johnston
And so when I am drizzling my infused oil on my pizza parts, I'm only going to keep it to the parts I'm going to consume.
00:11:08Gary Johnston
And I'm really hoping, I am really hoping that this works, that this gets through the barrier of my metabolism and gets that cannabis infused into my blood and I start to get high with cannabis cooking and I can cut back on my smoking.
00:11:27Gary Johnston
That's what I really hope out of all of this.
00:11:30Gary Johnston
So it was a fun experience.
00:11:32Gary Johnston
It took about an hour and a half.
00:11:34Gary Johnston
We were connected for about an hour and a half or thereabouts.
00:11:38Gary Johnston
Got lots of great information.
00:11:39Gary Johnston
He's going to share the recording with me so that I have it to review later.
00:11:44Gary Johnston
It was fun.
00:11:45Gary Johnston
I really enjoyed Adam's approach.
00:11:46Gary Johnston
He's very, very peaceful.
00:11:48Gary Johnston
He's very calming.
00:11:50Gary Johnston
And it makes you feel confident in what he's taught you.
00:11:54Gary Johnston
So I really appreciated it.
00:11:56Gary Johnston
Adam Vanderme, thank you so much for that.
00:11:58Gary Johnston
Let me thank your wife, Jeanette, as well, for creating a lot of the materials and helping you with the site.
00:12:03Gary Johnston
I know she's doing a lot for you.
00:12:06Gary Johnston
It was a blast.
00:12:07Gary Johnston
My wife, Jan, enjoyed the process, too.
00:12:10Gary Johnston
I don't know if she's going to start using infused cannabis, but probably not.
00:12:15Gary Johnston
But it was a blast.
00:12:16Gary Johnston
Thank you so much for that, Adam.
00:12:17Gary Johnston
I truly enjoyed it.
00:12:19Gary Johnston
And now I feel so much better.
00:12:22Gary Johnston
I believe.
00:12:23Gary Johnston
Being able to infuse my own cannabis into either an olive oil or a coconut oil or even butter, I'll do it better next time.
00:12:33Gary Johnston
I have not done this properly before, but I think we're going to change that this time.
00:12:38Gary Johnston
Thanks, Adam.
00:12:39Gary Johnston
That was a blast.
00:12:42Ian
From the Cannabis Infused Studio in the clouds, this is the Cannabis potcast.
00:12:47Gary Johnston
And we are picking this story up from theounce.ca.
00:12:50Gary Johnston
This was written by Pat Palmer.
00:12:52Gary Johnston
Vancouver Island residents are using more cannabis.
00:12:55Gary Johnston
Cannabis use is dropping on Vancouver Island, but it's still used at a higher rate than in the rest of British Columbia.
00:13:03Gary Johnston
Island Health's annual Population Health Status Report looked at a variety of categories affecting people's health, including the use of cannabis and other substances such as alcohol.
00:13:15Gary Johnston
While we have seen a decline in consumption rates over the past few years, tobacco use, alcohol consumption,
00:13:22Gary Johnston
and cannabis use are all higher in island health than in the rest of the province, said Dr.
00:13:28Gary Johnston
Rika Gustafson, Island Health's chief medical health officer, in a news release.
00:13:33Gary Johnston
The report found 32% of people on Vancouver Island reported using cannabis compared to 22% province-wide.
00:13:42Gary Johnston
More males, 29.1%, reported cannabis use in the past year compared to females, 19.9%.
00:13:50Gary Johnston
A total of 3.5% of Island Health residents self-reported cannabis dependency compared to 4.8% for British Columbians overall.
00:14:00Gary Johnston
Cannabis-related hospital admissions increased from 64.3 per 100,000 in 2017 to 91.5 in 2023, after peaking at 104.3 in 2021.
00:14:15Gary Johnston
Among youth in 2023,
00:14:18Gary Johnston
28% said they had tried cannabis at some point.
00:14:21Gary Johnston
Of those who had tried it, 61% reported using it in the past 30 days, which was the same as the provincial rate.
00:14:29Gary Johnston
Proportion of youth who have tried alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis had declined over the past few years.
00:14:36Gary Johnston
And that's a look at the state of the cannabis industry on Vancouver Island, where apparently use is up.
00:14:46Gary Johnston
Cannabis has been legal for seven years now in Canada, coming up on 8.
00:14:52Gary Johnston
And we have a story on how our consumers have changed in the last seven years.
00:14:57Gary Johnston
This is from Sarah Clark, Estracon.com.
00:15:00Gary Johnston
Ontario will use minors to monitor and ensure retailers are not selling cannabis and alcohol products to young people.
00:15:08Gary Johnston
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the AGCO,
00:15:12Gary Johnston
recently announced new efforts aimed at strengthening its ability to protect youth and prevent underage access to alcohol and cannabis products.
00:15:20Gary Johnston
Beginning in December, activities conducted as part of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario's Mystery Shop program will expand to include a new role of the organization called a Youth Compliance Monitor.
00:15:33Gary Johnston
These new monitors will work directly with AGCO inspectors
00:15:37Gary Johnston
to identify retailers who permit minors to purchase age-restricted products.
00:15:43Gary Johnston
The Youth Compliance Monitors are individuals aged 16 to 18, appointed by the AGCO registrar with the acknowledgement of their parent or guardian.
00:15:52Gary Johnston
Previously, for cannabis retail locations in Ontario, the AGCO was permitted by legislation to use individuals who were at least 18 years of age.
00:16:02Gary Johnston
In Ontario, one must be 19 years of age or older to buy, use, possess, and grow recreational
00:16:07Gary Johnston
cannabis.
00:16:09Gary Johnston
Retailers who fail to check identification or sell age-restricted products to minors will be cited for a violation under Ontario's Liquor License and Control Act.
00:16:20Gary Johnston
The AGCO's Schedule of Monetary Penalties permits monetary penalties of up to $100,000 for selling cannabis or alcohol to minors.
00:16:29Gary Johnston
In addition to monetary penalties, licensees can face additional enforcement actions, including suspension and even revocation of their license for the most serious of repeated violations.
00:16:40Gary Johnston
The LLCA and CLA provide the AGCO with the authority to hire minors for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the acts, regulations, and the registrar's standards.
00:16:52Gary Johnston
The addition of Youth Compliance Monitors
00:16:55Gary Johnston
provides an effective tool for the AGCO to ensure retailers are taking the necessary steps to prevent the sale of alcohol and cannabis to minors.
00:17:03Gary Johnston
The provincial organization says this strategy adopts a youth protection approach, widely recognized as a best practice in other regulated sectors, where youth monitors play a key role in supporting the enforcement of age restrictions for products such as tobacco.
00:17:20Gary Johnston
By implementing this approach, the AGCO continues to uphold its mandate to regulate with honesty, integrity, and in the public interest.
00:17:28Gary Johnston
Protecting youth from the harms of alcohol and cannabis consumption is more than just a regulatory responsibility it is a profound moral duty, said Dr.
00:17:37Gary Johnston
Karen Schnarr, CEO and Registrar of AGCO.
00:17:42Gary Johnston
This enhanced program sends a clear message that all retailers are responsible for prioritizing the health and safety of youth.
00:17:50Gary Johnston
and it reinforces the AGCO's commitment to holding bad actors accountable.
00:17:55Gary Johnston
The AGCO's Mystery Shop program was first established in 2017, following the introduction of beer, cider, and wine sales in grocery stores.
00:18:04Gary Johnston
In the most recent annual report from the AGCO in 2023-24, there were 2,820 inspections conducted of licensed cannabis retailers, 567 consultations,
00:18:17Gary Johnston
203 education visits, 300 miscellaneous complicated activities, and 937 violations cited.
00:18:25Gary Johnston
Ontario is looking to hire minors to find those who are selling cannabis to minors.
00:18:31Gary Johnston
You know what I mean.
00:18:35Gary Johnston
Well, you may have heard my previous section where I talked about learning to infuse oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or butter.
00:18:45Gary Johnston
and have some success with that.
00:18:48Gary Johnston
You may feel that I'm already a little tinuous in my words.
00:18:53Gary Johnston
I think I have achieved some success with this.
00:18:57Gary Johnston
When we did the infusion, it came out to what should be about 20 milligrams per tablespoon.
00:19:05Gary Johnston
And I think when I've done the math, I'm starting to feel some of that.
00:19:13Gary Johnston
So at Adam's suggestion, I did have a pre-boost, like my daughter and her friends used to do when they came over to do to pre-drink.
00:19:22Gary Johnston
So I started off with just a little piece of some nice bread that I had, and I put about one.
00:19:30Gary Johnston
a half a tablespoon of the oil that I created today, the infused oil.
00:19:36Gary Johnston
So that would have been not quite a tablespoon, so perhaps about 10 milligrams, maybe 11 milligrams.
00:19:43Gary Johnston
So I ate that about half an hour, 40 minutes before we sat down or to create supper.
00:19:51Gary Johnston
So I then created supper, and it was delicious.
00:19:54Gary Johnston
It was a puff pastry kind of pizza that had some sausage and some
00:20:00Gary Johnston
nice pepperoncinos and some sun-dried tomatoes and olives and feta cheese, and all it was delicious.
00:20:08Gary Johnston
So to keep my wife safe from the cannabis, we drizzled some olive oil on her piece, and then I drizzled another half a tablespoon of the cannabis oil we created onto my piece.
00:20:26Gary Johnston
And we're now
00:20:28Gary Johnston
this is about an hour and a bit from I first took it, and this is now about 40 minutes from when we had our dinner today.
00:20:37Gary Johnston
And I'm very pleased to tell you that I'm feeling some of this.
00:20:43Gary Johnston
Because I remember from my last experience, it kind of snuck up on me, and I felt things in my body that I didn't think I'd feel unless I smoked something.
00:20:55Gary Johnston
I think I've achieved a little progress.
00:20:58Gary Johnston
Now, it could get deeper, and now this is what we call experimentation phase.
00:21:06Gary Johnston
That's what, after we had our discussion with Adam and where I would like to go, and if there is some success with this, and I'm perceiving that there is some success, I'm now going to be able to describe or determine
00:21:24Gary Johnston
through the dosage, whether I want to get a little bit more or I want to do a little bit less.
00:21:30Gary Johnston
So I'm initially, frankly, quite surprised.
00:21:36Gary Johnston
I was thinking I was going to face the same thing that I've faced every single time.
00:21:41Gary Johnston
But the way I'm feeding in my body, and it comes from inside, similar to what happened last time.
00:21:49Gary Johnston
Now, I don't have the giggles.
00:21:52Gary Johnston
Maybe they'll come along later.
00:21:55Gary Johnston
But that was really interesting when I sat down with the microphone after consuming the cannabis last time.
00:22:01Gary Johnston
So I'd have to say that we have had some success.
00:22:06Gary Johnston
And how far and how long this success is going to last, I can't tell you.
00:22:12Gary Johnston
But I'm pleased.
00:22:14Gary Johnston
I'm very, very pleased that it was, that it has been successful.
00:22:19Gary Johnston
And I think if it's successful,
00:22:22Gary Johnston
I could be adding this to many of my meals and stopping smoking cannabis.
00:22:27Gary Johnston
Oh, if I could get there.
00:22:29Gary Johnston
Oh, that'd be fabulous.
00:22:31Gary Johnston
I can dream, can I?
00:22:34Gary Johnston
Sure I can.
00:22:35Gary Johnston
So I'd have to say that we have had a bit of success in in in this.
00:22:41Gary Johnston
It's feeling good.
00:22:43Gary Johnston
It's not really deep, but perhaps that's kind of where I want to start with my first impressions of of what's happened.
00:22:51Gary Johnston
So to Adam Vanderme and your Canna Chef, the success of your infusion training is laid at my feet.
00:23:03Gary Johnston
Yeah, I'm feeling it and I'm thinking I'm going to feel a little bit more.
00:23:08Gary Johnston
And again, I'm not giggling yet, but I think that's going to come up sometime soon.
00:23:16Gary Johnston
So thank you.
00:23:17Gary Johnston
And now,
00:23:19Gary Johnston
Because you have heard me talk about it on the Cannabis potcast, there's a special deal.
00:23:25Gary Johnston
Adam and his wife Jeanette have put together a little coupon package.
00:23:29Gary Johnston
If you go to yourcannachef.ca slash Gary, you'll get yourself a discount.
00:23:36Gary Johnston
That's fabulous.
00:23:37Gary Johnston
I'm so pleased that offer is there for you there.
00:23:40Gary Johnston
You can grab it until, I think, January 16th.
00:23:43Gary Johnston
Since I appear to be too stoned to be able to tell you about it, let me pull up the offer and I'll tell you all about it.
00:23:49Gary Johnston
So go to yourcannachef.ca slash Gary.
00:23:52Gary Johnston
You pop it up, guess what you see?
00:23:54Gary Johnston
The Cannabis potcast.
00:23:56Gary Johnston
A $25 coaching credit exclusive for Cannabis potcast listeners.
00:24:00Gary Johnston
They can hear the credit applies to all.
00:24:03Gary Johnston
No coupon codes, no confusion.
00:24:06Gary Johnston
It's pretty easy.
00:24:07Gary Johnston
Thank you very much to your candor chef, Adam Vanderme.
00:24:10Gary Johnston
Thank you so much, and I hope you take advantage of that.
00:24:33Gary Johnston
I say, Welcome to Cult of our Corner.
00:24:35Gary Johnston
Brought to you by Up and Smoke at 258 West Broadway in Vancouver and online at itsupandsmoke.com.
00:24:42Gary Johnston
Remember, if you live in BC and you are 19 years of age or older, you can order something from the online menu, have it sent to you, or if you live in Vancouver and order by 2 p.m., they can show up at your door on an e-scooter.
00:24:56Gary Johnston
Fabulous, Matt and Sarah doing an excellent job at deliveries from Up and Smoke.
00:25:02Gary Johnston
And now we're doing another resin.
00:25:04Gary Johnston
Yes, we are.
00:25:06Gary Johnston
This is from Astro Lab.
00:25:07Gary Johnston
100% solventless live rosin infused.
00:25:12Gary Johnston
Cereal milk, cold, cure, live rosin is what's on tap for today.
00:25:18Gary Johnston
And I open up my jar and there is an abundance of flavors coming out of there.
00:25:25Gary Johnston
Oh, so sweet.
00:25:27Gary Johnston
Cereal milk.
00:25:28Gary Johnston
is characterized by its loud notes supported by the rich, creamy, and sweet tastes.
00:25:33Gary Johnston
Warped to light speed with Astrolab's Lightspeed Live Rosin.
00:25:38Gary Johnston
All our live rosins are made from fresh frozen flour that has been meticulously washed and squished with only heat and pressure, producing a true-to-plant extract.
00:25:50Gary Johnston
Preserving terpenes and minor cannabinoids the plant has to offer, made with sun-grown, glacial-fed inputs,
00:25:57Gary Johnston
We provide the most natural, 100% solventless extract experience possible.
00:26:04Gary Johnston
Oh, that's a beautiful smell.
00:26:06Gary Johnston
That is a beautiful smell.
00:26:07Gary Johnston
So now we're going to take some of the resin, rosin, and we're going to drop it into my proxy plus.
00:26:16Gary Johnston
That's what we're going, and we're going to do some cereal milk, live rosin.
00:26:21Gary Johnston
Oh, boy.
00:26:24Gary Johnston
I'm going to take the temperature down a little bit.
00:26:26Gary Johnston
We're going to go back to the blue.
00:26:30Gary Johnston
There we got, we got enough power to do it.
00:26:33Gary Johnston
So this is AstroLab.
00:26:36Gary Johnston
And again, let me make sure I got the right one.
00:26:38Gary Johnston
Cereal, milk, cold, cure, live resin.
00:26:43Gary Johnston
Delicious looking.
00:26:44Gary Johnston
I've got my Pothco Proxy warmed up.
00:26:47Gary Johnston
And while we're waiting for that to warm up, let's talk about trans-caryophyllene.
00:26:52Gary Johnston
It's the bold and spicy terpene that adds a unique kick to the cannabis experience.
00:26:57Gary Johnston
Imagine the warm, peppery notes of freshly cracked black pepper, or the earthy richness of cloves.
00:27:03Gary Johnston
That's the distinct flavor profile trans-caryophyllene brings to the table.
00:27:08Gary Johnston
Limonene is the citrusy superstar of the cannabis world, infusing strained with a burst of bright, zesty flavor, and now I can stop to try it.
00:27:17Gary Johnston
And here we go.
00:27:24Gary Johnston
yeah.
00:27:26Gary Johnston
So the linalool, which is also the other terpene I haven't got to yet.
00:27:30Gary Johnston
Linalool, one of the most well-known and widely occurring terpenes in the cannabis world.
00:27:35Gary Johnston
Commonly found in basil, coriander, and lavender, this terpene is most known for and beloved for its calming floral aroma.
00:27:43Gary Johnston
And we've got that in the AstroLab.
00:27:48Gary Johnston
Cereal milk.
00:27:50Gary Johnston
that's a nice taste.
00:27:52Gary Johnston
Solvenous extraction stands as the pinnacle of the cannabis experience, offering the cleanest and purest expression of the plant.
00:27:59Gary Johnston
Free from harsh chemicals, it delivers a full spectrum of robust cannabinoids and terpenes through various forms like flower rosin, live rosin, dry sift, bubble hash, and platella.
00:28:10Gary Johnston
While pure water can be classified as a solvent, ice water is still regarded as a solventless extract because pure water is entirely non-toxic and will completely evaporate from the final product.
00:28:22Gary Johnston
And here we go again.
00:28:30Gary Johnston
Oh, that is a nice taste.
00:28:32Gary Johnston
That is really clean on the cereal milk cold cure live rosin.
00:28:41Gary Johnston
And it works to light speed with Astro Lab's Light Speed Live Rosin.
00:28:46Gary Johnston
I'm not sure how they do it that so fast.
00:28:52Gary Johnston
Oh, my, Really loving the sweet taste coming out of my popcoat proxy today.
00:28:57Gary Johnston
With the cereal milk cold cured live rosin.
00:29:01Gary Johnston
Oh, this could be one of the last live rosins we do on Cultivar Corner.
00:29:06Gary Johnston
At Astrolob, our solventless extracts are crafted for unparalleled purity, using advanced mechanical methods to separate cannabinoids.
00:29:14Gary Johnston
Oh, nice.
00:29:21Gary Johnston
That is so sweet, that limonene and linalool, a little bit of citrus, some floral notes to it.
00:29:30Gary Johnston
And we're going to take my temperature up.
00:29:32Gary Johnston
We're going to go for the red.
00:29:33Gary Johnston
We're going to go for the highest temperature that I can do.
00:29:37Gary Johnston
And here we go.
00:29:44Gary Johnston
Here it comes.
00:29:48Gary Johnston
And just as I had that note, my endocannabinoid system came a buzz and started to feel some of these effects.
00:29:56Gary Johnston
Oh, that was really nice.
00:30:03Gary Johnston
So transcaryophyllene, a bit of peppery notes, some limonene for some citrus, and some little lool for some floral elements gives me a taste that is absolutely delicious.
00:30:15Gary Johnston
And I'm doing this on a Sunday morning.
00:30:18Gary Johnston
Oh, and that is just...
00:30:20Gary Johnston
Oh, wow.
00:30:27Gary Johnston
Oh, my.
00:30:29Gary Johnston
And now it's all in my head.
00:30:32Gary Johnston
And my THC on this one is...
00:30:35Gary Johnston
I should tell you what that is.
00:30:37Gary Johnston
My THC is 70%.
00:30:39Gary Johnston
My total turps are 5.6%.
00:30:42Gary Johnston
As I open up a little jar, I can pick up on some of those turps in there, and now my endocannabinoid system is picking up on all of the elements.
00:30:53Gary Johnston
Oh my.
00:30:57Gary Johnston
I remember why I like the rosins.
00:31:00Gary Johnston
I know I've been told this by Matt and Sarah at Up and Smoke, that that's where you should go for your purity of taste.
00:31:07Gary Johnston
And it is true.
00:31:08Gary Johnston
Oh my goodness.
00:31:10Gary Johnston
AstroLab Cereal Milk Cold Cure Live Rosin.
00:31:15Gary Johnston
It has made my endocannabinoid system come alive.
00:31:20Gary Johnston
Oh wow.
00:31:24Gary Johnston
I am going to enjoy this day.
00:31:26Gary Johnston
And remember, Cultivar Corner is brought to you by Up in Smoke at 258 West Broadway in Vancouver and online at itsupinsmoke.com.
00:31:35Gary Johnston
Remember, if you're 19 years of age or older and you live in BC, you can have something sent to your address.
00:31:39Gary Johnston
Or if you live in Vancouver, order by 2 P.m.
00:31:42Gary Johnston
that day.
00:31:42Gary Johnston
You could see a e-scooter show up at your door with your order.
00:31:46Gary Johnston
Matt and Sarah at Up in Smoke doing a fabulous job on deliveries.
00:31:50Gary Johnston
It's been such a great pleasure for me to be a part of their team for the last few months.
00:31:54Gary Johnston
Thank you so much for that.
00:31:55Gary Johnston
And as it sits in my endocannabinoid system for a few more minutes and rattles around in my brain.
00:32:02Gary Johnston
Oh, I'm loving this.
00:32:04Gary Johnston
My head is high.
00:32:04Gary Johnston
I've got some euphoria going on.
00:32:07Gary Johnston
My cereal milk, light speed, live rosin cold cure.
00:32:12Gary Johnston
I'm just going to let this roll around in my endocannabinoid system for a while.
00:32:17Gary Johnston
and I'm going to enjoy my day.
00:32:19Ian
Sharing stories about good weed while trying good weed.
00:32:24Ian
This is the Cannabis potcast.
00:32:26Gary Johnston
We're going to theouts.ca.
00:32:28Gary Johnston
This is written by Pat Palmer.
00:32:29Gary Johnston
This is Rubicon's new facilities are ready to start growing.
00:32:34Gary Johnston
Rubicon Organics is getting its new 47,000 square foot plant in Hope, BC up and running.
00:32:41Gary Johnston
The company recently received the licensing it needed to operate the site.
00:32:44Gary Johnston
which it purchased earlier this year from Metapharm Labs.
00:32:48Gary Johnston
This new location will provide an additional 4,500 kilograms of production capacity, representing a 40% increase, the company says.
00:32:57Gary Johnston
In a quarterly and non-month financial report issued on November 12th, Delta BC-based Rubicon said the Cascadia site, as it's named, will eat into profits for a while, but will be a boon in the long run.
00:33:11Gary Johnston
While we anticipate some one-time costs into early 2026 as we bring the Cascadia facility online, this investment positions Rubicon for sustained long-term value creation, said Glenn Ibbett, who was recently promoted from interim CFO to full-time financial chief.
00:33:30Gary Johnston
Rubicon delivered strong Q325 results, with net revenues of $15.6 million, up 16% year-over-year,
00:33:38Gary Johnston
and $1.7 million in adjusted ABITKA.
00:33:42Gary Johnston
If it said in the report, these results reflect our commitment to achieving the benefits of operational scale, disciplined cost control, and an unwavering focus on quality in Canada's premium cannabis market.
00:33:56Gary Johnston
For the year so far, Rubicon's net revenue is $43 million, up 25% over a year ago, and ABITKA is positive at $3.8 million.
00:34:07Gary Johnston
For the quarter,
00:34:08Gary Johnston
Rubicon achieved a national market share of 6.2% in premium pre-rolls, 13.2% in premium vapes, 16% in premium edibles, and has the top-selling topical, the report said.
00:34:21Gary Johnston
A few days earlier, Rubicon announced that it had secured a $4 million loan with Community Savings Credit Union.
00:34:27Gary Johnston
That money will support the growth at its Hope and Delta locations.
00:34:31Gary Johnston
Rubicon has also won seven titles at the 2025 Kind Awards.
00:34:36Gary Johnston
Kind is an Ontario-based lifestyle magazine and website.
00:34:40Gary Johnston
The awards were voted on by over 350 Canadian budtenders.
00:34:44Gary Johnston
Rubicon's Simply Bear Organic repeated as Craft Brand of the Year.
00:34:49Gary Johnston
Other repeat winners were 1964's Supply Co.
00:34:52Gary Johnston
as Brand of the Year, Wildflower as Wellness Brand of the Year, and 1964's Blue Dream FSE Resin Vape as Vape of the Year.
00:35:03Gary Johnston
Simply BC's BC Organic Pink Drip,
00:35:06Gary Johnston
which is Gastown Genetics, was Flower and Weed of the Year, and the 1964 Comatose FCE Rosin AOI Vape won Best New Product Want of the Year.
00:35:18Gary Johnston
I'm most proud of winning both the Flower of the Year and Weed of the Year for BC Organic Bink Drip.
00:35:24Gary Johnston
It's an outstanding genetic, and a testament to our genetic strategy, said COO Melanie Ramsey in a news release.
00:35:32Gary Johnston
Rubicorn Organics recently released its fifth annual Environmental, Social, and Governance Report for 2024.
00:35:40Gary Johnston
The report contains a vast array of numbers and information about the company.
00:35:44Gary Johnston
Our total carbon footprint decreased by 14% from 2023, natural gas consumption decreased by 12%, electricity usage increased by 8%, largely attributable to expanded production facilities.
00:35:59Gary Johnston
Full-spectrum LED lighting continues to be used in all growing areas, supporting healthier plants and higher yields while consuming up to 60% less energy.
00:36:09Gary Johnston
Drip irrigation is used across our greenhouse, which is widely considered the most water-efficient way of irrigating a crop.
00:36:17Gary Johnston
In 2024, we upgraded all drip irrigation tubes and emitters to deliver water more consistently to plants.
00:36:25Gary Johnston
This resulted in a large decrease in our water usage from 2023 to 2024.
00:36:32Gary Johnston
As one of a small group of certified organic LPs, licensed producers in Canada in 2024, we're committed to protecting the local ecosystem by continually enhancing our organic farming practices.
00:36:45Gary Johnston
We use a proprietary soil recipe made from rich ingredients, harvested locally, and sustainably from BC's mountains, forests, and the ocean, such as glacial rock dust, Douglas fir bark, kelp, and fish compost.
00:37:00Gary Johnston
And there's some other values in there, you can read them for yourself.
00:37:03Gary Johnston
That is the story of Rubicon Organics as they get ready to grow with hope.
00:37:12Gary Johnston
You did it.
00:37:14Gary Johnston
You showed dedication to task, and we're at the end of another episode, and you've been here for the journey.
00:37:21Gary Johnston
Thank you so much for being here.
00:37:22Gary Johnston
I truly appreciate it.
00:37:24Gary Johnston
You can comment on anything you hear on Cannabis potcast at info at cannabispodcast.com.
00:37:31Gary Johnston
And now, let's get to the world's worst dad jokes.
00:37:35Gary Johnston
I just love these, and there's still a few to get me through the rest of the year.
00:37:39Gary Johnston
Husband, your honor.
00:37:42Gary Johnston
Every night my wife is out past midnight, going from bar to bar.
00:37:46Gary Johnston
What do you think she's doing?
00:37:52Gary Johnston
Looking for me?
00:37:55Gary Johnston
What do you call an Irishman who bounces off walls?
00:38:00Gary Johnston
Ricochet.
00:38:03Gary Johnston
I decided not to become a history teacher.
00:38:07Gary Johnston
There's no future in it.
00:38:11Gary Johnston
I dig, you dig, we dig, he digs, she digs, they dig.
00:38:17Gary Johnston
It's not a great poem, but it's really deep.
00:38:22Gary Johnston
Oh, I just love that.
00:38:24Gary Johnston
Thank you for being here.
00:38:25Gary Johnston
I hope you feel a little more educated today than you were yesterday, and you had some fun along the way.
00:38:31Gary Johnston
Thanks for being here.
00:38:32Gary Johnston
From the guy in the clouds, that's it, for episode 238 of the Cannabis potcast.
00:38:39Ian
From the cannabis-infused studio, high above the Okanagan Valley, this was the Cannabis potcast.
Your transcript is saved. You can close this pane and the document and come back to it later.