We have a couple stories that look at the cannabis industry from different perspectives, and we note that cannabis needs some political help, better cannabis packaging and a major fine for a cannabis marketer. We stop on Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up In Smoke, we try Blast, gummies with Brindle Farms Live Rosin.
We have a couple stories that look at the cannabis industry from different perspectives, and we note that cannabis needs some political help, better cannabis packaging and a major fine for a cannabis marketer. We stop on Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up In Smoke, we try Blast, gummies with Brindle Farms Live Rosin.
Blast gummies with Brindle Farms Live Rosin
00;00;01;22 - 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;12
Ian
Exploring the world of Canadian cannabis culture. One toke at a time. Here is your host and Bud tender Gary Johnston.
00;00;19;15 - 00;00;41;22
Gary Johnston
I have to say, this is an appropriate time to welcome you to the Cannabis potcast. Thank you for coming back. Or maybe this is your very first time. In either case, I'm so happy to have you here. I'm always pleased. Now, I do want to mention 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.
00;00;41;23 - 00;01;03;21
Gary Johnston
You should always consume your cannabis responsibly. And on episode 206, we are talking about a few things. In fact, we have a couple of stories that look at the cannabis industry from different perspectives, and we note that cannabis needs some political help, a better cannabis packaging, and a major find for a cannabis marketer. We're going to stop at Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up in Smoke.
00;01;03;28 - 00;01;17;01
Gary Johnston
We try blast gummies with Brindle Farms, live Rosin, all of that and more on episode 206 of the Cannabis potcast.
00;01;17;03 - 00;01;35;25
Gary Johnston
As always, I want to thank you for being a listener. The Cannabis potcast. I truly appreciate that. And I also want to thank my patrons from Patreon. Thank you folks, Tony, Rob, Gage, Lloyd, Roger, Justin, and Lindsay. I thank you each and every one of you for your support. And I also want to thank Lloyd. He sent me some thoughts.
00;01;35;27 - 00;02;01;09
Gary Johnston
Thank you so much, Lloyd. I truly appreciate it. You had some good wisdom and I will follow that wisdom. I appreciate it, Lord. We are trying to work this out. And now let me talk about something that has happened on the websites for cannabis potcast.com for many years. It was on a GoDaddy connection and there was some connections with also allowed me to send out a newsletter every week.
00;02;01;14 - 00;02;25;00
Gary Johnston
And because I have decided that I'm saving some money and getting rid of the GoDaddy, I don't need it because I already have the mechanism on the website. We're dumping the newsletter part, so I'm not going to be sending that out to. You will have the information right on the website. So I'm hoping the fact that you won't get an additional email from me once a week won't really matter too much to you.
00;02;25;02 - 00;02;50;18
Gary Johnston
I do thank you for your communication over the last couple of years. That's been cool, but we're going to try something different and we pick this story up from scratch and com it's written by David Brown. Cannabis industry organizations say they are cautiously looking forward to engaging with the newly elected Liberal government following the April 28th election, a new prime minister and a new cabinet provided an opportunity for a beleaguered industry to renew engagement.
00;02;50;18 - 00;03;23;06
Gary Johnston
Efforts to highlight issues such as excise tax reform, annual regulatory fees and market and promotional restrictions, among many others. Well, Health Canada recently released a large package of regulatory changes addressing some longstanding industry issues. Many of the larger issues remain long term goals of the industry, especially the federally licensed cannabis producers. Paul McCarthy, president of the Cannabis Council of Canada, highlighted these concerns in a public statement of the election results and the general anxiety within the industry.
00;03;23;09 - 00;04;00;12
Gary Johnston
Canada likes to position itself as a global leader in legal cannabis, but since legalization in 2018, the federal government has failed this industry and the tens of thousands of Hard-Working Canadians it supports. With a new government in office, it's time for action. The cannabis industry deserves the same attention and support as any sector of our economy. Canada's cannabis industry is a major driver of economic growth, notes McCarthy, contributing more than $43 billion to the national GDP since the beginning of legalization in 2018, with approximately 7.4 billion contributed in 2024 alone.
00;04;00;15 - 00;04;27;19
Gary Johnston
The council is calling for a change from an excise tax rate of $1 a gram to 10%, moving to a single harmonized excise stamp and a more concerted effort to take on this still present illicit cannabis market. The CEO of New Brunswick, Organigram Global Incorporated, also congratulated Carney on the results of the 2025 federal election, while urging policymakers to better support Canada's cannabis industry.
00;04;27;21 - 00;04;55;29
Gary Johnston
Congratulations to Prime Minister Carney on his party's victory, and to Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre for his party strong showing, as well as all who put themselves forward as candidates, said Bina Goldenberg, CEO of Organigram. In this election, Canadians were asked to embrace a plan to build economic resilience against an increasingly unpredictable United States. Now it's time for policymakers, industry leaders and stakeholders to unite behind a shared goal.
00;04;56;02 - 00;05;31;07
Gary Johnston
Unlocking the full potential of Canada's cannabis sector as a driver of innovation, job creation and sustainable economic growth like C3, of which Organigram is member, the company also lists moving from a $1 per gram excise tax to a 10% ad valorem rate, as well as encouraging more opportunities for inter-provincial and international trade at the provincial level. Walker Patten, on behalf of the B.C. Cannabis Alliance, says the B.C. organization is excited to begin connecting with the new government to discuss options for moving the industry forward.
00;05;31;09 - 00;05;57;03
Gary Johnston
Patton is the CTO at Woodie Nelson, a cannabis producer based in eastern B.C.. And if I could, any byline to this, there is a part of this story where it is actually incorrect. Parton is the CTO of Woodie Nelson, a cannabis producer in the West Kootenay. We're eager to see what an economy focused leader will bring to the table, but the liberals have a history of ignoring the challenges their policies have created for our industry.
00;05;57;03 - 00;06;17;21
Gary Johnston
So we have mixed feelings about until Strack can. Regardless, we look forward to engaging with the country's leadership on these issues in the pursuit of a stronger economy and bringing high quality jobs back to small, rural communities across the country. There's some interesting news on our newly elected government.
00;06;17;23 - 00;06;22;03
Ian
From the cannabis infused studio In the Clouds. This is the cannabis potcast.
00;06;22;05 - 00;06;44;04
Gary Johnston
And for this story, we're going to calm. This was written by David Brown. Cannabis brand Ghost Drops says it has formally filed legal action against Health Canada for what it argues are unfair limitations on the company's right to freedom of expression and the ability to engage in meaningful competitive commerce due to Canada's restrictions on the marketing of cannabis products.
00;06;44;07 - 00;07;16;13
Gary Johnston
The legal challenge filed April 4th is 2025, said Ghost Raps in a press release shared early Tuesday, April 29th, is a result of a $500,000 fine imposed on the company by Health Canada for alleged breaches of the Cannabis Act's restrictive marketing rules. Health Canada says the initial $500,000 fine was reduced to 250,000. The company alleges that the half million dollar fine was the result of an investigation, launched following public complaints about the company's marketing efforts in 2023.
00;07;16;15 - 00;07;41;09
Gary Johnston
Ghost jobs maintains that these accusations are exaggerated and highlight a disproportionate amount of enforcement. The company's president and founder, John Dean Durand, states that Ghost Drops is the first to receive such an arbitrary fine, arguing that the approach highlights inconsistency in the part of the federal regulator. We are the epitome of what the Cannabis Act was designed to achieve, said Serhant in a press release.
00;07;41;12 - 00;08;08;23
Gary Johnston
We were a legacy cannabis brand was transitioned to a legal cannabis business. We employs dozens of people, generated millions in tax revenue for our government while helping convert thousands of legacy consumers to legal, taxpaying consumers. We didn't do anything different from what our competitors do. Did we do it better? Yes, maybe. But allegedly violating an unconstitutional marketing regulation is a far cry from endangering human health.
00;08;08;25 - 00;08;51;12
Gary Johnston
Ghost jobs first launched as a legacy brand pre legalization before officially entering the legal cannabis market in Canada in 2021. The company closed a retail location in 2023 after acquiring a production license in 2022. The company has sold its branded products in the Canadian marketplace by entering into supply agreements with different Canadian growers. Although the press release does not provide specifics about the marketing actions that led to the large fine, the company maintains that it was focusing on customer experience, data analysis, and optimization while leveraging digital marketing channels such as SEO, social media, and email marketing, including influencer marketing and affiliate programs.
00;08;51;15 - 00;09;19;22
Gary Johnston
It also argues that the other companies are running similar campaigns and not facing such enforcement actions. The brand argues that its fine is punitive in nature and that it was treated unfairly, which negatively impacted its ability to effectively compete in the marketplace. Ghost jobs has enlisted Kirk to Sow, a lawyer well known in the cannabis space, to advocate on their behalf to sow works in the industry and in the past led a successful court challenge against what was an effective ban against cannabis edibles.
00;09;19;22 - 00;09;42;29
Gary Johnston
In 2015. I think it's clear that the marketing restrictions violate the commercial free speech rights protected by section two of the charter, said du. So the real issue for Trail will be whether the government is entitled to override those rights and, if so, whether the rules as applied minimally impair those critical freedoms in a way that is rationally connected and proportionate to the government's goals.
00;09;43;02 - 00;10;15;26
Gary Johnston
We say that cannabis, a far safer product and alcohol can't be treated in such a heavy handed way by the government. Ghost jobs argues that it should be allowed to engage in the same kinds of marketing practices used by alcohol and pharmaceutical drug manufacturers. A senior media relations adviser for Health Canada told Strachan that in March 2024, Health Canada issued two notices of violation for noncompliance for promotion and sponsorship by ghost troops at an all ages event at which youth were present for a total amount of $500,000.
00;10;15;29 - 00;10;40;03
Gary Johnston
The company requested a review of the notices of violation as permitted in the Cannabis Act, and the review, which was completed in March of 2025, determined the company did commit the violations but reduced the total penalty amount to $250,000. Health Canada also confirms its track in. The notices of violation issued to ghost troops are the first administrative monetary penalties imposed under the Cannabis Act.
00;10;40;05 - 00;11;02;26
Gary Johnston
Notice of application filed by Ghost troops says that the event in question was called The Haunting of Hex Wood, held November 3rd, 2023, in Pickering, Ontario. Ghost hop says it believes it did not engage in any rule violation activities, and well, the event was open to the public at large, had several cannabis companies attending the promotional displays in an age gated area.
00;11;02;29 - 00;11;26;27
Gary Johnston
The Federal Cannabis Act contains several enforcement tools that the regulator can consider when determining the appropriate actions to prevent or address noncompliance. These tools range from calls and or letters all the way up to a suspension or cancellation of a federal license. The issuance of a ministerial order, or even the issuance of administrative monetary penalties amp up to $1 million.
00;11;26;29 - 00;11;33;24
Gary Johnston
We shall see whether there's any further monetary penalties.
00;11;33;27 - 00;12;07;19
Gary Johnston
And we pick up this next story from Strack and Ockham. It was written by David Brown. Cannabis packaging with transparent windows are finally making their way to some shelves in Canada. A month after the new rule changes from Health Canada came into force in March. The federal cannabis regulator finalized a range of rule changes for cannabis producers, including several that will be noticeable to consumers, such as larger cannabis pre-rolls, streamlined labeling requirements for THC and CBD, multi-color packaging, QR codes, and see-through windows for cannabis flower.
00;12;07;22 - 00;12;34;06
Gary Johnston
At least two producers were fully prepared for these changes, and had products on the shelves or coming to shelves soon that feature those cut out windows. Satisfying demand from both the industry and consumers alike. Since cannabis was first legalized in Canada. Josh Skidelsky, the owner of a micro producer in Alberta called Coisas Cannabis Group, recently introduced some of his own recently harvest cannabis in packaging that allows consumers to see the flower.
00;12;34;08 - 00;12;54;15
Gary Johnston
The products are currently available in the Alberta market and the changes are a good step forward, he says. I'm so happy about it. The window is actually a core part of my business plans, as those simplified THC numbers are great as well because most consumers don't understand THC thc a distinction. Trust me, I was abundant here for two years.
00;12;54;22 - 00;13;15;01
Gary Johnston
QR codes increase information flow to bud tenders and customers and are a no brainer. It's also a way for quality flower to distinguish itself from lower quality product, better. Some of the flower selling right now wouldn't move if people could see it before they bought it. With top shelf flower, putting it in a clear bag or a jar will set those brands apart.
00;13;15;03 - 00;13;34;23
Gary Johnston
Either you have flower worthy of being seen or you have something to hide. It's called bag appeal and it's how it used to be sold. Chris Crosby, the founder and chief operating officer of Atlantic Cultivation Limited, a cannabis producer in Newfoundland, has similar packaging for his products. He hit the ground running with as soon as Health Canada made the new rules official.
00;13;35;00 - 00;13;55;03
Gary Johnston
He says he expects them on shelves in the coming weeks. Overall, he shares similar sentiments to Cannabis Key. There's always value for me in letting consumers see the flower, explains Crosby. Our flower presents really well and has good bank appeal, so it's something I've always wanted to do. The consumer wants to know what they're smoking, especially with the premium brand.
00;13;55;04 - 00;14;17;09
Gary Johnston
People want to know what they're paying for. Still, he says he did not see how the issue could be a challenge for some retailers, especially those in busier locations. At the retail level, it could definitely cause a shift in consumers. People are going to want to select their Nugs, so I can see consumers coming in and wanting to see several packages, which I think is something the retailers are going to have to learn how to handle.
00;14;17;12 - 00;14;39;05
Gary Johnston
I think the customer will be a lot happier at the end of the day, but if you're in a high volume store and there are people lining up behind you, that definitely puts pressure on the retailer. I think it's good for the industry overall. Retailers will figure out their procedures and what they allow customers to do, but I can see that being a little bit of a hurdle that could create some initial difficulties for retailers.
00;14;39;07 - 00;15;06;17
Gary Johnston
Atlantic Cultivation products are sold across Canada. Ian Scott, VP of operations at Plant Life Cannabis, with 42 retail retail locations in the Alberta market. Says he's seen a few other products on shelves with clear packaging, including Natural History, Super Toast and Space Race. Consumers are excited, Scott tells traction. Most cannabis shops do not have products visible, such as sensory jars, as they did in the early days of legalization.
00;15;06;19 - 00;15;27;08
Gary Johnston
Being able to see the physical product prior to purchase and not hidden in a bag only creates trust and transparency when guests are making a buying decision. And that is good news. That is great news. You can now go into a cannabis store. Hopefully soon, and hopefully more than one product and be able to see your cannabis.
00;15;27;11 - 00;15;38;17
Speaker 3
THC, CBD to beam profiles, which to me, oh please explain to me. Go to the cover.
00;15;38;19 - 00;15;43;09
Unknown
Go to your corner and go to the corner.
00;15;43;09 - 00;15;47;01
Speaker 3
Please explain this stuff to me.
00;15;47;03 - 00;16;11;19
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. Remember, if you live in B.C., you can go to the online menu at it's Up and smoke.com and have Matt send you something. I love it. And now we talk about delivery in Vancouver. That's right.
00;16;11;21 - 00;16;44;28
Gary Johnston
You heard me correctly. In fact if you order by 2 p.m., you get same day delivery through your environmentally friendly e-scooter, which maps sauce. And this is this is great. I love this mad sauce. The e-scooter through the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association for businesses affected by the Broadway subway delay. What a fantastic use of of using municipal money to help your customers.
00;16;45;00 - 00;17;12;26
Gary Johnston
And then, of course, he added a little further character to the scooter because Matt had to interact with a wall. Now it's just a small thing, but it's a reminder for Matt that he has to watch out for walls. So remember now, not only can you get delivery to addresses in B.C. when you are 19 years of age or older, you can purchase cannabis and have it delivered to you in Vancouver the same day.
00;17;13;01 - 00;17;43;29
Gary Johnston
Just order by 2 p.m.. That's great news. Dot the dread line tear on arrow. There's no freaking tear involved. I'm sorry, but the diagram doesn't actually work for me. However, when I pull out my scissors and I get into that little gummy oh, I haven't actually broke it yet. And there's my there's my dilemma because I actually are there I go.
00;17;43;29 - 00;18;22;14
Gary Johnston
I have now broken the package. And interestingly enough, all of the gummies are sitting at the top. So we do have two. This is animal style indica. And now the solvent loss of the the solvent extract comes from Brindle Farms. That's where the extract is coming from. So here we go. Here's the first one. Oh. I'll tell you no I know there's more.
00;18;22;16 - 00;18;51;05
Gary Johnston
Sugar than I want in a lot of these kind of. But I have to say, the gummy was really nice. It didn't involve a lot of chew. And that's the thing I find amazing about some of the gummies that are out there. You get it in the medium. Oh, my goodness sakes. I got a part time job just chewing this gummy.
00;18;51;08 - 00;19;09;03
Gary Johnston
So these are really nice. They are very tasty. They have been done with full spectrum oil, solvent bliss sour wild raspberry, live rosin gummy. So now let's plop the second one into my mouth and we'll see where we go.
00;19;09;06 - 00;19;14;16
Speaker 3
00;19;14;18 - 00;19;23;16
Gary Johnston
Okay.
00;19;23;18 - 00;19;34;09
Gary Johnston
Well that was pretty easy. That didn't take a lot to work my part.
00;19;34;12 - 00;19;56;01
Gary Johnston
And where do we go from here. I'm not sure whether I should just let this go and, we'll leave you for a while and we'll come back. Leslie. We'll come back in half an hour. And if we haven't had any action from that half an hour, then we'll do the other two, and we'll see if that gets any sweeter.
00;19;56;04 - 00;20;25;13
Gary Johnston
So we're we're hoping we're hoping that my my digestive system is working well. These are all ingredients. OS live rosin sourced from Brindle Farms. I love it. Okay, so there's. Where are we going to go? We're going to leave this to to to sit for a while, and then we'll come back in, let's say about 30 minutes, and then we'll see whether the animals still have heart.
00;20;25;13 - 00;20;51;23
Gary Johnston
It started to hit. And if they haven't started to hit, then we're going to give the LA Kush cake a try and see if we can get them to hit. So there's where we are, and we're going to be back in 30 minutes. There is my 30 minute mark on the animals style gummies. These Syrah Sour Wild Raspberry, Live Rosin, Gummy.
00;20;51;26 - 00;21;20;02
Gary Johnston
I hate to say it, but I don't think I felt anything at the 30 minute mark. So we're going to take this a little further. Now, I do remember when I did the hash drop sativa ten milligrams each, and I did those I did for those nights. And I think I felt those after four of those. So we're going to take that one step further.
00;21;20;05 - 00;21;48;29
Gary Johnston
And now we're going to go to the LA Kush Cake, the gummy ten milligrams each. We'll do two of those. Get one I got two. And we're going to put both of those into our collective tummy. And we'll see whether four of them will give us a buzz. So here's number three. Oh okay.
00;21;49;01 - 00;21;52;26
Speaker 3
00;21;52;28 - 00;22;07;29
Gary Johnston
Yeah, I know we have to talk about. This gummy is not easy to eat.
00;22;08;02 - 00;22;16;08
Gary Johnston
When we talk about this. Oh, my God.
00;22;16;10 - 00;22;28;19
Gary Johnston
We talked about whether the gummy was going to make you have to work for it to get it through your mouth.
00;22;28;21 - 00;22;32;28
Gary Johnston
Wow.
00;22;33;01 - 00;22;41;15
Gary Johnston
Okay. I don't get the lack of consistency.
00;22;41;18 - 00;23;14;29
Gary Johnston
So I just ate 4 or 2 gummies from Animal Style. They were delicious. They were chewy. They didn't require any effort on my part. And now my third and fourth one our ally La Kush cake boy. They require an awful lot of dedication. Here you go. Oh my God, I got my giant.
00;23;15;01 - 00;23;28;28
Gary Johnston
This is a bad part of edibles. Oh, you have to work that hard. To get some enjoyment out.
00;23;29;00 - 00;23;46;13
Gary Johnston
And this is not a good one for me. I don't think I'll be coming back to these. I can't even get this one chewed.
00;23;46;16 - 00;23;52;26
Gary Johnston
This is all a lot of work.
00;23;52;28 - 00;23;59;03
Gary Johnston
After the game, I should be paid for this much effort.
00;23;59;05 - 00;24;10;17
Gary Johnston
I'm not sure I haven't got rid of it all.
00;24;10;20 - 00;24;12;16
Speaker 3
Okay.
00;24;12;19 - 00;24;24;25
Gary Johnston
What? I'm sorry. Slowly going down. Have stuff in my mouth. My goodness.
00;24;24;27 - 00;24;59;28
Gary Johnston
Okay. Those were two completely different tasting experiences. Not a not a hint of of the sameness between those with the animal style. It was a good, easy chew. Tasty. Just just melted in my mouth with the La Kush cake. They took the recipe from somebody who's doing really, really chewy gummies and you gotta work your way into it.
00;25;00;02 - 00;25;26;09
Gary Johnston
I'm not a big fan. Okay, well, we might have decided that we're not going to go down this path again. So after 30 minutes, we're going to do another 30 minutes. We'll just check in. I'm a 30 minute point from this point, and we'll see whether we had some cannabis success with our LA Kush cake. We had completed a month, an hour, a month.
00;25;26;12 - 00;25;55;21
Gary Johnston
No, it wasn't a month. We have completed an hour. So 60 minutes from the time that I started inhaling, or rather doing some of the edibles. And I can actually say that I'm, I think, I think I have achieved something now. Now you'll hear my uncertainty in that comment. But because I think what I have realized is that I'm going to feel this differently than I had before.
00;25;55;24 - 00;26;31;03
Gary Johnston
So I go back to what Theresa Beauvoir's, the cannabis coach, was telling me. Edibles often feel more like a body high versus inhalation, more of a head high. And certainly when I'm doing like a, cultivar corner with a really good weed, I'm looking for that head high. Get me stoned. But I have to admit that now that I have been feeling this for an hour, I have achieved, I think, a little bit of a body high.
00;26;31;06 - 00;27;01;23
Gary Johnston
So I am. I'm feeling good. I have a sense of that. There's some adventure in a store, and it is given me just a bit of, an edge. So I'm not quite prepared to say that it was a buzz. Again, perhaps I haven't, I haven't been I haven't identified the realities of this situation and what this high means.
00;27;01;26 - 00;27;34;24
Gary Johnston
And how can I tell when I've achieved that? I do think that what I've been feeling with these, and with the harsh drops and the live rosin, I think is, is one that's making a difference. I mean, this is not, as is intense as many would say, for their dosage, but I think because of the way my metabolism works, this has more of a chance for success.
00;27;34;27 - 00;27;49;24
Gary Johnston
So we're going to we're going to call this a gimme. We're going to say yes. Gary achieved his goal. And this was a different way of getting here. But I have to suggest, I think we were successful.
00;27;49;26 - 00;27;51;18
Ian
Sharing stories about good weed.
00;27;51;18 - 00;27;54;20
Gary Johnston
While trying good weed.
00;27;54;23 - 00;27;57;00
Speaker 3
This is the cannabis potcast.
00;27;57;03 - 00;28;20;25
Gary Johnston
And this story we pick up from stratton.com. Surprisingly enough, it's written by David Brown. Politicians won't support cannabis without public pressure. The cannabis industry is plagued by two key perceptions in the general public. The first, a commonly understood sentiment, is the traditional stigma many still have towards cannabis in general, in large part fueled by nearly a century of prohibition.
00;28;20;27 - 00;29;00;03
Gary Johnston
The second comment, even among many who are otherwise sympathetic to the industry, or at least to the plant itself, is the perception that the cannabis industry is full of faceless millionaire CEOs in fancy suits. Both of these views add up to a significant amount of headwind when it comes to advocating for regulatory change to the political process. Elected officials and policy makers might take meetings, but their willingness to prioritize the kinds of issues facing the industry, namely a heavy amount of regulation on every aspect of the business, from licensing and production to sales and marketing, is directly tied to how important they think those issues are for their voters.
00;29;00;05 - 00;29;22;28
Gary Johnston
The reality is those voters are not focused on those concerns. Support for legalization in general is one thing. Polling has shown a majority of Canadians have supported that for a long time now. But when it comes time to casting a vote based on the kind of regulatory nuance the industry is calling for, even something as simple as excise reform, voters have a lot more pressing matters on their minds.
00;29;23;00 - 00;29;48;13
Gary Johnston
Before politicians will listen, the voters have to be educated op eds in business magazines or post on social media. Great for preaching to the choir. But does the general public really care? It would appear not a coordinating marketing campaign that helps explain those issues in simple terms that resonate with voters? Was the multiyear game plan could have the opportunity to create this kind of understand in the general voting public?
00;29;48;15 - 00;30;10;24
Gary Johnston
Clearly, other approaches industry has taken in the last six years have not worked to lower excise or increase edible limits. Among the most commonly championed Ask since legacy legislation began, take a recent poll, for example. Funded by a cannabis producer, it showed that many Canadians would be open to the next federal government finding ways to support the cannabis industry.
00;30;10;26 - 00;30;35;22
Gary Johnston
It's an externally, this is great news in the context of many politicians, continued reticence to do much more than paid lip service to the industry, if even that. However, internally it's still important for the industry not to overhype itself regarding what this actually means in real life. Reefer madness and stigma are still very real barriers in this space, which is supported by these very same poll results.
00;30;35;25 - 00;31;04;17
Gary Johnston
For example, when pollsters asked about an unnamed industry that contributes to the Canadian economy, respondents were overwhelmingly supportive. Nearly three quarters said that it would be a good idea for the next federal government to support such an industry. Only 2% said it was a bad idea when pollsters asked the same question again, though, noting the industry in question was cannabis support dropped to just under half 48%, while opposition increased to 20%.
00;31;04;19 - 00;31;26;17
Gary Johnston
Now, having 40% of respondents want to see the next federal government provide better assistance for Canada's cannabis industry is still a significant achievement, but losing 26% points as soon as they heard it was cannabis highlights the image problems this industry continues to face, and this problem trickles up to elected officials who see similar results in their own constituencies.
00;31;26;19 - 00;31;51;02
Gary Johnston
If half of your electorate does not support the cannabis industry, are you, as an elected official, really going to stick your neck out to support it? Probably not. Politicians are rarely led. They usually follow where the votes are and some localized examples of this. We can look at two recent votes to expand cannabis regulations in two western Canadian cities Calgary, Alberta and Surrey, BC.
00;31;51;05 - 00;32;13;16
Gary Johnston
Calgary City Council's executive committee recently voted to move forward with a plan to allow cannabis sales at age gated event in the city. Despite this being a simple approval of a bylaw that aligns the city with existing provincial rules, and despite this rule, doing nothing more than aligning cannabis with the same rules that have already long applied to alcohol.
00;32;13;18 - 00;32;37;14
Gary Johnston
Nearly half of the councilors voted against it. These aren't all old boomer politicians. These are politicians reflecting what they see as the opinions of those in their district. If you look at a recent tweet about the issue from one of the councilors who voted against the measure, Dan McLean, we see numerous negative comments in replies, rejecting the idea of allowing cannabis sales at age gated event in this city.
00;32;37;17 - 00;33;04;09
Gary Johnston
While social media posts aren't exactly the most accurate reflection of public, will, there a useful example of the kind of resistance many in the voting public still have against cannabis in general? This breaks down across Partizan lines for the most part, with opposition to cannabis and cannabis regulations often framed in terms of social conservative concerns about. The children are walking through a cloud of pot or even seeing it as a handout to industry.
00;33;04;11 - 00;33;35;27
Gary Johnston
A recent vote in Surrey, B.C., to move forward with nearly a dozen new cannabis stores, the first to be approved in B.C. second largest city more than six years following legalization showed similar resistance to a fairly benign step forward. The council voted 5 to 4 in each of the nine applications, barely passing many of the concerns raised by those three councilors and the mayor in past discussions on the issue, where similar concerns about children, or based on the overall negative perception of cannabis in general.
00;33;35;29 - 00;33;58;14
Gary Johnston
This is six years into legalization, where by all objective evidence, the sky has not fallen. Cannabis stores are as normal and boring as a Tim Hortons or a beer store. Yet we still have elected officials voting against something as simple as allowing legal, regulated cannabis to be sold at an adult only event, or against the idea of allowing cannabis stores in a city at all.
00;33;58;16 - 00;34;23;23
Gary Johnston
These elected officials are not operating in some anachronistic bubble. They're reflecting the will of their constituents as they see it, convincing politicians to support the industry is a noble effort, but it will have to occur in concert with efforts to change the minds of their voters, or it will fall flat. Going back to the National poll that showed support for the cannabis industry, it's also important to note that residents were not asked about any specific action items.
00;34;23;25 - 00;34;46;27
Gary Johnston
Support for a vague idea is one thing, but asking the provincial governments to give up tax revenue or to relax interprovincial trade barriers for cannabis that would undercut provincial markups is a whole other issue. As you engage with your municipal, provincial or federal representatives, something everyone in the industry should do on a regular basis. It will continue to be crucial to keep these broader issues in mind.
00;34;47;05 - 00;35;12;01
Gary Johnston
It's not a matter of heeding to emotion or even common sense. It's about making a compelling argument based on addressing their very real concerns, based on what their electorate is telling them. If the electorate still sees the industry is bad because they hate cannabis, or because they see cannabis as a liberal issue, or because they see the industry as swimming in cash, because that was the narrative in the media for many years.
00;35;12;04 - 00;35;27;00
Gary Johnston
Then the industry's efforts to lobby for major regulatory changes will continue to fall short. Focus on changing voters minds and the politicians will follow. And how true that is.
00;35;27;02 - 00;35;46;05
Gary Johnston
Once more. Thank you so much for being a listener of the Cannabis potcast. I so appreciate it and I thank you each and every time. I also want to tell you, if you want to make a comment on anything you hear on the Cannabis potcast, you can send a note to info at Cannabis potcast.com if you feel so inclined and you'd like to reward me.
00;35;46;07 - 00;36;00;18
Gary Johnston
Go to buy me a coffee.com/cannabis potcast if you feel so inclined. You can buy me a doobie. Now let's get to the world's worst dad jokes and we'll see how far we can get. What sound do porcupines make when they hug?
00;36;00;21 - 00;36;03;14
Speaker 3
Ouch.
00;36;03;16 - 00;36;34;21
Gary Johnston
Why did ducks make great detectives? They always crack the case. Two more to finish up our day. What do lawyers wear to court? Lawsuits. And what did one wall say to the other wall? After smoking some cannabis? I'll meet you at the corner. I'm sorry. I know they're ups, but I still have fun reading them. And from the guy in the clouds.
00;36;34;21 - 00;36;39;11
Gary Johnston
That's it for episode 206 of the Cannabis potcast.
00;36;39;17 - 00;36;47;26
Ian
From the cannabis infused studio high above the Okanagan Valley. This was the cannabis potcast.