Grow Legally

04/04/2018

Medical ma*****na users look to convince feds on exemption from taxes
Patients and doctors groups fear that cannabis medications not exempted from the tax that will be implemented with the government’s legalization plan will be too expensive for patients who already struggle to make ends meet.
They say they are planning to lobby federal officials to change the bill before it becomes law.

Gerald Major, president of the Canadian Spondylitis Association, says he and other patient advocates plan to push federal officials for a change, even though the Liberal government has so far refused to budge.

“What we can do, and what we will continue to do, is to continue to be at the table, continue to act reasonably and responsibly and try to look for solutions,” Major said.

The government says exempting medicinal cannabis could lead to abuse of the existing medical ma*****na system.

The government wants to tax legal ma*****na at either $1 per gram or one-tenth of a product’s price, whichever is greater.

The February budget outlined plans to waive that new tax for some cannabis-based pharmaceutical products, including oils that contain low amounts of THC, the primary psychoactive element in ma*****na.

Jonathan Zaid, founder of Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Ma*****na, said his advocacy group met ministers, department officials and various MPs to explain the merits of exempting all cannabis-based pharmaceuticals from the excise tax.
Full article visit; http://www.thestar.com/amp/business/2018/04/02/medical-ma*****na-users-look-to-convince-feds-on-exemption-from-taxes.html
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Patients and doctors groups fear that cannabis medications not exempted from the tax that will be implemented with the government’s legalization plan will be too expensive for patients who already struggle to make ends meet.

03/18/2018

LCBO releases logos for ‘Ontario Cannabis Store,’ and people are underwhelmed

LCBO unveiled logos and branding for the “Ontario Cannabis Store” this week, along with its inaugural Board of Directors.

As part of a national plan to legalize recreational cannabis during the summer of 2018, the provinces were tasked with organizing how they’d like to sell the product. For example, B.C. proposed a mix of public and private stores, while Alberta will be issuing licenses on a case-by-case basis to cannabis stores and dispensaries.
In Ontario, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario will manage and operate the distribution of cannabis in the province, and since announced that it would be opening up a sub-chain of stores where cannabis products can be purchased.

LCBO is Ontario’s provincial alcohol distributor as well as one of the largest purchasers of beverage alcohol in the world.
Full article visit; http://globalnews.ca/news/4074982/lcbo-ontario-cannabis-store/amp/

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The logo has received mixed reactions from industry insiders and social media users who shared the branding announcement widely on Friday.

03/08/2018

Application process opens for Alberta cannabis store licences

Albertans interested in selling cannabis when it is legalized later this year can now apply for a licence.

The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) started accepting applications Tuesday for cannabis store licences and a spokesperson said business was steady right out of the gate.
“It’s about what we expected to be seeing.”

Hynes-Dawson reminded applicants that there’s no deadline to get applications in and no cap on the number of licences that will be handed out so people shouldn’t feel rushed to get their forms in.
Those who do apply have a lot of homework to do first. There are background checks, fees and municipal approval is also needed.
The process is similar to getting a liquor store licence.

Generally, it’s expected it will take between two and four months to get a licence.
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03/06/2018

Hull-Aylmer MP pledges to help clear pot offenders’ records

A west Quebec MP is pledging to help some of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians with ma*****na convictions get their criminal records cleared — but they’ll have to wait until after legalization.

Greg Fergus, the Liberal MP for Hull-Aylmer, said he’ll be seeking remedies for some of the 500,000 Canadians who he said have a criminal record related to simple possession of ma*****na.
“I will be one of the first people at the door saying … let’s start getting busy and sharpening our pencils to try to figure out how we can best deal with this,” Fergus said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he would not consider issuing amnesties or creating an expedited pardon program until after cannabis is legalized in July 2018.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has also said officials are examining “all the legal implications for possible pardons, or record suspensions, for criminal records for cannabis.”
Charges, convictions dropping

There has been a precipitous drop in the number of charges for simple possession of ma*****na in Ottawa, from 341 charges in 2012 to 216 in 2016 — the most recent year data is available from Statistics Canada.

Ottawa lawyer Michael Spratt said that anecdotally he’s seen a decline in the number of people charged with ma*****na possession over the last year.

Spratt also said he’s been getting phone calls from clients anxious to clear their criminal records in light of the new law — and he’s frustrated with how long it’s taking the federal government to consider expediting the pardon process.
Full article; http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4561917
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02/28/2018

Canadian firm becomes first pot producer to list on major U.S. stock exchange

Toronto-based Cronos Group is set to be the first ma*****na company to list on a major U.S. stock exchange when it begins trading on the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite on Tuesday.

The move is a significant milestone for the company and the broader ma*****na sector that has faced resistance from the Trump administration.
In January, the U.S. Justice Department had repealed an Obama administration policy that eased the enforcement of federal ma*****na laws in states that legalized the drug.

Federal law in the U.S. still prohibits ma*****na use, despite some states like California moving to legalize it.
“This up listing to Nasdaq is a major corporate milestone and reflects the significant progress we have made in strengthening our corporate governance and expanding our global footprint,” said Mike Gorenstein, CEO of Cronos Group in a statement on Monday.

The company is already trading in Toronto on the TSX Venture Exchange and its shares were up over five per cent in the afternoon after news of the new listing.

Cronos shares are up over 200 per cent in the past year, similar to its counterparts in Canada that have seen shares skyrocket on the expected legalization of recreational ma*****na in the country by this summer.
The Nasdaq listing allows U.S. investors that were hesitant over the legality of investing in ma*****na stocks outside of the country to now invest legally.

“We believe this will increase long term shareholder value by improving awareness, liquidity, and appeal to institutional investors,” Gorenstein said.

The company told Bloomberg that Nasdaq’s approval came after it spent six months preparing its application for the listing.
Full article;
http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4552128
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Toronto-based Cronos Group is set to be the first ma*****na company to list on a major U.S. stock exchange when it begins trading on the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite on Tuesday.

02/24/2018

Medical cannabis coverage granted to UBC Okanagan students

Students at UBC’s Okanagan (UBCO) campus will soon be able to get medical cannabis covered by their student health insurance plan.

The university’s students’ union has approved a pilot project to test the coverage of medical cannabis starting Sept. 1, 2018. They are the second post-secondary students’ union in Canada to take this step.
In 2015, the students’ union at the University of Waterloo agreed to cover medical cannabis under its health plan.

“What we’re hoping ultimately is that it will improve the health and well-being of the student population by providing them with effective options for health care,” said UBCO psychology professor and cannabis researcher Zach Walsh, who is overseeing the pilot project.
Walsh said many medications are already covered under the health plan, and since cannabis is often prescribed by a physician and is recognized as a medicine, it should also be covered.

Michelle Thiessen, chair of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy Okanagan, said $20,000 of the medical budget has been set aside for a year of coverage. The pilot project will end Aug. 31, 2019.

She said only students who are already registered as medical cannabis patients though Health Canada can receive coverage.

“We’re going to collect data during this year and see how we can make this program better,” said Thiessen, who is a UBCO masters student in clinical psychology.

“If the student union decides it’s something they want to continue offering, then we can make an even better program.”

Thiessen said the UBCO campus is an excellent environment to roll out the pilot project for various reasons.
Full article; http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4547780
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The Kelowna campus's student union is first in B.C. to cover medical cannabis under its health plan.

02/21/2018

Newfoundland Liquor Corp calls for proposals from stores who want to sell pot


As Canada rolls closer toward ma*****na legalization, the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation has put out the call for potential retailers, and the proposed sales structure is not sitting well with one St. John’s man with plans to open a cannabis store.

“I don’t want to eat peanut butter sandwiches to sell ma*****na in Newfoundland,” said Ross Barney, who along with a partner has spent about the last eight months preparing to open a stand-alone shop in the city’s downtown core.
Barney was reacting to a new website launched by the NLC, which will license and regulate the sale of all cannabis products in the province.
The site lays out the types of businesses that will be allowed to sell cannabis and the breakdown of approximately how many ma*****na retailers will exist in a given region.

The NLC has issued a request for proposals, with a March 29 deadline, saying retailers will get an eight per cent commission on cannabis sales.

The liquor corporation has not set a price per gram, but Barney expects it to be about $10 a gram, which means he would make 80 cents for every gram sold.
Full article; http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4544760
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“If I sold one pound of cannabis in Newfoundland in the course of a work day, which is very difficult unless you’re a Tim Hortons, then I would probably make $360 off that,” Barney told the St. John’s Morning Show.

The NLC has come up with a plan for ma*****na sales that resembles the way liquor and to***co is sold, including in convenience stores.

02/20/2018

How To Claim Medical Cannabis On Your Income Tax Return

Green bud, grey area: Medical cannabis consumers buy products directly from licensed producers, but they must pay for it out of pocket – sometimes to the tune of hundreds of dollars a month.
Medical cannabis generally isn’t covered by third-party health insurance plans because it doesn’t have a drug identification number (DIN), a regulatory stamp of approval issued by Health Canada. Starting March 1, Sun Life will become the country’s first major insurance company to offer optional coverage for medical cannabis, but for many consumers the only opportunity for financial relief comes through the taxman.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) allows for cannabis purchased under prescription to be claimed as a “medical expense” deduction on your federal income taxes. Here’s how it works.
Who qualifies: Anyone with a prescription from an authorized medical practitioner to purchase cannabis from a licensed producer. As of this writing, there are 89 producers across the country licensed by Health Canada. Producers are legally required to issue receipts, which you’ll need come tax filing time. Hold on to the paper copies, or find out how to access your receipts online. In case of an audit or review, the CRA recommends keeping receipts for six years.
What you can claim: The amount paid for fresh or dried cannabis, cannabis oils, and cannabis seeds and plants procured from a licensed producer – basically, product only. You cannot claim costs related to growing or accessories such as lights, containers and other storage, fertilizers, vaporizers, pipes, capsules, or capsule filler machines.
For full article visit; https://news.lift.co/claim-medical-cannabis-income-tax-return/
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Producers are required to issue receipts, which you’ll need come income tax filing time. Hold on to the paper copies, or find your receipts online.

02/18/2018

Sun Life Financial to add medical ma*****na option to group benefits plans
- The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Sun Life Financial Inc. is adding medical ma*****na as an option for its group benefits plans, marking an industry shift and the latest sign of growing public acceptance of cannabis.

The Toronto-based insurer’s chief executive Dean Connor said the move was influenced by rising interest from Sun Life’s employer clients.

“Medical ma*****na has become a very important part of their treatment program and pain management program,” said Connor, referencing patients who have cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or those requiring palliative care.
Sun Life provides health benefits coverage to more than three million Canadians and their families, or one in six Canadians. This comes as the country moves to legalize cannabis for recreational use later this year and as the number of registered medical ma*****na patients grows.

There were more than 235,000 medical ma*****na patients in the system across Canada at the end of September 2017, compared to roughly 98,500 a year earlier, noted Vahan Ajamian, a Beacon Securities Ltd. research analyst.
Full article at http://business.financialpost.com/news/fp-street/sun-life-financial-to-add-medical-pot-option-to-group-benefits-plans/amp
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Sun Life says the coverage will be available for specific conditions and symptoms including cancer-related nausea, rheumatoid arthritis pain and palliative care

02/11/2018

Military to spend $170,000 so leaders can see what it’s like to be stoned on ma*****na

The Canadian Forces is buying kits that will let its leaders experience what it’s like to be stoned on ma*****na.

The “ma*****na simulation kits” will include “ma*****na impairment goggles,” among other items. The Canadian Forces wants to acquire 26 of the kits by April 30 or sooner if possible.

“The purpose of the Ma*****na Simulation Kits is to raise awareness of ma*****na impairment, reduce risk of ma*****na impairment, and promote healthy lifestyles within the Canadian Armed Forces,” companies who want to bid on the contract were told. “The ma*****na impairment goggles, which is one of the several items included in the Ma*****na Simulation Kit, allows users to experience first-hand, the deficits ma*****na creates on the body.”
Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier said Friday that the kits will be used in the Military Personnel Command’s supervisor training course. “This will help ensure that CAF members in leadership positions will be able to identify signs of, assist in detecting and provide guidance regarding, prohibited drug use,” he said.

The value of the contract will only be known once bids are received, evaluated and a contract is awarded, but it is estimated at up to $170,000 over five years..
Full article; http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/military-to-spend-170000-so-leaders-can-see-what-its-like-to-be-stoned-on-ma*****na/amp

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Participants wearing the goggles experience the simulated effects of recreational ma*****na use such as slower decision making and loss of motor coordination

02/09/2018

Canadians paying less than $7 a gram for w**d on average: StatsCan

TORONTO – A Statistics Canada study suggests that Canadians on average pay less than $7 a gram for ma*****na.

The drug is most expensive in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which shell out $11.89 and $10.24 per gram on average.

Quebecers get the biggest break, roughly forking over $5.89 a gram.
Those in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island pay between $6.97 and $7.47 per gram.

The data is based on information Statistics Canada collected from about 15,000 Canadians since Jan. 25.
It is part of the organization’s efforts to get a better snapshot of the country’s ma*****na use in the months leading up the drug’s legalization.
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02/08/2018

Edmonton

Prohibition is best answer to cannabis in condos, legal expert says.

Edmonton

Prohibition is best answer to cannabis in condos, legal expert sa. Alberta condominium boards that fail to make their buildings cannabis-free before ma*****na is legalized risk sparking serious discord within their properties, says a lawyer who specializes in condominium law.

The legalization of recreational cannabis is rife with potential problems for property managers, said Robert Noce.
Condo boards, and landlords responsible for multi-unit buildings would be wise to nip the problem in the bud, before the summer deadline, he said.

“In order to minimize conflicts, you’ve got to go with total prohibition,” Noce said in an interview with CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM.

“When you are living in a confined space with other people so close to you, you’ve got to have good rules in place to minimize the conflict you will eventually have with your neighbours.”
For full article; http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4524661
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Alberta condominium boards that fail to make their buildings cannabis-free before ma*****na is legalized risk sparking serious discord within their properties, says a lawyer who specializes in condominium law.