Policy

Canada Looks to B.C., Alberta After Ontario Drops the Ball on Legalization

Posted on by can_admin

September 15, 2017

The Ontario government has unveiled it’s plan to regulate cannabis in the province in July 2018. Lawmakers believe they can eliminate the black market by opening 40 government run stores and a mail order delivery in the first year, followed by 40 more stores in 2019 and 150 by 2020. They will shut down all illegal dispensaries before the official stores are open. The local neighbourhood dealer better be well prepared for all the business that will come their way.
Continue reading →

Yearly Cannabis Arrests in Canada

Posted on by can_admin

Cannabis Arrests
1922 ……….. 0
1923 ……….. 0
1924 ……….. 0
1925 ……….. 0
1926 ……….. 0
1927 ……….. 0
1928 ……….. 0
1929 ……….. 0
1930 ……….. 0
1931 ……….. 0
1932 ……….. na
1933 ……….. 0
1934 ……….. 0
1935 ……….. 0
1936 ……….. 0
1937 ……….. 4
1938 ……….. 4
1939 ……….. 12
1940 ……….. 3
1941 ……….. 0
1942 ……….. 0
1943 ……….. 2
1944 ……….. 0
1945 ……….. 0
1946 ……….. 0
1947 ……….. 0
1948 ……….. 6
1949 ……….. 5
1950 ……….. n/a
1951 ……….. 5
1952 ……….. 6
1953 ……….. 7
1954 ……….. 2
1955 ……….. 8
1956 ……….. 1
1957 ……….. 5
1958 ……….. 14
1959 ……….. 22
1960 ……….. 21
1961 ……….. 17
1962 ……….. 16
1963 ……….. 29
1964 ……….. 39
1965 ……….. 32
1966 ……….. 112
1967 ……….. 447
1968 ……….. 817
1969 ……….. 1,476
1970 ……….. 5,399
1971 ……….. (…)
1972 ……….. 10,695
1973 ……….. (…)
1974 ……….. (…)
1975 ……….. (…)
1976 ……….. (…)
1977 ……….. 58,481
1978 ……….. 53,378
1979 ……….. 56,834
1980 ……….. 64,866
1981 ……….. 65,763
1982 ……….. 53,658
1983 ……….. 43,799
1984 ……….. 43,917
1985 ……….. 43,803
1986 ……….. 41,514
1987 ……….. 43,072
1988 ……….. 40,030
1989 ……….. 40,243
1990 ……….. 38,810
1991 ……….. 33,267
1992 ……….. 34,993
1993 ……….. 35,995
1994 ……….. 40,496
1995 ……….. 43,845
1996 ……….. 47,234
1997 ……….. 47,933
1998 ……….. 50,917
1999 ……….. 60,011
2000 ……….. 66,171
2001 ……….. 70,624
2002 ……….. 69,989
2003 ……….. 60,670 *
2004 ……….. 67,832
2005 ……….. 59,973
2006 ……….. 58,878
2007 ……….. 62,510
2008 ……….. 80,061
2009 ……….. 65,316
2010 ……….. 77,126
2011 ……….. 77,954
2012 ……….. 73,594
2013 ……….. 73,273
2014 ……….. 68,010
2015 ……….. 58,659

*Reason for drop

From: CannabisLink.ca

Transitioning to Legal Cannabis

Posted on by can_admin

November 20, 2016

Some people who are experienced with cannabis see a huge need to help educate the public and politicians about this plant because fear seems to abound everywhere. There is still so much misinformation coming from some authoritative sources, and unravelling decades of propaganda is no small task. Most people don’t know that cannabis has never caused a single death in thousands of years of use, and that by over-regulating it to address perceived harms could be a futile effort in the face of a long established illegal market that has been around for decades.

Throughout our lifetimes, cannabis has been a part of society in the worst possible way – total prohibition, which in reality means, no rules, anything goes. Ten and twelve year old children buy, sell and smoke it, and have for decades. Now the rhetoric to strictly regulate and restrict access, implies we will be under an extreme opposite cannabis regime, albeit, a legal one
Continue reading →

A Growing Problem

Posted on by can_admin

September 2, 2016

On August 24, 2016, anyone who was a patient under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), was automatically eligible under the new Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) to grow their own cannabis plants at a rate of 5 plants (2 outdoors) per gram daily prescription. Well, not everyone*.

Overnight, approximately 70,000 Canadians were legally allowed to grow their own medicine (not including the 28,000 who were already eligible under a court injunction from the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMAR) program), and for many, that creates a dilemma. Yes they would love to grow their own plants and have that type of control and cost savings, but it isn’t that simple. Many are living somewhere that makes it impossible. Others don’t have the first clue how to go about setting up a safe, secure grow room. Some simply don’t have the money to invest in the equipment needed to start. Eventually the business community will step up and provide answers and services that will help solve the problems.
Continue reading →

CanEvolve Submission to Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation

Posted on by can_admin

To the Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation:

CanEvolve is an organization dedicated to “Facilitating the Evolution of Cannabis in Canada”. We have decades of prior background experience in various disciplines, including educating the public, media and politicians on the subject of cannabis. We are honoured to have this opportunity to provide feedback about the upcoming regulation of cannabis in hopes the voices of all Canadians are taken into account.

Please accept and review our submission and please feel free to contact us if you require any additional information.

Viewable on-line:
http://canevolve.ca/files/CanEvolve_Submission_Task_Force_on_Marijuana_Legalization_Regulation.pdf

What Legalization Should Look Like

Posted on by can_admin

May 2, 2016

The Liberal government announced plans to legalize cannabis in Canada in the Spring 2017.

This news comes with some trepidation for long time stakeholders, as there is no allowance for representation on the Advisory Panel. Instead the Panel is made of former prohibitionists and others who view cannabis usage as “drug abuse”.

Cannabis has been illegal throughout our lifetimes, so it is woven into the societal fabric in a “wild west” sort of way and much of that can not be undone – especially within the near future. The black market is very well established, consumers are used to certain prices and quality and many will continue to use the black market if the regulated market falls short in any expectations.
Continue reading →

Response to Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR)

Posted on by ac_admin

Bruce Erickson,
Office of Controlled Substances,
Department of Health,
Address Locator 3503D,
Ottawa, Ontario,
K1A 1B9;
Email: bruce_erickson@hc-sc.gc.ca

May 6, 2001

Mr. Erickson,

The public has been invited to respond to the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on April 7, 2001.

The government feels the MMAR is an appropriate and efficient response to address concerns raised in the Parker decision about the process currently used under section 56 of the CDSA by attempting to meet the following criteria :

1) meet the mandatory requirements of all international drug control Conventions, to the extent possible, in consideration of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

2) be developed and implemented by July 31, 2001;

3) be clear and easy to implement, administer and enforce;

4) not unduly restrict the availability of marihuana to patients who may receive health benefits from its use; and

5) minimize any increase in regulatory burden on patients, medical practitioners, medical licensing authorities, and enforcement agencies.
Continue reading →

Emily Murphy: Emily’s Paradox

Posted on by ac_admin

EMILY MURPHY

Revised Nov.2004

Preface

Fifty Dollar Bill
Back of the new $50 Canadian banknote

Emily’s Paradox was written and published on-line due to the frustration with mostly finding one-sided accounts available on the internet about her – the sanctioned, sanitized hero version.

With the minting of the Famous Five on the new Canadian $50 bill that just went into circulation November, 2004, discussion was swirling around the media once again about her legacy without much fanfare, though public acknowledgement of her less virtuous traits seems more widely known, and reinforce of some of the concerns expressed here.

Continue reading →

University Of Calgary: Complementary Medicine Speaker Series

Posted on by ac_admin

Complementary Medicine Speaker Series
Medical Marijuana
University Of Calgary
March 8, 2001

Mar01

I would like to thank Michael Tseng very much for having the foresight to create this remarkable opportunity for all of us. My name is Debra Harper and it is a pleasure to be here today to participate in this discussion.

Last summer, I organized an Information Night for the Universal Compassion Centre, a non-profit society which provided cannabis to members with medical conditions; because I saw a similar need for those of us involved with medical marijuana to begin to publicly inform the community, medical establishment, and government officials about this herb. Due to many difficulties, the UCC is now dormant, but I’m involved in new ventures to help facilitate cannabis therapy, and believe forums such as this, initiated by other stakeholders, is definitely a sign of the times.

Indeed, we are in a new century, a new age, and the face of traditional Western medicine is slowly changing. The aging boomer population are looking for choices that suit their desire for safer, natural remedies to treat their ailments. Open-mindedness about complementary medicines will benefit the medical profession and patients alike, and it is very encouraging to see you here today to as we discuss this particularly controversial medicine known as cannabis or marijuana.
Continue reading →