Another week has passed in Canadian cannabis news. As time ticks closer to the end of prohibition Up Cannabis has released their plans for Tragically Hip themed strains, Alberta has selected their suppliers for the provinces weed, and more.
These are the best stories, that matter the most, here in Canada. This is The ‘Bis weekly news update for June 30 to July 6, 2018
Licenced producer, Up Cannabis has announced their product line up of strains and the names may be familiar to Canadian music fans.
Tragically Hip bassist and Up investor, Gord Sinclair announced in Creemore, ON on Thursday that the company plans to market five strains named after some of the Hip’s most popular songs.
One is called Grace, another will be named 50MC, (after the song Fifty-Mission Cap) as well as Morning Moon, Eldorado and Gems (named from The Last of the Unplucked Gems).
The move comes as some licensed cannabis producers look for creative and interesting ways to reach customers while adhering to the government’s regulations around advertising.
Celebrity endorsements for cannabis are prohibited under the Cannabis Act. The band’s members control a stake in Up Cannabis. Since they are invested in the company, their involvement isn’t considered a form of celebrity endorsement.
The Province of Alberta has said it will be ready for cannabis sales in the fall. The provincial government’s agency in charge has finalized contracts with licensed producers to supply Albertans with their smoke.
The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) has selected 13 federally-approved companies to provide all of the province’s legal cannabis. The AGLC also said it will negotiate with more Alberta-based producers once they become licensed.
The 13 companies providing Alberta’s pot:
Customers will be able to purchase cannabis from stores or directly from the AGLC at albertacannabis.org. The website boasts that it will be “Alberta’s only legal, non-medical, online cannabis store,” though it is still currently under construction.
The classification that Canadian life insurance companies give to clients who use cannabis has been downgraded to a point where it won’t affect their premiums.
According to a report by the CBC, Canadian insurance companies across the country have been quietly reassessing how they view cannabis usage.
In 2016, Sun Life was one of the first to stop considering pot use the same as smoking tobacco. Others have followed suit. Now, according to the report, almost all life insurance providers in Canada do not consider the act to be high-risk by itself.
What can increase premiums is when cannabis is used in conjunction with other conditions. While an applicant self-reports both pot use and depression, this can raise red flags with insurers.
Canadians looking to know their life insurance’s policy on cannabis usage should consult their plan or contact the company directly.
A recent study put out by the University of Victoria and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, claims that there are almost 900 cannabis related deaths annually.
In a report titled, “Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms,” figures are offered for the average number of deaths per year, the average age of mortallity and the potential total years of lost life.
A recent article released by the Canadian Press, and republished across the country, cited the claims. An early typo that was later corrected in online versions after being noticed by cannabis activist Dana Larsen, listed the figure at 8,851.
In responce to this, the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research put out a statement about the report. In it they cite the source as the 2013 work “Marijuana use and risk of lung cancer: a 40-year cohort.”
The study was conducted in Sweden on military conscripts, but was later debunked, in another publication due to the fact that an overwhelming amount of the participants in the study also smoked cigarettes.
The Saskatchewan government unveiled on Wednesday its cannabis sales regulations and fines for violating them.
“These new regulations that apply to cannabis are similar to current rules regarding alcohol,” the government said in a release.
The new fine structure is as follows:
The government says the fines come into effect in October, when the Cannabis Act also begins to apply. Until then, the use for recreational purposes remains illegal.
