NDP statement on legalization of marijuana

NDP Justice Critic Alistair MacGregor made the following statement today:

“After a year and a half of confusion on the ground we are happy to finally see some movement on this file. However, Canadians are asking what took the Liberals so long and why they claim it will take over a year to pass this legislation. This will be another year of Liberals handing out criminal records for possession to thousands of Canadians.

There have already been tens of thousands of charges and convictions since the Liberals were elected even though they promised swift action on legalization. Canadians don’t understand why the Liberals have refused to immediately decriminalize simple possession, which is the logical first step and would prevent young people from being burdened with criminal records for the rest of their lives.

Justin Trudeau must explain why we’re continuing to arrest people today, for an action which will be legal tomorrow.”

Is High Sex Better Than Drunk Sex?

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It’s no secret that a little weed can go a long way, especially when it comes to sex. Not only does smoking the ganja improve your sex life, but there are also products that can help spice things up in the bedroom, like weed lube, for example. But some sources say that alcohol can also turn up the heat. So which is better? Drunk sex, or high sex? To each their own, but here are a few facts to help you decide.

High sex

Photo credit

From relieving muscle pain to treating diseases like Parkinson’s, the positive effects of cannabis are almost overwhelming. But when it comes to sex, weed can help in more ways than one.

In addition to lighting up strains that enhance sexual pleasure, there are pot-infused lubes that can do the same. And if that’s not enough to convince you, then perhaps a study will do the trick.

During the 70s, Erich Goode, a sociology professor at Stony Brook University, conducted a study on the matter. As a result, he discovered that 77% of the 200 people surveyed frequent users said that cannabis increased arousal, while 68 percent said cannabis increased pleasure,

Mainly the ‘enjoyers’ said that the drug makes them less inhibited, allowing them to become more sensuous. Some said they came up with new sexual ideas [while] high.

Ashley Manta, a sex educator, and cannabis writer explains the benefits and downfalls of using the herb for sex,

The biggest benefit of using cannabis for sex is that it can help people get out of their heads and into their bodies.

The biggest downfall with using cannabis for sex is that it’s easy to over-consume.

Drunk sex

Is High Sex 2 Is High Sex Better Than Drunk Sex?Photo credit

After a couple of drinks, you may start to feel a little hot and bothered. And some articles out there will tell you how beneficial alcohol can be in moderation.

In moderation, alcohol can help you relax. Not to mention, cause you to have lower inhibitions.

But there’s also plenty of downsides, too. For example, impaired judgment. And let’s not forget, “whiskey dick.”

And while alcohol can help “loosen you up,” sometimes you can become a little too dependent on it. Ducky DooLittle, a certified sexual assault and violence intervention counselor, and sexual abuse survivor speaks from personal experience,

The only way I could let my guard down and have sex was if I had been drinking. In my early 20s, when I found myself in a long-term relationship, it got hard to orchestrate the sexual situations. Next thing I knew I was trying to have sex without booze and I was a mess.

So I can say that drinking did help me find affection, sex, pleasure, and fun, but when I wanted something deeper with a person, I had to stop drinking. When I talk with other survivors [of sexual abuse] they report similar experiences.

So, there you have it. Both cannabis and alcohol make for great sex – remember, everything in moderation. But when it comes to the better option, it’s safe to say the herb wins this debate.

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Brittney Sanger

I am a free spirit located in a small college town. Most of the time I am busy working towards my degree in Healthcare Management. During my spare time, I enjoy writing, reading, shopping, music and board games. Most of all, I like Cannabis. I am a firm believer in Cannabis and the good it does for people. Marijuana is my motivator, my medicine for when I’m sick, and my most favored pick-me-up. Meeting and connecting with other Cannabis lovers is a passion of mine. It’s a nice feeling to know that so many people feel the same way I do on the subject.
13087790 488318254699179 6066319535818198417 n Is High Sex Better Than Drunk Sex?

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NDP: Decriminalize marijuana now

New Democrats will put decriminalization to a vote to urge the government to stop handing out criminal records for personal use of marijuana.

Today, the NDP announced that it will put the issue of marijuana decriminalization to a vote in Parliament as an opposition day motion in the coming days. Despite Justin Trudeau’s clear campaign promise to immediately fix marijuana laws in Canada, the government has done nothing for 8 months except continue the senseless practice of handing out criminal records for personal use.

“Canadians thought they were voting for a Liberal government that would act quickly to stop arresting people and giving them criminal records for marijuana possession,” said NDP Justice Critic Murray Rankin. “But instead we see a government that has failed to move on this issue and worse, has encouraged law enforcement to continue cracking down, further wasting resources and bringing greater confusion to the legal system.”

This year, as many as 60,000 Canadians will be arrested for simple possession of marijuana and 22,000 will end up with criminal records. Recently, Former Liberal Prime Minster Jean Chrétien has said the government should move on decriminalization and even the Conservative Party of Canada has modernized its approach to marijuana laws, calling on the government to remove possession from the criminal code.

“The majority of the convictions for pot possession involve young Canadians, who should not be burdened with criminal records for the rest of their lives especially when the government plans to legalize marijuana at some point in the future,” said NDP Youth Critic Anne Minh-Thu Quach. “The Liberals should take a clear first step and immediately decriminalize the possession of marijuana.”

Canadian pot companies raise $700 million from investors

Canadian marijuana companies have attracted roughly $700 million in financing since investor interest exploded in the fall amid heightened anticipation of a recreational pot market, according to new research by a financial services firm.

Analysts at Canaccord Genuity tracked the capital raised by public and private companies operating in the country’s nascent cannabis market since Health Canada opened the industry to commercial grow-ops in 2014.

There were several flashes of investor interest in the first two years, but none of it matched the frenzy that began in the third quarter of 2016 before hitting a feverish pitch in the final three months of the year.

The industry drew more than $150 million in primarily equity financing during the three months ending in September, according to Canaccord, which now covers six licensed cannabis producers.

Canadian cannabis companies raised well over $350 million in the fourth quarter, with financing levels approaching the $350-million mark so far this year. It means companies have raised roughly $700 million in the past six months.

“One of the key advantages for existing (licensed producers), in our view, is the ability to attract capital,” analysts Neil Maruoka and Matt Bottomley wrote in their report.

“As most (producers) eye aggressive expansion plans to address the anticipated recreational market, investors are stepping up to fund this growth.”

Heightened investor interest in the fall also coincided with anticipation of U.S. ballot initiatives with eight new states passing relaxed cannabis laws, while Canada’s task force on marijuana released its long-awaited report on moving ahead with a recreational market in December.

The federal Liberal government has vowed to introduce legislation allowing for a recreational cannabis market in the spring.

Aurora Cannabis Inc., which runs a production facility north of Calgary with another under construction near Edmonton, has raised $150 million from investors in the past year, including a $75-million equity round that closed in February.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” said Cam Battley, Aurora’s executive vice-president, referring to the birth of a new industry and the money that has flocked toward it.

This attention has also led to what many analysts have viewed as inflated valuations for publicly traded producers. Aurora is valued at $755 million on the stock market, up by 11 per cent in less than two months, even though the company has never posted a profit.

Trading in cannabis stocks is largely driven by anticipated returns from a future recreational market, not current sales or earnings, analysts say.

“That’s what it’s like in a new industry,” said Battley, who expects Aurora will be profitable by the end of June. “Like in any other industry we’re going to see some winners and some losers, and I think we clearly got the strategy in place for us to be right at the top.”

Canaccord selected Aurora as its top investment pick among the six companies it covers, drawing attention to the firm’s capacity to fund its longer-term expansion plans, and its relatively low costs of production.

Pointing to high valuations and intense investor interest, analysts have drawn parallels between Canada’s marijuana industry and the dot-com bubble, which triggered massive losses when it burst in the early 2000s.

Battley doesn’t buy the argument, which he called misguided, noting tech companies that fed the bubble had to create a market for their products, while a market already exists for medicinal and recreational pot.

Aurora, he said, has attracted financing from large institutional and retail investors both in Canada and in the U.S., where investors face restrictions because marijuana remains a federally banned substance.

Green Acre Capital, a Toronto-based investor, has raised most of a $25-million fund that will be directed toward private cannabis companies.

Canadians with high net-worths, including Calgary’s Brett Wilson, have invested in the fund, along with family offices, which manage the wealth of individuals and families.

The fund will likely consider growers but it will also invest in companies that provide various services, which could include medical research, oil extraction and vaping equipment, said managing director Tyler Stuart.

“There’s a lot of momentum right now in the market,” Stuart said. “People realize that there’s a lot of growth in that industry, and they want to be a part of it.”

rsouthwick@postmedia.com

Playing the new “Rick And Morty” VR game while super high is a win-win (review)

Published: • Updated:

By , The Cannabist Staff

It was never my dream to have an alcoholic mad scientist yell derisively at me while I’m stoned. Yet here I am, in my friend’s office with a pound of virtual reality gear strapped to my head, at the same time fumbling with a common household Plumbus while Rick Sanchez excoriates me in a fake garage.

Only a serving of McDonald’s delicious Szechuan Sauce could top this.

The new season of Adult Swim’s cult favorite “Rick and Morty” may not be here yet, but 4/20 marks more than a weed holiday this year. Out today is “Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality”, the VR experience I received an advanced copy of to test. Not included: the joint of Grape God Bud from Rocky Mountain High I roasted before jumping in. I would highly recommend the pairing.

After several minutes of tweaking settings, my also stoned friend “Marcus” (who wished to remain anonymous) is ready to teleport me into the Smith family garage.

I find myself standing in front of the eponymous Rick and Morty, who inform me I’m a clone of the latter, created to carry out the tasks doled out by the former. Up first: laundry.

Marcus tells me this is an essential gameplay function of “Job Simulator: the 2050 Archives“, also created by Owlchemy Labs, and I should expect some tasks he refers to as “grindy.” As a VR novice, I fumble with detergent as it feels like I have depth-perception issues. Several minutes later I’ve completed the task, only to be shot in the face by Rick.

Wubba lubba dub dub?

I answer a phone call that lets me know I’m in purgatory, a terrifying thought given how high I am and how real everything feels. The VR haptics are well-used, jolting my sense of touch as the indica-dominant hybrid wants my body to be chill but my mind to be crystal clear. Pressing a button, I’m back in the garage, looking to a white board for my next task.

The quests I spend the next 10 minutes on remind me of a favorite game from childhood, “Myst” — solving puzzles using context clues from Sanchez while laughing at the self-aware narration he provides:

“This shit is about to get kicked up, like a hundred notches,” he warns.

As an unabashed fan of VR, “Rick and Morty” series creator Justin Roiland‘s voice work is as strong as the writing, both of which elevate the game beyond the languid “The Simpsons: Tapped Out” and give fans actual comedic content. The sound of a Plumbus hitting the floor is enough to make you squirm, a credit to their sound-effects team. It’s fan service done right.

Things get interesting as I’m tasked with charging a battery, a statement I’d never thought I’d say. A series of three levers light up at random, challenging me to move them to different positions. It starts slow, a la the Simon computer game from the ’80s, but seconds later I find myself turning invisible buttons at a fevered pace. These physical tasks, along with tossing a Meeseeks ball at the perfect distance, make me wish I wasn’t quite as stoned as I currently am, but add a tremendous depth to the experience.

As a VR novice, there are times when the various buttons trip me up, as I’m having short-term memory troubles remembering which generates a portal. I find myself talking to the characters to no effect, much to the amusement of friends watching. I also can’t figure out how to grab a gun without it shooting a rapid-fire laser, which only leads me to grab a second and fire indiscriminately. This serves no purpose in the game but has me cackling maniacally.

Regardless, I find the experience addicting, finally giving into fatigue as Mr. Poopy Butthole comes through on my watch with a mission. A glass of water and another joint later, I’m ready to hop back in, only to find Marcus strapped in and jumping through a portal.

In bird culture, this is considered a dick move.

What’s a Plumbus? Here’s a handy explainer:

Jake Browne is a Denver-based comedian, writer and co-host of both the comedy game show Uncalled Four and the Whiskey and Cigarettes…

Clarification from Health Canada on myclobutanil and cannabis

Statements

From Health Canada

Health Canada’s first priority is to protect the health and safety of Canadians. This is the guiding principle of the regulations that govern Canada’s medical cannabis industry, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). Canada has some of the most stringent controls on the medical cannabis industry in the world, and licensed producers are required to adhere to strict Good Production Practices designed to provide a safe supply of medical cannabis for Canadians.

The regulations and their accompanying compliance and enforcement measures have worked effectively since the industry’s inception in 2013. Health Canada verifies that the regulations are followed by undertaking compliance measures that include multiple unannounced inspections of each licensed producer every year. For example, during the 2015-16 fiscal year, Health Canada conducted more than 300 inspections of 30 licensed producers, the results of which can be found online. If these inspections identify non-compliance, the Department has a range of enforcement options available, including education, recalls, adding terms and conditions to a licence, licence suspension or licence revocation.

Recently, two licensed producers undertook voluntary recalls after it was found that they had used unauthorized pesticides, including myclobutanil.

The regulations are clear – licensed producers are responsible for ensuring that their products comply with the regulations. Under the ACMPR, licensed producers are permitted to use only the 14 pesticides that are currently approved for use on cannabis under the Pest Control Products Act. The use of any other pesticides, at any stage of cannabis production, is prohibited.

Health Canada has already outlined many of the known health risks of cannabis use, including risks from inhalation. However, recent media reports about these recalls have suggested that there was a significantly increased risk to the health of Canadians who inhaled the recalled cannabis products, due to the release of hydrogen cyanide.

Here are the facts. When the cannabis plant is combusted, a number of compounds are produced, including very low amounts of hydrogen cyanide. Health Canada’s analysis of the recalled cannabis products show that the trace levels of myclobutanil that were present would have produced a negligible amount of additional hydrogen cyanide upon combustion, in comparison to the levels already produced by marijuana alone. Specifically, the level of cyanide from the burning of myclobutanil found on the cannabis samples is more than 1000 times less than the cyanide in cannabis smoke alone, and is 500 times below the acceptable level established by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. As such, the risk of serious adverse health consequences resulting from the inhalation of combusted myclobutanil in the recalled cannabis products was determined by Health Canada to be low.

In each of these instances, Health Canada moved quickly to verify that compromised products were removed from the market and that clients of the licensed producers were contacted. Health Canada’s enforcement response considered the low health risk posed by the trace amounts of unauthorized pesticides detected and took into account the companies’ full cooperation with the Department during the recall process and subsequent investigations. To help ensure adherence to the Good Production Practices, Health Canada added new terms and conditions to the licences of the affected producers requiring testing for unauthorized pesticides.

While the risk of harm to Canadians was low in these recent cases, Health Canada has engaged all 39 licensed producers to ensure that they understand the federal regulatory requirements around authorized pesticide use, and that a repeat of the situation that led to these recalls is unacceptable. Health Canada has already announced that it will begin random unannounced testing of cannabis and cannabis products from licensed producers to verify the overall state of compliance. The Department will undertake additional measures, as required, consistent with its evidence and risk-based approach to regulation.

Health Canada would like to assure Canadians that had there been any evidence to show that a licensed producer had acted with indifference or recklessness and engaged in activities that put the health or safety of Canadians in danger, the Department would have responded with appropriate enforcement actions, including licence suspension or revocation.

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