The Canadian Right to Grow Cannabis and My 420 Plans
I was reading a post this morning from @keithwillshine related to the current state of affairs in Canada with regards to legalization of the herb. A debate has started regarding whether or not applying for a "grower's license" warrants hiring a company to assist in obtaining a license. I started to comment on the thread, but realized that a full post was more in order to help share the first-hand information I have on the subject.
Currently in Canada, it is not easy to get a new "grower's license" and even the individuals who have "old" grower's licenses that have been grandfathered into the new program are having trouble renewing their existing licenses to grow.
As it stands now, all medical marijuana license holders were granted this constitutional right, ordered by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Allard ruling last year. So, in order to access this right, an 18 page application has to be completed. Then, that document has to be signed by 2 medical doctors who have the "certification" granted by the Canadian Medical Association, to do so. This means that those doctors have taken a special course over and above their regular medical license and are recognized by the CMA. The CMA is against marijuana being legalized so they are currently putting pressure on doctors not to have anything to do with making access to cannabis easy for the general public.
After you find 2 doctors with the additional designation, and they sign the application to grow, that gets submitted to Health Canada and the waiting starts. To date, no one in my circles has been successful at achieving their grower's license. Everyone is waiting. Health Canada says, (after hours of waiting on hold on the phone) "yes, we have all your documentation and yes, everything is in order, we (meaning Health Canada) just require an inspection of the property you intend to grow at." "We just don't have inspectors, yet."
That doesn't sound like the government is providing reasonable and fair access to grow to me.
It seems to me that the government has met the minimum requirements to appease the Supreme Court ruling but that they are still making access difficult.
My opinion is that this is being done to protect the monopoly that they have created through their corporate Licensed Producer program. That plan, on the Licensed Producer program, was rolled out several years ago and called for a maximum of 50 Licensed Producers to service the country of Canada. We are currently sitting at 38.
The other agenda that seems to be at play is the Canadian government's motive to supply cannabis to other countries...I think part of the stall, moving legalization to 2018 is so that international laws and trade agreements can be re-written.
Today I am making my way into to Toronto to be part of and report on the 420 events that are scheduled to happen at Younge-Dundas Square. This is likely the last time the event will be taking place at this location and Marc Emery, the Prince of Pot is scheduled to speak.
Armed with my vapourizer, Steemit Press Pass and my camera, I will report back to everyone.
(With any luck, I won't get arrested in the process).
Here's the schedule of events as found on 420 Toronto 2017 Facebook page:
TIMELINE
Noon - Chris Goodwin INTRO 420 Toronto 2017
12:00 - Abi Roach Hotbox Cafe Roach-O-Rama
12:00 - Dylan Hennessy Music Open Mic
12:00 - Moel
12:15 - Philosofly
12:30 - Charmie
12:45 - Aviation
1:00 - Erin Goodwin
1:05 - Mark Adam Harrison
1:10 - Johannes Chapman
1:15 - Brent Pars Dankr.ca
1:20 - William Ryan Pressley
1:25 - Eric Wood The Vapor Trail Lounge
1:30 - Dave Ro-Peiris Errlectic Canada
1:35 - Andrews Edwards Mastah Concentrate Series; Throwdown
1:40 - Christopher Lawson
1:45 - Michael Thomas Puff Dogs Vapour Lounge
1:50 - Mike North Smokers Guide Canada
1:55 - Marko Ivancicevic
2:00 - Samantha Scagliotti
2:05 - Julia Rose
2:10 - Joanne Baker Underground Cafe & Social Club
2:15 - Justin Loizos Cannabis Rights Coalition
2:20 - Gary Medeiros
2:25 - Brian O'Dea
2:30 - Naomi Poley Registered Nurse
2:35 - Katherine J. Perry
2:40 - Rebecca Percy
2:45 - Pete Melanson MELANHEADZ
2:50 - Virginia Vidal Mary's Wellness.
2:55 - Sarah Sunday The Karma Cup
3:00 - Antuanette Gomez Chairwoman Women Grow
3:05 - Melissa Rolston Co-Chair Women Grow
3:10 - Amy Anonymous CannDo
3:15 - Jennifer Pixie The CARE Center
3:20 - John Vergados SKUNK Magazine
3:30 - Mike Rita
3:35 - Vandad Kardar
3:40 - K. Trevor Wilson
3:45 - Bryan O'Gorman
3:55 - The High Five
4:00 - Paul Lewin Right To Privacy
4:05 - Jack Lloyd Norml Canada
4:10 - Marc Emery
4:20 - 5:00 - The Killin' Time Band
5:00 - 5:40 - MUST STASH HAT
5:40 - 6:20 - Taylor Knox
6:20 - 7:00 - Dylan Hennessy Music
SPONSORS
Crop King Seeds
WeedMaps
VENDORS
001 Crop King Seeds
002 Crop King Seeds
1 Village Cannabis Dispensary
2 Just Compassion
3 #OPEN
4 EDEN Medicinal Society Toronto
5 The High Five
6 Roach-O-Rama
7 Hotbox Cafe
8 MMJ Total Healthcare Inc
9 CNCAonline
10 Toronto Cannabis Dispensary
11 C.A.L.M
12 Earl Dabs
13 #HerbElixir
14 Pure Releaf Dispensary
15 Women Grow
16 Smokers Guide Canada
17 Vape On The Lake
18 Next Level Healing
19 Mastah Concentrate Series; Throwdown
20 SKUNK Magazine
21 The Flavor Savers
22 Weedmaps
23 The CARE Center
24 Phyto Extractions
001 Smoke's Poutinerie Toronto
002 Chimney Stax Baking Co.
From seed to soil to oil...this plant medicine should be free for all to grow in their own gardens and use.
~ Rebecca Ryan
A really informative post. I am currently waiting for Ireland to pass laws governing the legalising of medicinal cannabis. I live in 24/7 pain and in hope.
As usual, the ministers are dragging their heels hoping to drag it out for another year or two. Up to now they have passed a motion with the promise to review legalisation. Hmmm.
Thanks for commenting @katdvine! Can you get a medical cannabis license to treat your pain instead of waiting for full legalization to happen? It's wonderful plant medicine for chronic pain. Just in my small area, 100's of people are getting off of prescription pain meds of all descriptions. This plant should be free for anyone who needs or wants to use it, regardless of where they live on the planet. It should be considered a basic human right.
The Irish government through the Health Board is not recommending treatment with cannabis because of the lack of data, but favours the introduction of a monitored cannabis treatment programme to run for five years.
The conditions are for spasticity assoc with MS, irretractable nausea and vomiting assoc with chemotherapy and severe, refractory epilepsy.
It has recommended against the use of the drug to treat chronic pain.
I do not sleep well because of pain, find it difficult to get out of bed at times. (I wear a lumbar support to help with this).
But I am a determined positive person, and refuse to give up.
The doctors are quite happy to feed me Nsaids which as you probably know exacerbate the condition gradually eroding cartilage which will one day completely cripple me. And opioids which are highly addictive.
I refuse to take Nsaids for the above reason, and resort to opioids as little as possible.
Many sufferers here have taken to either growing their own and risking jail, or else buying on the street (too expensive and not the grade we need). 🙁
That's really a tough spot to be in. Canada has acknowledged medical cannabis, yet they won't come out and say that they recognize it as an actual medicine...even though doctors have to prescribe it.
I ate it illegally for 8 years prior to getting my license because it was very hard to get a license.
It has allowed me to keep my eyesight and stay out of a wheelchair. It's the only medicine I take and you'd never know that I have MS.
I am in the process of getting my license to legally grow.
This plant needs to be free and available to everyone on our planet.
Resteemed
cool
Thank you! I have followed you. ;)
Thank you. mutually!
Happy belated 420! You are absolutely right, we should be able to grow this medicine in our gardens, no matter where you live!
It's easy to forget that it's a herb...not that much different than basil. It should be freely grown.
True that.. here they use it to season dishes or make pizzas super happy!
That's awesome!
Makes me want to move to Canada :)
wait.. what?
No worries. I'll do my best.
Typical gov bureaucracy. *"you must ____ so you can have ___. But sorry we don't have the ability to make it happen.. Such BS!
Exactly!
Very informative. I wish I could make it down today also. My friend that got help through Access Cannabis, had an old license, to grow. Supposedly 250$ and they guarantee your growers permit. But who knows how lo9ng the process really takes. He might be stuck at the final process to. Registering his address. Things are seeming to all be about money with the government. One question. how do you get a Steemit press pass?
Thanks for the info on Access Cannibis. I'll check it out.
I made one myself, after seeing what @ocrdu had made for herself and her husband. It is in the comments section, on this piece that I wrote:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@rebeccaryan/attention-steemians-this-blogger-has-decided-that-she-could-really-use-a-steemit-press-pass
Don't you just love how these babies grow ;)
True beauty
It is really incredible when you think about it.
Que linda planta, puedo vivir contigo? <3
Haha Si!
This post has been ranked within the top 80 most undervalued posts in the second half of Apr 20. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $2.11 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Apr 20 - Part II. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.
Thanks