Another week, another handful of herb-related headlines harrowing across our great nation. Well, maybe some of these reports are happy and exciting, and some of them may have not even happened in Canada. That being said, let’s find out what’s going on in the crazy world of cannabis culture together, shall we? Here is your Cannabis News Week Wrap-Up!
DOCTORS WARN SENIORS ABOUT THC CONSUMPTION
As marijuana laws become more and more lenient and sensical, more and more people are smoking cannabis every single day. That also includes senior citizens, who overwhelmingly seem to find tremendous benefits from ingesting some ganja once or twice a day. Now, when it comes to the elderly, apparently their favorite method of THC consumption is by way of edibles, which is known to cause panic attacks if not prepared correctly. I mean, some of the treats these days can get borderline psychedelic, and trust me, we’ve all been there before. Due to the uptick in the elderly eating edibles, there has also been a spike in emergency room calls and visits regarding seniors having panic attacks from either dosing too much, or mixing cannabis with other medication. Is this all legit, or is this some “Big Pharma/doctors trying to keep us unhealthy” conspiracy? You be the judge.
EX-UFC FIGHTER NATE DIAZ DENIED POT EXEMPTION FOR JAKE PAUL FIGHT
For those of you who don’t know, Nate Diaz is a mixed martial arts and UFC legend. Specializing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Boxing, Nathan and his iconic brother Nick, often referred to as The Diaz Brothers, are also known for their incredible cardiovascular capabilities. Interestingly enough, they are both huge stoners and marijuana advocates. So much so, that both men have had blemishes placed on their professional records in the past for testing positive for THC. Seems silly, doesn’t it? Well, things are about to sound even sillier, as Nate Diaz recently filed for, and was denied, a marijuana exemption for his upcoming boxing match against social media superstar Jake Paul. The two combatants square-off on August 5th, and Nate Diaz has requested the allowance of THC use for recovery from training, to which the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) said “nope”. Fortunately for Nate Diaz he’s currently working with the commissions to make sure his testing is done correctly, and an exemption may still be on the table. Unfortunately for Jake Paul, if Nate doesn’t get to smoke, he’s going to be really angry come fight night.
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES PUSH FOR MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
I’m sure if you’re reading this article then you more than likely agree with the following sentiment: weed should be legal everywhere. I know I sound like a broken record, but If cigarettes and alcohol are legal, then there’s no reason marijuana shouldn’t be also. That being said, there are a plethora of European countries that agree with us and are fighting to get legislation passed. But of course, and as it were, the European Union has something contradictory to say about it. Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, Switzerland, and even the Netherlands, where marijuana is still technically illegal, are all on the forefront of this legalization movement. These intelligent potheads identify the health and taxation benefits of legalizing the plant, but the EU is trying to claim this would somehow raise a “public health concern”. Let’s be totally honest here, what the EU really wants is to be the ones to regulate and control it all so they can get their cut and make excuses to raise the prices higher than they should be. And let’s get real for a moment, if they were really concerned about “public health”, they would have legalized the damn plant already. Sheesh.
COLOMBIA PASSES CANNABIS LEGALIZATION BILL
Going from a government with their heads in the clouds to a government soon to be up in smoke, if you get the reference, Colombia’s Chamber of Representatives passed a new bill that could potentially legalize marijuana as it moves to the Senate. In the sixth of eight discussions on the matter, the bill was passed with a resounding 98-57 vote. In Colombia, a legislative act requires eight debates and 95 votes to move forward. This bill seems like a shoe-in to get passed and would create a regulatory framework for legal cannabis for adults and scientific purposes. “Colombian Roast” is about to have a whole new meaning once this bill gets passed, and I ain’t talking about your morning coffee, you feel me?
MANITOBA CANNABIS STORES NEED THEIR MONEY BACK
Manitoba’s Provincial Government has recently taken steps in the direction of repealing the six percent Socially Responsible Fee (SRF) charged to cannabis retailers. Several retailers are backing this movement strongly, but with the economy being dragged into the mud on a federal level, some store owners and franchises are requesting even more. With SRF’s costing retailers tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, it has been proposed by some that not only should these fees be lifted going forward, but rebates for 2022 should occur as well. I find it highly unlikely that the government will step up and reimburse store owners for what was surely a large portion of their annual profits paid in taxes. However, I do have faith that lifting SRFs moving forward will prove to be a great benefit for the province of Manitoba in the future.
