Opening Statement



Monday 23 March 2020

Oh Cannabis Spring 2020 News y Views!

Inhale! Hold! Exhale! Smile! ChEcK oUt My "STONERs Guide 2 Oh Cannabis News Y View" @ Directory! UpDAtEs AddED iN LaRgE TyPe! LiVe TwEeTs @ davidchiarelli 




HEADLINES: 

Welcome to the COVID-19 Edition of Oh Cannabis!

Regarding COVID-19: NORML urges our cannabis community to come together responsibly to protect ourselves and the health and safety of others! Toking? Sharing? And cannabis activism? More tips on how to proceed below, and @ NORML

Regarding The Cannabiz Sector: ICC [International Chamber of Commerce] in collaboration with the WHO [World health organization] provides some COVID-19 safety guidelines for the cannabiz sector. The goal is to help reduce transmission of the virus, with a focus on the workplace, retailing, hospitality, and travel. More below and @ CIJ

OH CANADA



Home Delivery: In Canada, the unregulated market is providing it, while the OCS [Ontario Cannabis Store] and other such government licensed outlets across the country, are cancelling same day service. From my own experience, here in Toronto, there's lotsa great deals, usually delivered safely and el pronto, for free. Quite frankly, so far, it's better than ever! But it's illegal! More @ CTV

Back In Business: Here's A big break through: Ontario's 52 government licensed pot shops are now allowed to provide home delivery service! Curb side pick ups too! Both should've been approved long ago, even before the COVID-19 crisis, to allow them to compete, and provide us with quality service. No saying these measures will be allowed afterwards. But consider this progress. Something to build on in the daze ahead @ BB @ FP  

Flip Flop: Ontario Premier Ford has now ordered that the province's licensed cannabis stores close for business, until at least April 19th. The only legal weed sales now available are online through he government run OCS [Ontario Cannabis Store]. As for Ontario's beer and liquor stores? They remain an "essential service" and are open for business as usual!!! For shame!

It gets worse! So far, the government licensed weed shops are still banned from home delivery and curb side sales. Without doubt, this is a big boom for our all ready flourishing unregulated market! Not so the struggling legal one @ BlogTO @ Global

An Essential Service: It's official! Ontario's 50 government licensed cannabis stores can remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like the beer stores and LCBO. Makes sense but nonetheless comes as a great relief. When it comes to weed, as with so many things, our Premier Doug Ford, far too often seems to be suffering from heh ... heh ... Er ... moronavirus @ BNN



The New NORML: Oh Cannabis welcomes Caryma Sa'd as the new, incoming executive director of NORML Canada. Caryma's "weirdly optimistic" that the COVID-19 crisis could prove to be a "catalyst" or "opportunity", for "reimagining" Canada's path forward with legalization, to make it more "sustainable".  

The board has also been reshuffled. New members Calyx + Trichomes founder Jennawae McLean and entrepreneur Derek Mascarenhas join as Retail Inclusion Co-ordinator and Treasurer respectively. Oh Cannabis wishes outgoing Executive Director Abi Roach all the best. Many thanks Abi! @ Jar 

How Legalization Went Wrong: Caryma Sa'd will be focused upon promoting more equitable, functional weed laws in Canada, during the daze ahead. She notes the COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of opportunities for change. Across Canada, cannabis has now been recognized as an essential service. So how about some emergency BDC [Business Development bank of Canada] financial aid for the struggling, legalized cannabiz sector too? Or allowing home delivery? Or curb side pickup? To start, realistically speaking, to put our all ready struggling, legal pot shops on an equal footing with the flourishing, unregulated market place? Read more @ MH 

Buddin' Lawyer Cary'ma Sa-d is no stranger to this site. Nor Toronto's cannabis community.  She helped advise us at my condo building with our new, cannabis positive, clean air policy. It was unanimously approved by an initially, very hostile board. So too, by the quite different mix of residents at our AGM! No small task BLOG




Fantino gits lit ... kinda sorta!

Busted: Remember One Plant Kensington Market, with its connections to former top Toronto cop and local reefer madman Julius Faction?!? [LINK] Now the corporate weed head at Aleafia??? 

Well, One Plant went ahead. Opened in the market. Just in time for the Covid pandemic!!! So it got shut down. Then re-opened with curb-sided sales and home delivery. Only to be shunned, by our progressive downtown weed community, who know better. Screw that @ BTo

Game Changers? The prospect of legal cannabis lounges in Ontario, and legalized edibles across the country, could also be long term game changers for the floundering legalized canna sector @ MF

IN THE NEWS



Who'd Make The Best Cannabis in Chief: Biden Verses Trump? Support for legalization is way up, as the two presidential candidates square off, in the upcoming US election this fall. Neither are particularly enlightened about our favourite weed. So who's your best choice, when it comes to legalization? More @ HT

Reefer Madman Donald Trump Doubles Down On Weed: Nope! A vote for the Donald in 2020 isn't a vote for legalization. Far from it! He wants to remove medical cannabis protections and thinks smoking weed makes you dumb. Nuff said @ CT

Slo-Joe On Weed: Leading Democratic Contender Joe Biden can't decide if he'll legalize cannabis or not. Maybe he'll decriminalize it? So which is it Joe?!? More @ MM and @ Vice

An Essential Service: Across the US, cannabis shops are being allowed to remain open, to at least provide stay at home delivery service and curb-side pickup, during the pandemic. A state by state analysis @ MBD More @ Leafly



Budtender Shortage: They catch the virus. New workers need FBI criminal checks. A drug test. But the offices for these are now closed. As a result, at many pot shops, a staffing shortage looms @ Gr

No Relief: Congress is considering allowing cannabis companies and their employees to apply for relief, just like anybody else. Hey! In many states, they've been declared an essential service. But so far? Not much luck @ Leafly @ CLA

SAFE 4 Now: The House has passed a $3 billion HEROE's Covid-19 relief bill that includes SAFE banking. That'll allow the struggling cannabiz sector to work freely with the banks, just like any other legitimate business. Now the bill moves to the GOP controlled senate @ CBT @ CBT

NYC Cannabis Deliveries are flourishing as tokers' practice social distancing safely at home @ Complex

How the COVID-19 Crisis Might Make US Politicos More Receptive To Legalization: Just think of all the new, much needed tax revenue @ Yahoo



Get NORML: The US branch issues some excellent cannabis policy guidance for US Lawmakers and prosecutors, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Law enforcement? Incarceration? Home delivery? Curb side pickup? Financial aid? It all makes perfect sense, but is anybody listening?!? @ NORML

Indigenous Weed: US Justice department states that "Indian" tribes in the US are free to grow and sell pot, if they follow the federal laws @ Guardian

GREEN MARKETING



Highs y Lows


COVID-19 Strikes Canada's Cannabiz Sector: Weaker  companies are going under. Even those that are still relatively healthy are feeling the strain. Canntrust and  Wagner Cultivation are filing for bankruptcy. Cronos and Hexo are feeling the coronavirus pain @ FP

Be Safe: Here's 6 tips on how to protect your staff, customers and cannabis facility during the coronavirus pandemic @ GO

Cannabis Sales: Keep it clean and safe @ Leafly

Cannabis Stock Ticker: The corporate cannabis party is over as the stock market tanks. And that was before the COVID-19 crisis! What next?!? Consider @ GMR

Green Woes: All sectors of Canada's fledging cannabis sector are feeling the ill effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. Think supply chain disruptions. Trade show cancellations. Quarantines. And lockdowns etc @ Fool

All Time High: Sales of cannabis are way up across the US, as stay at stoner's choose to get quaren-stoned @ GO

Consumer Trends: Edibles are seeing an upsurge in sales. They make it easier to social distance. They're better for your lungs too. Vape pens have seen an uptick in sales. They are a lot better for regular indoor use. Think smoke, ash, your furniture, rugs and curtains ... More @ MJB



Eat It: Cannabis edibles are a more healthier way to get high! Sadly, smoking weed can create some respiratory problems, which might weaken you to the virus. Another pleasant upside, is that you can easily home cook a whole lot of different kinds of trez kool edibles yourself! See below. More @ Benz @ HL

Canned: Canopy Growth's new THC infused drinks are sold in yucky aluminum cans, which quickly reduce their potency. By law, they can only contain 10% THC or less to start with. That's not much fizz, for the seasoned aficionado. Imagine how many we'd need to drink to get a good buzz on. Then add up all the calories too! @ Yahoo

A New Green Rush: Cannabis enthusiasts are not just stocking up on toilet paper and sanitizer, but cannabis too @ Forbes

Screwed: Canopy Growth's greenhouse workers under Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program are being laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sadly, most of them must now return to even more uncertainty and financial hardship back home in India and Guatemala @ TC



Sign The Legal Tender Petition: It's from a group of experts, associates and companies, with a small biz focus. They want the BDC: Business Development Bank of Canada, and our federal government to treat the regulated cannabis market like any other business, so that they can survive the COVID-19 economic crisis too @ LT

OCS: Ontario Cannabis Store: Find an authorized government outlet, using postal codes @ OCS

Another COVID-19 Dispensary Guide: Weedmaps is scrambling to provide an updated guide for which dispensaries are still open, across the US and Canada. It'll include links for online sales and curb side side pick up too. However, I've noticed that our local unregulated dealers, here in Toronto anyway, are still only listed on Weedmaps handy dandy app. There's lotsa great deals available nearby, with free delivery throughout the GTA! @ WM Site @ WM



Legally Speaking: Here are 7 new legal delivery or curb side options available in Toronto, during the pandemic @ BlogTO

Marc Emery Update: Marc advises Oh Cannabis that his Toronto ME Community Exchange has closed because "costs exceeded margins". Too bad. Nice while it lasted! 

Guide 2 Saving Money: Prices are going up as the shortages kick in. Consider buying moon rocks, crumble, and saving your keif. Use terps. Buy the higher THC strains. Some more shopping tips @ WM

Cheap Weed: Buy from the unregulated market! Or ... the government licensed stores, in Canada anyway, they've got lots of cheap, low THC, ditch weed for sale. Yahoo! Yip! Yip! Er ... Not! @ Leafly


Friendly Stranger - Friendly Advice: Canadian retail cannabis chain provides a COVID-19 update on the safety procedures they've put in place for shopping at their stores @ FS

HIGHER LEARNING


Cannabis Cure? Can THC and CBD's help you fight off the COVID-19 virus? There's no medical evidence to suggest they can. But of course, weed can help keep you healthy and relaxed, during these trying times @ GS @ HE

COVID-19 + Weed: No! Cannabis is not, repeat NOT a cure for the virus! However it is really good for dealing with the stress and anxiety, to help you relax. Smoking weed isn't the greatest though, as the virus attacks your lungs. You might want to consider trying edibles, if you haven't already. Yummy. Yummy. More stoner survival tips @ Jar

Tobacco Vs Weed: No! Smoking weed isn't the same as smoking tobacco. It's not as bad for you, but of course, it irritates your lungs. It might also depress your immune functions, making you more susceptible to the virus. But studies indicate it doesn't cause any significant abnormalities to your lung functions @ ATS @ Herb

Vaping, Toking Or Edibles: Hands down the edibles win. Plus they're a lot safer for you right now, unless you eat too much @ Cut



Cannabis > Alcohol: Our favourite weed is a lot safer and healthier than booze. No hangovers, blackouts or weight gain. Plus weed doesn't make you aggressive etc. etc. etc. More and more, people are realizing that. Sadly, the reefer madness social stigma still scares a lot of folks away @ GE

How THC + CBD's Can Help Ease Your Flu Symptoms PL @ Leafly @ Ease



How to Avoid Germs: During your next toking sash; self isolate, if at all in doubt. Don't join in. Or smoke your own joint. Clean your gear regularly. Use a mouthpiece. And sanitize, sanitize, sanitize @ WM

Guide 2 Cleaning Your Gear: Glass? Vaporizers? Grinders? Lighters? More @ WM


RSO -Meet Rick Simpson: First thing I loaded up on? When I learned that we'd be stuck at home, for the duration of the pandemic? Rick Simpson Oil! RSO is a great organic medicine. Good for self medicating whatever ails on an everyday basis. Plus it helps with a whole whack of other more serious medical conditions! Besides the real nice CBD high, it provides a reeeeeaal great THC buzz too. Pffffft! Like totally el blotto! Learn more about Rick and his oil @ LCH @ Leafly



Grow Yer Own: It's spring. We're stuck to home. Feeling the $ pinch. 4 plants per person is perfectly legal in Canada .... What a great time to start our a home weed garden! Let's get growing @ CN @ Leafly

An Intro 2 Cooking With Weed: Got a little time on your hands these daze? Then let's get started @ MJ @ OCS @ Leafly

Cannabis Spirituality: Think indigenous in practice and in business @ DF



High Anxiety: Why do some toker's might freak out on weed, but others don't? Which strains are best, if you are anxious? More @ Leafly

Why Cannabis Can Effect Us Each Differently: Well, let's see ... There's our genetics, gender, biochemistry, health, environment, tolerance levels, and which strain we're toking. More @ RCBD 

"History Repeats" or "On Being Weirdly Optimistic": Sure, the COVID-19 crisis is wracking havoc on the cannabiz sector. But get this -the Great Depression, during the 1930's, helped end the prohibition of alcohol once and for all. Maybe the COVID-19 crisis will help do the same, for our favourite weed? More @ History 

HIGH TIMES



Rolling Stone Guide 2 Getting High During The Pandemic: Roll your own joint 2 smoke? Switch 2 edibles? Lots more helpful tips, with advice from NORML @ RS

A Guide 2 Staying In + Social Distancing: What to do? Self isolation? Social Distancing? Or quarantine? Better safe than sorry @ WM

A Stoners Guide 2 Surviving Quarantine: Even more cannabis health, entertainment and creative tips to keep you feeling high, high, high @ CLN

Add A Spring 2 Yer Step: Let cannabis open you up to the possibilities of spring! While housecleaning. Listening to tunes. More @ HLS



Senior Service: We older folk are among weed's biggest enthusiasts. It's great for aches, pains, anxiety and insomnia. Plus let's face it: many of is remember it from back in the heady daze of the 50's, 60's and 70's @ Leafly

On Weed + Social Media: In some places cannabis is legal. In others it's not. So, is it safe talking about weed, or will it get banned on Twitter? Facebook? Instagram? Reddit? Youtube? More @ ITJ

Get Cooking: Ten cannabis cookbooks are available online via Chapters-Indigo, to quickly get you started @ CI Some reviews are @ Forbes Find lotsa original weed recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacksOWR



Up In Smoke: Sadly, seems Vancouver 420 is cancelled due to the public health crisis. Expect many more April 420 events to announce that their folding too for this year, in the daze ahead @ 1130 

420 Toronto is postponed, for now @ Twitter

More 420 Updates: A lot of events across Canada and the US are scrambling to reschedule or go online. Links @ WM  


Toronto Karma Cup 2020: Here's something to look forward too! It's official! The Cup returns September 12 and 13th! Yep! There's still higher times ahead! See @ KC

Bored + Stuck At Home? Get cooking with weed! Meditate! Or there's always Netflix. More @ CM



RIP Charlotte Figi: The 13 year old epilepsy patient, activist and Charlotte's Web namesake, who helped get CBD's legalized stateside, has died from COVID-19 complications @ WW @ FB

RIP John Prine: The legendary singer-songwriter has died with an "Illegal Smile" @ Here and gone to heaven @ There!

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