Earlier this month, I drove from Vancouver Island to Southwestern Ontario, providing many first-hand moments of reflection as I passed through dozens of First Nations. Many – too many – of the reserves were bleak, many without trees or vegetation, and zero access to resources. Landing in my hometown of Sarnia, ON, where Chemical Valley and the Aamjiwnaang First Nation share lands underscored all I came to reflect on. Still in BC, I passed through the Kootenay area, and as I saw a sovereign cannabis dispensary, the map of “illicit cannabis stores” created by the Okanagan Cannabis Collective ea ..read more

I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I was told that I would be in a classroom at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo for 8 hours when I decided to participate in The Different Collective’s Cannabis Microscopy Course 101. Having been long-removed from the four walls of the classroom and oftentimes finding myself struggling with focus (pun intended), I wasn’t quite sure I was up to this learning task. Within ten minutes of starting the course, I was locked in, engaged, and eager to soak up all the knowledge that Tom Rothmeier and Francis Hall had prepared to unleash on us, and my anxiety ov ..read more

By Anne-Marie E. Fischer, M.Ed., Education, Research & Content Development Specialist at CannaWrite & Member of The Different Collective On the morning of Thursday, June 16, 2022, a join event was held by the BC Craft Farmers Co-op and TheraPsil called “Vancouver Island Craft Cannabis & Psilocybin Roundtable”. Held on the traditional lands of the Quw'utsun' (Cowichan) people at The Hub at Cowichan Station, the setting couldn’t have been more perfect for this discussion. Among the topics discussed and revealed were the life-changing realities of psilocybin therapy, the pot ..read more

Blogging is not everyone’s favorite thing to pay attention to in the cannabis industry, especially when you’re busy innovating and thinking of ways to stand apart in the “sea of green”. Having written over 20 million words on cannabis through various avenues since 2016, here are a few (non-technical) insights on what I can offer in terms of what makes a cannabis company’s blog have impact for B2B B2C marketing: 1. CLEAR TOPIC Readers won't go past the first sentence if they don't know what they're reading about. Think about the dreaded high school essay and the topic sentence. This sentence is ..read more

By virtue of their victim status You declared from your gentrified throne Lack of merit, class not race, A being forced to give to an undeserving B You belch from the bloat of your ego, and the third San Pellegrino with lime you’ve had that day They get way more funding than whites You paused to tighten your tie, it’s your favourite one to wear because its the one your daughter gave you Hitch your saddle to experienced and mature people You quickly edit your online biography to reflect your self-assigned pre-eminence Social justice warriors and wokey bros You press refresh on your email once m ..read more

A group of 14 British Columbia cannabis retailers has stated that they “suffered, and continue to suffer, loss of enjoyment of life” and that they “suffered, and continue to suffer, emotional upset and mental distress” due to the existence of First Nations sovereign cannabis markets. These are words pulled right from a civil claim that was filed against the Province of British Columbia, the Attorney General of British Columbia, and the Community Safety Unit by 14 licensed cannabis retailers located in the interior of the province, representing Vernon, Penticton, Oliver, Canoe, Kelowna, West Ke ..read more

Anne-Marie’s book Writing for the Legal Cannabis Industry recently received a very thoughtful and thorough review by Ryan Clark of Dreamers Writing. Dreamers Writing is a literary company that helps writers of all categories realize their dreams, with resources and guides to helping writers “make it” with their natural talents and love of the written word. They even have a place you can stay at to foster your creative flow in Wiarton, Ontario! Follow them on Instagram at @dreamerscreativewriting to see more of what they’re about and check out their website that is full of content for writers ..read more

Until 2018, many brave souls in Canada provided cannabis for medical purposes through what are now deemed "grey market" or "legacy market" dispensaries. These places were a source of education, information, connection, and most importantly medically effective cannabis products, grown and sourced by people who spent years, if not decades, researching the benefits of the cannabis plant for medical purposes. The world first saw legal cannabis in 1996 due to the efforts of Denis Peron and his advocacy towards medical cannabis for HIV/AIDS patients. He was the proprietor of the San Francisco Canna ..read more

Since September 2021, I have been engaged alongside the Economic Development Department of the Anishinabek First Nations, working on a Cannabis Feasibility Study. The study aims to elevate the voices of the 39 Anishinabek First Nations as they consider a collective self-regulation approach to cannabis. This project has been a large undertaking, full of rich connections, and a deepening of perspectives and learning pertaining to Indigenous rights. We are investigating various models of Indigenous cannabis sovereignty, where Indigenous people have complete FREEDOM in the cultivation, processin ..read more

Why has information become something you have to pay to access? I’m sure anyone who uses clinical and peer-reviewed research as part of their work in cannabis knows this story all too well: You find a study that is examining your exact research question, and you go to click on the study to view it, and you’re brought to a page to purchase the article, or are asked to pay a subscription fee to have access to journal articles. This is what the OPEN ACCESS MOVEMENT has been fighting against for years. Open access is a broad movement that has been moving across the globe that calls for free and ..read more