The Government Minors as Agents Program is targeting Cannabis Stores and if you are caught in non-compliance, it will cost you thousands of dollars!
The team at Rising Tide Consultants travels across the province to audit the existing policies and procedures of cannabis stores to ensure they have the best defence of due diligence in cases of compliance or enforcement issues. We then provide a comprehensive report detailing any inefficiencies found during the onsite visit and suggestions to resolve any potential issues.
We also offer presentations to cannabis store staff on how the MAP works. This ensures they know what to expect and look for in the “setup” of the trap and forewarning and how to set the team up for success if they are targeted.
The Branch is sending minors into cannabis establishments to see if they can catch staff members selling cannabis to a minor. If the minor is caught just on the premises, even without a transaction, the fine could be $3,000 to $7,000.This can be compounded if the minor is successful in purchasing cannabis without being asked for ID, with an additional penalty of $7,000 to $11,000. If the business is caught in non-compliance again, it could result in a potential 11-day suspension of their license or a $7,000 to $11,000 fine for having a minor on the premises and a $11,000 to $15,000 fine for a minor purchasing cannabis. There are even higher penalties for a 3rd offence!
Rising Tide Consultants can provide you with informative resources to help you stay one step ahead of the Branch.
Reach out to us if you would like our help to avoid the harsh penalties of the Minors as Agents Program.
Representation by women has slowly started to increase across many industries, although some areas are still struggling to create an equal workspace. This is particularly true when it comes to leadership positions in some companies. Fortunately, cannabis is one of the outliers here. It has been an industry where women have thrived and will hopefully continue to do so.
However, in recent years, the number of women in the cannabis industry has slipped somewhat. It’s down from what it was in 2015, and many feel the reason for this was the influx of capital into the field. It became easier for the “standard”—older, white men—to get loans and to start working in the field. Still, quite a few women are doing important work in the field who are paving the way for more women in the future.
Influential Leaders in the Cannabis Field
What better way to learn more about the women working in cannabis than by learning more about some of the most successful. Here are just a few of the names you should know.
Rachel Colic
Colic is the found and brand strategist for Boss Ladies of Cannabis, which is a database of female cannabis executives. She’s run her company for 15 years, but it’s just in the last six years that she’s focused on cannabis. She’s consulting on cannabis for international businesses.
Kate Miller
She is the co-founder and CEO of Miss Grass, and she’s been working in the field for well over a decade. When she was going to the University of California, she was working as a medical cannabis budtender, and she saw early on that there was a lot of potential in this field. She went to work on Miss Grass in 2017 and was part of what made it a success.
Some of the other women who have made great strides in various parts of the industry include Brett Heyman, Kristi Palmer, Nidhi Lucky Handa, Mary Pryor, and Christina Beehler to name just a handful.
Melissa Wilcox
Wilcox works as a global sales and market development manager at Regis Technologies. The company develops and promotes methods of separating chiral compounds like cannabinoids. She works on the scientific and technical side of things, which is just as exciting as other areas of the business.
What to Expect in the Cannabis Industry
In 2019, a survey found that women held about a third of the senior-level jobs in the industry, which is great but is still less than it should be. Many men have started to move into the field, which is reducing the number of opportunities for women. Those opportunities are still there, but they are not as expansive as they were five years ago.
The influx of more men into the field has brought with it some of the same problems that have affected other industries for so long. This includes harassment and gender discrimination. Weedmaps put out a survey and found that most of the people who responded said they were subject to some type of harassment in the workplace. This often led to conflicts, which affected the performance of the company.
Because there are still so many women in the field, though, it’s a good sign. The women are working to support their peers, and in some cases, they are taking a greater role in trying to create more welcoming company cultures. Doing so will help them to bring on more high-quality talent.
One of the areas where there is still a struggle is communication. Many who feel they aren’t being treated right or that they are being harassed are silent about it at work. Lack of communication can cause smaller issues to become bigger conflicts that will cause greater issues at the company. Action needs to be taken quickly, and this means better communication and improved responses from managers, executives, and human resources. This is true regardless of the size of the company.
There are still plenty of great opportunities available for women in the cannabis industry. Those women who are already in the field will need to work toward bringing these new players aboard the team and shepherding them through their careers.
The number of cannabis-infused products available in Canada has grown substantially over the past year. Today, it’s possible to find a range of options, such as edibles and even cannabis-based drinks. Drinkable cannabis is growing in popularity for good reason. For starters, some of the biggest beverage makers, such as Molson Coors, along with cannabis producers have been working to create quality brands with great drinks.
You can find quite a few brands that can do different things for you. Let’s explore a few of our favourite cannabis beverages, many of which come from Truss, which is creating five cannabis beverage brands.
XMG
XMG is from Truss, and it is the highest potency cannabis in a can from their line. This beverage was designed with cannabis users in mind who are well-versed in the effects. They say that it produces a mood shift because the high hits hard. It’s a good option for someone who wants to come home, unwind, and turn off the world for a while as they watch TV and relax.
Verywell
Verywell is a brand from Truss that is meant for self-care. Rather than having a lot of THC, this brand features CBD, which is a good option for feeling relaxed without the mind being permeated by the feeling of getting high. This is a popular option for those who simply want to unwind but still be able to get out and function.
House of Terpenes
This is an interesting brand, again from Truss. The goal of this brand was to create a drink that was similar to a mocktail. It allows people to experience and explore the different elements of the plant, just as some beer drinkers get excited about hops. These drinks have 5 mg of THC, which is a relatively high dose. The reason for this was to have it similar to a cocktail, where you might have one or two, not four or five. It’s a good, fun option.
Cann
Cann has become a bestselling cannabis drink that has been growing fast since the company was launched in 2018. This is a low-dose drink that only contains 2 mg of THC per 12 oz. can.
The founders said they went with a lower dose because it was what people were used to with other types of beverages, such as beer. It allows you to have several drinks without feeling too much of the effects all at once. They have found that it provides a more uplifting, happy experience for the drinker. The founders see Cann as being an alternative to something like White Claw.
Benefits and Challenges of Cannabis in a Can
Although cannabis-based drinks are highly popular, there is an interesting problem that appears that it might have been an oversight by the legislators. The laws in Canada only permit people to buy and walk out of a store with a certain amount of cannabis. They can’t have more than five 350 ml cannabis-based drinks. This means that it’s impossible to get six-packs.
You would need to buy the cans or bottles individually or hope there are four-packs available. This presents a challenge to manufacturers and sellers, and it’s thought by many to be an oversight because people making the laws don’t truly understand the industry.
Regardless of this bit of trouble, the beverages like those mentioned above continue to be popular. Why are they so beloved? You’ll find there are quite a few reasons. For starters, cannabis in a can is convenient. It’s easy to carry and it’s easy to consume discreetly. Many people don’t like to smoke, and they feel that this is a better way for them to use cannabis.
Additionally, it tends to take effect faster than an edible. Most will start to feel the effects within 15 minutes to half an hour. With edibles, it could take an hour or longer.
Find Your Favourite
You can find cannabis-based drinks that are available with different doses of THC and CBD with a range of potency levels and tastes. Even though the drinks above are some of our favourites, you will find more and more coming to market in the months and years ahead. Try out several of them to find the ones that you like best.
On October 17, 2018, Canada legally became the second country to legalize the consumption and sale of recreational cannabis. Since legalization took place, many regulations and legal frameworks have established a set of licenses that deem one legally eligible to hold several positions within the cannabis industry.
With these Easy Steps to Getting Your Cannabis License for Producers, the process of getting your business up and running will be easier.
The license and permitting depend on the exact position of the licensee is and what their job entails. These are a few of the licenses available throughout Canada in the cannabis industry.
A retail cannabis store license is granted for a non-medical retail location that sells recreational cannabis
A licensed producer, or LP, is an individual certified to grow cannabis. These licenses are granted in specific increments or levels, based on the amount of cannabis the producer will manufacture
A cannabis marketing license is given to a marketing agent who promotes cannabis products for licensed retailers to purchase and resell
This is the general framework for the recreational cannabis industry throughout Canada. Regardless of the province, these specific licenses must be obtained by prospective individuals seeking to fulfill the specific duties outlined in the license.
However, the roadmap to these licenses differs based on the area of Canada in question.
Three Models for Licensing in Canada
Since the date of legalization, Canada has witnessed the birth of three distinct models for licensing in the cannabis industry.
Once the country made recreational cannabis legal, provinces and territories were directly responsible for developing a system for how cannabis is sold and purchased.
This separate responsibility means that each province is different regarding steps for obtaining licensing.
For example, cannabis license differences in BC and AB aren’t the same as the differences between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. These responsibilities include formulating a method for businesses and individuals obtaining licensing to participate in the recreational cannabis program.
These three licensing models are as follows.
The Government-Run Model is set up to have the alcohol and gaming agencies be the sole distributors and retailers of recreational cannabis
The Request for Proposals model is designed for a select number of retailers to be chosen as authorized cannabis sellers
The Free-Market Model grants an ongoing amount of retailers the ability to apply for licensing
Now that it’s clear how the licensing models work let’s look at two of the biggest regions in Canada and how their systems work. What are some of the cannabis licensing differences in BC and AB?
Specific Cannabis License Differences in BC and AB
Two of the biggest provinces in Canada use the same type of model in their recreational cannabis industries. Both chose to adopt the Free Market Model, which allows an unlimited amount of retailers to dip their feet into the recreational cannabis pool.
However, despite using the same model, certain regions could still have different pathways to becoming registered producers or retailers. In the section below, we’ll highlight the cannabis license differences in BC and AB.
In Alberta, the Alberta, Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission grants licenses. In British Columbia, the BC Liquor Distribution Branch handles its cannabis regulations.
The biggest notable cannabis license difference in BC and AB is that the reservations have more oversight in British Columbia, while the government has more control in Alberta.
There is currently permission for micro-producers in Alberta, while British Columbia won’t allow delivery by micro-producers until 2022.
Regardless of the subtle differences in the licensing process, the pathway in each province is essentially identical. The main concern in each region is ensuring the licensee has no prior or current ties to illegal marijuana or organized crime.
Basic Application Process
There is no cannabis license difference in BC and AB in terms of the initial application process. These are the steps outlined in the initial phases of Getting Your Cannabis License for Producers.
Applicant must become familiar with all local and federal regulations on cannabis sales and production
Identify their license class and subclass (this dictates amounts, etc.)
Create an account with CTLS
Inform all necessary individuals associated with the proposed license holder also to create a CTLS account and apply for security clearance
Create a corporate account if necessary
Create an application and gather all pertinent information
Submit the application
Getting Your Cannabis License for Producers doesn’t have to be a headache with the proper paperwork and background information. Classes in each province train potential producers on growing methods and land use regulations to ensure everything is done according to protocol.
Over the course of the last couple of years, quite a few things have changed in the world. Because of the pandemic, fewer people have been going out to bars and coffee shops than before, although it’s slowly starting to revert. The beverage industry, and cannabis industry, have changed to meet the needs of today’s consumers. Let’s look at some of the top trends for both alcohol and cannabis in the coming year.
2022 Alcohol Trends
What can you expect to see in the world of alcohol in the coming year? There are some continuing trends, as well as some things you might not expect.
More Online Alcohol Sales
One of the biggest changes that have occurred, and that is likely here to stay, is the use of ecommerce for alcohol sales. Even though it was possible to buy alcohol online before the pandemic, it truly became popular during the height of COVID-19 because people were sheltering at home. They found that they could order alcohol online and they did… in droves. Even though more people are going out to bars and restaurants again, the trend of ordering alcohol online and having it delivered will likely stay.
Continuing Popularity of Whiskey
Whiskey has been popular for quite a while, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. People are not only drinking more whiskey, but they are trying out new brands and styles, learning about the way whiskey is made, how it’s stored, and more. The love and appreciation of whiskey are now similar to what wine lovers experience.
Many distilleries are popping up, and they often provide limited releases and special releases, which consumers love. They enjoy trying out new options and debating on their merits and flaws. It’s becoming a lifestyle, and you can be sure that the popularity will continue for years to come.
Celebrity Alcohol Brands Will Continue
Celebrities have been endorsing products since the beginning. Sometimes, they endorse or even own brands, including alcohol brands. Some of the popular names involved in the alcohol industry include Ryan Reynolds, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Mariah Carey, Brad Paisley, Bruno Mars, and Snoop Dogg to name just a few. You can expect to see even more of these celebrity-owned and endorsed brands in the future because they tend to do well.
More Trendy Beverages for 2022
You should also see a rise in the number of premium canned cocktails being made available by spirit distillers, along with more hard seltzers. Additionally, more and more people are becoming interested in hard coffee and hard kombucha. Interestingly, there is even rising popularity for low and no alcohol beverages for people who like to go out and be social, but who do not want to drink much.
Boxed wine, which used to have a bad reputation, is becoming popular because it tends to be a more sustainable choice. Sustainability is highly important for many consumers today. It also tends to be affordable, which is always a nice bonus.
2022 Cannabis Trends
What’s happening in the world of cannabis? With legalization in more states, as well as Canada, you can expect to see more cannabis products being released. From vape pens to edibles and everything in between, the world is becoming more accustomed to cannabis.
Drinkable Cannabis Products on the Rise
One of the other big trends that we’re likely to see going forward will be cannabis you can drink. The stigma of cannabis is starting to fade, and more and more people are using it for a host of purposes—pleasure, help sleeping, anxiety, etc. However, not everyone wants to smoke or use edibles.
Therefore, many of the most prominent companies in the beverage and cannabis industry are making cannabis-infused drinks. This gives people another avenue of consumption. Drinking a beverage is something they are already familiar with, so they don’t need to know how to use a bong, roll a joint, etc.
The drinks go to work faster than edibles, which can often take an hour or more for someone to feel the effects. They are more discreet than smoking or vaping, as well. It’s expected that this will be one of the more popular 2022 cannabis trends.
