WEED FEED / John Ross Ferrara / Monday, Oct. 29, 2018 @ 11:06 a.m.
Weed Feed: Canada’s Black Market Going Strong After Legalization
Nearly two weeks after recreational marijuana became legal nationwide, Canada’s illegal pot shops are still raking in an estimated $5.3 billion in nefarious sales.
The New York Times reports that in Vancouver, illegal dispensaries outnumber Starbucks, and despite the Canadian government’s intentions to quell illegal pot sales, there are simply too many businesses to manage.
Canada’s current laws limit licensed dispensaries to selling smokable marijuana, seeds, plants and hash oil, while marijuana-infused foods remain on the banned list as the federal government works out the details of regulating the edibles industry.
But that reportedly isn’t stopping shops from going about their business, selling whatever banned marijuana products customers demand. Vancouver dispensary owner Don Briere told the New York Times that he even plans to add new types of banned products to his shelves, like marijuana-infused doggy treats.
“We’ll keep selling what we are selling,” Briere told the Times. “The government taking over the cannabis trade is like asking a farmer to build airplanes.”
While Canadian police raided five dispensaries in Toronto earlier this month, an overwhelming number of illegal pot shops remain open for business and British Columbia’s minister of public safety Mike Farnworth says it’s going to take a while for the government to funnel the businesses into compliance.
“It’s a very Canadian way of doing things,” Farnworth told the Times. “It won’t happen overnight.”
###
The Weed Feed is a weekly column written by John Ross Ferrara.
The Weed Feed is a one-stop shop for the best local and national cannabis news.
Each week, original content will be posted to the page, as well as various other stories from around the country.
These aggregated stories are organized into six separate sections. The News (basic news), The Biz (financial news), The Life (features), The Game (sports), The Fame (celebrity), and the Grub (food).
The News
The Biz
The Life
The Game
The Fame
The Grub
The Humboldt Chronicles
- A Congressperson Dropped By
- A Chat With Jesse Duncan
- September NEWS ROUNDUP!
- Trad Ag Vs Canna Ag
- A Fabulous News Roundup
- All About Budtending
- A Conversation With Papa & Barkley
- Revisiting A Market Disruption
From the Outpost
- Humboldt County Officials Applaud as Gov. Newsom Issues Emergency Regulations On Intoxicating Hemp
- TODAY in SUPES: Board Approves Grant and Two Full-Time Positions for Sheriff’s Office; State Claws Back Millions in Cannabis Funds
- Supervisors Receive Report on the Declining Cannabis Industry and its Watershed Impacts, Then Vote to Shut Down a Nuisance Farm
- (PHOTOS) Marijuana Enforcement Team Busts Large, Illegal Grow Near Berry Summit, Sheriff’s Office Says
- Bro, Harsh! Recent Studies Suggest Weed Strains Are Meaningless, CBD Doesn’t Ease Anxiety and Other Cannabis Wellness Claims are, Like, Totally Bogus
- Environmental Groups Say County Has Abandoned Its Duty to Fully Assess the Weed Industry’s Impacts
- FINALLY! Shoot Up Your Friends in the New ‘Humboldt Growhouse’ DLC Map From ‘Call of Duty’
- Papa & Barkley to Merge With LA-Based Cannabis Distribution Company Amid Industry Challenges
The Feed
- The Emerald Magazine : 6 Vegan Edibles You Can Shop in NYC
- Cannabis Law Report: The Sixth Annual NW Cannabis & Psychedelics Conference
- Leafly: Streaming for stoners: 8 new shows to watch high
- The Emerald Magazine : 5 Cannabis-Infused Beverages for A Halloween Bash
- Leafly: Watch: Wiz Khalifa world record joint-smoking attempt
- Cannabis Law Report: Hinshaw lawyer Mitchel Chargo Discusses How Native Tribes are Influencing U.S. Cannabis Policy and Creating New Revenue Opportunities
- Cannabis Law Report: Document – Lawsuit: Seven NJ Businesses Say To NJ Govt, “This is a lawsuit challenging the validity and enforceability of L. 2024, c. 73, also known as New Jersey Senate Bill No. 3235 (Third Reprint), a legislative act that proposes to restrict and regulate the production and sale of hemp and hemp products in ways that violate federal constitutional and statutory law”
- Cannabis Law Report: Hemp Drinks: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, “the legality of each specific drink must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis”
- Cannabis Law Report: IRS Senior Counsel Luke Ortner discusses potential implications of t proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III
- Leafly: New York’s essential 420 experiences [September 2024]
(WHAT?)
CHOOSE YOUR COMMENT EXPERIENCE