As you kick off the work week, here are five things making news in the cannabis industry:
- The government of Canada announced the coming into force of An Act to provide no-cost, expedited record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis. As of August 1, people who have a criminal record only for simple possession of cannabis can apply for a pardon, which will make it easier to work, go to school, travel and actively participate in their communities. However, as Cannabis Amnesty explains, despite the passage of Bill C-93, people across the country will continue to be limited by cannabis-related criminal convictions and they remain committed to achieving justice and equity for them.
- Research News: “We wanted to know the current knowledge base of cannabis and mental health to support future research and policy development in Canada.” The University of Calgary has produced a new study – Cannabis and Mental Health: Priorities for Research in Canada.
- In the wake of a CTV News investigation that found hundreds of cannabis research licences are being bogged down by a lengthy and complex approval process, BC’s Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is urging Health Canada to step up its approval process.
- ICYMI: As the Toronto Star’s Editorial Board explains, provincial Governments must do better on cannabis sales.
- Food for Thought: ‘A surface-level analysis of the rapidly growing cannabis industry in Canada reveals a troubling trend: The profits and wealth being generated are overwhelmingly landing in the pockets of white Canadians.’ As the Globe reports, racial inequities have quickly become fundamental in our legal cannabis industry.
