INSPIRING WOMEN IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRYWomen GrowGREAT IDEAS AND MARKETING REQUIRE GREAT PACKAGING SOLUTIONSInline Filling SystemsADVOCATING FOR EQUITABLE POLICYNational Cannabis Industry AssociationAugust 2019 | cannabisbrightline.comFEBRUARY 2019CONSTRUCTIONINFOCUS.COMPROMOTING THE POSITIVE SIDE OF DEMOLITIONNational Demolition AssociationA SEVENTY YEAR LEGACY OF PROMOTING TILE WITH STYLECeratecSERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR 85 YEARSThe Florida Transportation Builders’ AssociationAt Focus Media Group, we conduct in-depth, one-on-one interviews with the top representatives of their rms, delving beneath the surface to uncover the true stories of their success in the eld.In our digital and print magazines, you will also nd informative features on the world’s most prominent organizations, institutes, associations and government departments whose actions and policies have a direct impact on the world economy and business climate. We prole the latest in industry trends and technology and take a look at today’s most pressing environmental and political issues.We sit down with managers, founders, CEOs, and government ocials to get at the heart of the story. Through our competitive and comprehensive advertising plan, we can get your story out as well.Join us in our journey to bring the world’s business into focus.FEBRUARY 2019CONSTRUCTIONINFOCUS.COMPROMOTING THE POSITIVE SIDE OF DEMOLITIONNational Demolition AssociationA SEVENTY YEAR LEGACY OF PROMOTING TILE WITH STYLECeratecSERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR 85 YEARSThe Florida Transportation Builders’ AssociationAt Focus Media Group, we conduct in-depth, one-on-one interviews with the top representatives of their rms, delving beneath the surface to uncover the true stories of their success in the eld.In our digital and print magazines, you will also nd informative features on the world’s most prominent organizations, institutes, associations and government departments whose actions and policies have a direct impact on the world economy and business climate. We prole the latest in industry trends and technology and take a look at today’s most pressing environmental and political issues.We sit down with managers, founders, CEOs, and government ocials to get at the heart of the story. Through our competitive and comprehensive advertising plan, we can get your story out as well.Join us in our journey to bring the world’s business into focus.EDITOR’S CORNERWith legalization comes great opportunity – opportu-nity to create fair regulations and equitable policies that promote the economic strength of the market and cannabusinesses while pro-moting the public interest. Through legalization, Canada had the potential to legislate equity and fairness, but instead it effectively criminalized new activities and behaviors with laws that are ripe with issues of constitutionality. It certainly didn’t have to be this way. A recent report published by the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), Increasing Equity in the Cannabis Industry – Six Achievable Goals for Policy Makers, outlines strategies that legislators can adopt to ensure more fair and equitable outcomes for all, especially those who have been dispropor-tionately impacted by the War on Drugs. Illinois has demon-strated how legalization and equity can go hand in hand. It was the first state to legalize cannabis use for adults through its state legislature, rather than ballot initiative, but what is more, it included a racial and social justice provision in the legislation. It is a model for other states to follow, especially as more and more states move ahead with both decriminalization and legalization, and as key legislation is introduced on a federal level. While Canada is an example in terms of moving forward with national legalization, it isn’t necessarily a model to be rep-licated, especially in terms of fairness and equity. This issue of Cannabis Brightline shines a spotlight on the various legal intricacies of the cannabis industry in North America and how the market has evolved, specifically in Canada over the last ten months since legalization, capturing a sense of what the future holds in terms of both the market and the courts. Jessica Ferlaino EditorEDITORJessica FerlainoDEPUTY EDITORTim HockenCOPY EDITORSLinden Glenn | Allister HavercroftCONTRIBUTING WRITERSStacey McCarthy | Karen HawthorneJen Hocken | Margaret Eaton | Mark GolombekREGIONAL MANAGER OF RESEARCH Ciaran DunneSENIOR CONTENT MANAGERSBrad Mike | Tom England | Peter SwaleCONTENT MANAGERSMehul Jagawat | Aaron ConwayWhitney McCoy | James CorbettSALES & MARKETING MANAGERLuke SimmsSALES TEAMPamela Taylor | Kayla BrownEvan Broussard | Jason MerriottPRODUCTION COORDINATORChantal De BrouwerGRAPHIC DESIGNERSEbic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva | Gavin Billings Lindsay Bailey | Victoria Lane | Severina GachparovaDIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTRobert ChambersTALENT ACQUISITION MANAGERMelissa PikePROJECT MANAGERJaimie FoxDIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONSColin O’NeillREGIONAL DIRECTOR, NORTH AMERICAAdam CameronOPERATIONS MANAGERJonathan FisherCONTROLLERJen HamiltonPUBLISHERJeff HockenFEBRUARY 2019CONSTRUCTIONINFOCUS.COMPROMOTING THE POSITIVE SIDE OF DEMOLITIONNational Demolition AssociationA SEVENTY YEAR LEGACY OF PROMOTING TILE WITH STYLECeratecSERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR 85 YEARSThe Florida Transportation Builders’ AssociationAt Focus Media Group, we conduct in-depth, one-on-one interviews with the top representatives of their rms, delving beneath the surface to uncover the true stories of their success in the eld.In our digital and print magazines, you will also nd informative features on the world’s most prominent organizations, institutes, associations and government departments whose actions and policies have a direct impact on the world economy and business climate. We prole the latest in industry trends and technology and take a look at today’s most pressing environmental and political issues.We sit down with managers, founders, CEOs, and government ocials to get at the heart of the story. Through our competitive and comprehensive advertising plan, we can get your story out as well.Join us in our journey to bring the world’s business into focus.fmgpublishing.comSuite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | CanadaP: 1-647-479-2163 | E: info@fmgpublishing.com3INSIDE AUGUSTFOCUS ON: FEMALE LEADERS IN THE CANNABIS SECTOR LEGAL & ECONOMICMANUFACTURING, RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION 4 In June of 2018, the Government of Canada cast its ballots for the final vote on the nation-wide legalization of recreational cannabis. By October 17, the Canadian Cannabis Act had become the official framework governing the sale, possession, production, and distribu-tion of cannabis products nationwide. Today, Canadian adults can possess up to thirty grams of cannabis in public, grow up to four plants per household, and purchase cannabis products from provincially operated retail outlets. CULTIVATION & TECHNOLOGY 5CANNABIS BRIGHTLINEAre you planning an event relating to North America’s growing Cannabis Industry?To get your event listed in Cannabis Brightline, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO EAST11 – 14 September, Baltimore, MDAt Natural Products Expo East 2019, experience more products, more education, and more ways to connect with brands, buyers, investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts. Build relationships and enjoy sessions such as the Hemp Pavilion, Natural Products Business School, Natural Products Hemp & CBD Summit, the Herb Walk Tour, the Pitch Slam Semi-Finals, and more.For more information CANNABIS RETAIL OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP12 – 13 September, Toronto, ONOpportunities to establish private cannabis retail businesses will be available in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, and this workshop will help guide you through the application process. A thorough overview of the Cannabis Retail Act will be provided, and the course will guide attendees through store and security requirements, advertising and promotional restric-tions, staff training, understanding the supply chain, record keeping and documentation practices, maintaining compliance with the federal cannabis tracking system, and more.For more information INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS BUSINESS CONFERENCE15 – 16 September, Vancouver, BCCanada made history by becoming the first G7 nation to legalize cannabis. The impact has been felt around the world, spurring more and more nations to implement progressive legalization laws. The global movement will only provide more opportunities for Canadian companies to export and expand into new markets. This conference brings together over 1,500 of Canada’s and the world’s top executives and thought leaders at Canada’s biggest cannabis industry B2B event. For more information CALIFORNIA CANNABIS BUSINESS CONFERENCE8 – 9 October, Long Beach, CANCIA’s 3rd Annual California Cannabis Business Conference is the only industry trade show focusing solely on the California market. Join 3,500+ cannabis industry leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs who will convene to discuss California-specific regulations, market trends, policy, advocacy, and research.For more information CANNABIS AT WORK – ONE YEAR LATER15 October, Toronto, ONWhile Canadian employers faced legalization with varying degrees of concern and readiness, the full impact of legalization in the workplace is only beginning to surface. Join The Conference Board of Canada, in partnership with Globe and Mail, for one of Canada’s first post-legalization events relating to cannabis at work. Industry experts will reveal the results of their primary research and discuss the biggest impacts cannabis has had on the workplace one year into legalization.For more information INDUSTRY EVENTS6INDUSTRY NEWSCANNTRUST PRODUCTS PULLEDThe Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) has pulled CannTrust Holdings Inc. products that were found to be cul-tivated in unlicensed rooms amid a Health Canada investigation. Other provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia have chosen not to pull the products, confident that due diligence is being done to ensure that the products being sold have been tested and approved. Health Canada notified CannTrust of the issue after cultivation was discovered in five unlicensed rooms at the compa-ny’s Pelham, Ontario facility. The infrac-tions were said to take place between October 2018 and March 2019, before the company received the appropriate licenses in April 2019. The company has confirmed that some of the product from the unlicensed rooms had already been sold. CannTrust had until July 18 to respond to the report’s claims that it was not in compliance with regulations. Further to production activities in unlicensed rooms, employees were said to have misled inspectors of the facility. While the issue is under review, a total of 5,200 kilograms of cannabis is on hold, with an additional 7,500 kilograms being held voluntarily at the company’s Vaughn, Ontario facility. Regulators will determine how to proceed regarding compliance and enforcement of the matter, which could range from a suspension to a full cancellation of licenses and administra-tive penalties up to $1 million. Customers who ordered CannTrust products online or in store are eligible for a refund. Products must be returned in an unopened condition and exchange must be made two weeks (fourteen days) from delivery. COSTS OF LEGAL MARIJUANA FAR EXCEED ILLICIT MARKETStatistics Canada has published a study that analyzed information collected from its crowdsourcing application between April 1 and June 30 that found authorized retail-ers to be charging upwards of eighty percent more than the illicit market for marijuana. The information was based on 697 submissions, 572 of which were deemed to be plausible, and while findings show that the number of people purchasing from legal sources has increased, the average cost per gram is much higher than that being offered in the black market. The study, which analyzed prices from websites of illegal online cannabis retail-ers and other sources, found that the average cost per gram in the legal market was $10.65 versus $5.93 in the illicit market. Actual prices typically reflected higher values than indicated by respondents of the crowdsourcing app, but results were relatively corollary. 7INDUSTRY NEWSONTARIO TO ISSUE 50 NEW CANNABIS LICENSESCiting improving supply conditions, even though the first round of the Ontario lottery for pot shops hasn’t fully materialized, the province has announced plans to issue another fifty new cannabis licenses. The new lottery will require participants to be pre-approved before entering, having demonstrated financial viability and an estab-lished retail space, for launch in October of this year. The lottery will take place on August 20 and will see forty-two more licenses assigned, thirteen of which will be located in the Greater Toronto Area, six in Toronto, eleven in the western part of the province, seven in the east, and designated licenses in the north for Kenora, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Timmins. There will also be eight licenses designated for First Nations communities, to be distributed via a separate first-come-first-serve process in July. HAWAII BECOMES 26TH STATE TO DECRIMINALIZE CANNABISHawaii Governor David Ige has signed legislation decriminalizing the pos-session of small amounts of marijuana, though the state is not quite ready to legalize. The new law will take effect January 2020. People who are caught with small amounts of cannabis (three ounces or less) will no longer face a mis-demeanour charge.Possession charges were previously pun-ishable by up to thirty days in jail and a $1,000 fine, but under the new laws those who are found in contravention of the possession laws will be cited and will receive a $130 fine and no jail time. While cannabis was decriminalized, Governor Ige did not authorize legaliza-tion as there were aspects of the legis-lation that he did not like; chiefly, there was no provision to help youth enter substance abuse programs. Governor Ige also vetoed two other mar-ijuana bills that were passed by Hawaii’s legislature: legislation to make it legal for people to transport medical cannabis between islands, and legislation that would have created an industrial hemp licensing program. 8INDUSTRY NEWSILLINOIS THE 11TH STATE TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS FOR ADULT USEIllinois, which decriminalized marijuana in 2016, has become the eleventh state to legalize cannabis for adult use (ages twenty-one and up) and the first state to do so through the state legislature versus a ballot initiative. The Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act (CRTA) was passed by the state’s General Assembly, was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker and will take effect January 1, 2020.Under the new law, cities and counties may prohibit sales but not possession. Cultivation is limited to medical users only. In addition to legalizing adult use and creating a system of taxation and regulations, the bill included a racial justice provision that will see the expungement and pardon of upwards of 800,000 previous low-level marijuana convictions and arrests. Likewise, the legislation contains a social equity provision that will make grants and loans available to minority cannabusiness owners and offer them licensing preference, especially as minorities were disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. The Restore, Reinvest and Renew program will see one-quarter of tax revenue directed to those communities. NOVA SCOTIA WOMAN CHALLENGING ROADSIDE TESTING LAWSMichelle Gray, a Nova Scotia woman who uses cannabis to treat her multiple scle-rosis (MS), is challenging roadside testing laws after she tested positive for tetrahy-drocannabinol (THC) seven hours after last use, resulting in her spending hours at the police station trying to prove that she was not impaired at the time. She passed a twelve-step sobriety test but claims that it would have been a chal-lenge if her MS had been flaring up at the time, as her symptoms could have been misinterpreted as indications of impair-ment. Her car was impounded and her license was suspended for a week, a move that is being questioned based on legiti-macy, as it should have been a maximum suspension of twenty-four hours. Gray has partnered with a legal team at Acumen Law to challenge the legality of the Drager DrugTest 5000, the roadside test used in Nova Scotia, as well as the roadside suspension program. Other provinces have opted out of using the same equipment because of its ques-tionable results. The issue with roadside testing is that it tests for THC but there is no rational con-nection test for impairment and there is no correlation between THC and impair-ment. THC is stored in fat cells and can remain detectable for a month after use. For more regular users, this will be even more difficult to assess. Currently, it is illegal to have between two and five nanograms of THC in your blood within two hours of driving, and a more serious offence to have five nano-grams of THC in your blood within the same time frame. 9Next >