Medical Cannabis User Questions Quality Control In Industry
Publication: CBC
Everything from soil, temperature, humidity levels, nutrients and lighting is tightly regulated. Standard operating procedures dictate that every stage of cultivation, harvesting, processing and packaging is programmed and tracked electronically, Columbro said.
These procedures need to be replicated at every step, every time, and each producer has someone in charge of overseeing this process.
A sample of each harvest is also sent to a third-party lab to test for THC and CBD levels in the cannabis, as well as for any contaminants, bacteria or mould. These labs are licensed by Health Canada specifically to handle cannabis.
All these systems are meant to eliminate human error, Columbro said.
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Black-Market Cannabis Growers Hitting Roadblocks On The Path To Legalization
Publication: The Globe & Mail
In addition to dealing with Health Canada, business owners must show proof that they’ve given notice of their plans to local authorities, and must also comply with local zoning and licensing requirements. In many jurisdictions, that will involve a business licence, which could prove challenging in municipalities that decide they’re unwilling to play host to cannabis operations.
There are also limitations on sales that stand in sharp contrast to the black market: All licensed growers in several provinces including Ontario and Quebec will only be able to sell to provincially approved distributors. Many growers are interested in selling directly to the consumer, says Ontario cannabis consultant Mathew Columbro, noting earlier this month that it’s currently unclear if provinces will allow such sales.
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New Regulations May Spark Canada’s Craft Cannabis Revolution
Publication: High Times Magazine
With calls for cannabis amnesty reaching the mainstream news, Health Canada finally announced that they will not discriminate against those with previous non-violent cannabis convictions. “Historically anyone with any type of criminal activity in relation to controlled substances could face an automatic rejection from Health Canada,” said cannabis compliance consultant Mathew Columbro, president of Vindica Cannabis Corporation. “Security clearances will now be analyzed on a case-by-case basis to screen out organized crime pre-application.”
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Craft Cannabis Growers Prepare for "Second Wave" of Legalization
Publication: NOW Magazine
Mathew Columbro, president of cannabis consultancy Vindica, says, “The second wave of legalization will be hugely disruptive for licensed producers, allowing the existing mature craft cannabis market to finally be licensed.”
Also, while the government's stated goal is to eliminate organized crime in cannabis, they’re not completely eliminating those with past criminal convictions from participating in the legal cannabis market. But officers and directors of companies, as well as master growers, must receive security clearance from the feds.
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