Future of cannabis is now
For a glimpse into the nottoo-distant future of how cannabis will become part of Canadian culture and how entrepreneurs will come up with increasingly creative ways to attract customers, look no further than what’s happening in the states down south that have legalized or decriminalized pot.
A story in the Washington Post this week showed how quickly pot has gone mainstream.
In Northampton, Mass., the city’s mayor — a 52-year-old Air Force veteran — was the first customer of that state's legal recreational pot, putting his money down for a chocolate bar infused with THC.
On Fifth Avenue in New York City, a dispensary has opened, marketing itself to its upscale clientele as “the Barneys of weed.” In San Fransciso, one dispensary there looks like an elite hotel bar. In Washington, D.C., adventurous foodies are gathering for chef-prepared four-course meals where THC and CBC-infused dishes are on the menu.
These products and consumer experiences aren’t to attract the kids but for discriminating adults with money to spend.
These aren’t everyday indulgers of the devil’s lettuce but rather for those who wouldn’t be caught dead smoking the stuff and want to partake in a classy and controlled way, much as they would over wine or a fine dram of Scotch.
And that’s just the recreational side.
Droves of new customers are trying cannabis candies to help them get a deeper, most restful night's sleep. Others are scooping up lowdose edibles to help with stress.
Balms, salves and bath soaks that soothe everything from the ache of arthritis to the suffering of PMS cramps are finding eager buyers.
Seniors are a rapidly increasing segment of the market.
Most of these products actually remain — wink, wink, nudge, nudge — illegal. Edibles won’t be legal until next year, as various levels of governments work on regulations around the production and selling of these products.
As usual, the politicians are behind the people. Americans and Canadians are embracing the opportunity to try cannabis for a variety of different reasons and in a variety of different ways, particularly ones that don't involve stinky smoke or the grossness of passing around a communal joint.
Not everyone is happy, of course.
The RCMP is rightly concerned about stoned drivers and kids and pets eating pot candy and chocolate left out by absent-minded adults.
Doctors are worried about longterm effects, citing the shockingly little amount of research on longterm effects, especially for cannabis consumed orally or topically. Up until very recently, it was difficult to impossible for researchers to secure funding for extensive studies with large sample groups over extended periods of time. Now, as various news reports have noted, colleges and universities across North America are investing heavily in both research and specialized industry training. Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver now offers various workshops and certificates in cannabis production and selling.
Fort St. John council will consider granting a permit for the first legal cannabis store in their community Monday. Prince George city council will have similar applications before them for approval early in the new year.
It’s unlikely we’ll see Mayor Lori Ackerman at the front of the line opening day in Fort St. John . Her blessing is unnecessary. Her constituents and the broader marketplace have already spoken.