Farm-to-table cannabis is coming to Victoria – Cannabis | weed | marijuana

Last Thursday, the City of Victoria approved the rezoning of its first farm-to-table cannabis operation. A majority of council voted to amend the bylaws so one facility can house four different Health Canada licenses.

Victoria Cannabis Company will have a nursery, micro-cultivation, processing and sales all in one location, located at 340 Mary St.

The City of Victoria approved the rezoning even though there was another cannabis retailer within 400 meters. But Councilman Jeremy Caradonna justified the deviation from the rules because a farm-to-table website is “significantly different from a regular cannabis retailer.”

“I think this will be a game-changer for Vic West,” he told the Times Colonist. “I am convinced that it will bring a lot of new businesses to the district. In fact, I hope a rising tide will lift all ships.”

It’s a great feeling, but eight years too late.

Too little too late?

Caradonna championed the introduction of farm-to-table cannabis in Victoria. “You can tour the production facility and meet the producer,” he said.

Councilor Chris Coleman compared Victoria’s farm-to-table cannabis to the early days of craft beer.

“I would like to remind people to look back to 1980, when there were no brewpubs in the province of British Columbia, and now we see a vibrant industry on Vancouver Island known as the Ale Trail, but based on craft breweries,” he said . “That’s exactly where it’s going to go.”

Let’s agree. A vibrant craft cannabis industry is exactly the direction the province should be moving in. The problem is, if BC took this approach back in 2015, we would already be there.

When Justin Trudeau and the Liberals promised to “legalize, regulate and restrict” cannabis, British Columbia’s politicians should have asked: What do you mean by “regulate and restrict”?

Instead, they parroted nonsense about “protecting children” and “eliminating organized crime.” As we wrote ad nauseam, “organized crime” was purely semantic.

Most of the “illegal” cannabis trade in British Columbia was (and still is) conducted by peaceful individuals who love the herb. They love consuming, growing and sharing it. They have no incentive to engage in other illegal activities or poison their customers.

But no BC politician – not even among the Greens – defended BC Bud. Eight years later, the industry is still struggling.

The fact that Victoria is opening its first farm-to-table cannabis operation five years after legalization is telling.

If the government were given control of the Sahara, there would be a sand shortage within a few years.

Farm-to-table cannabis is coming to Victoria

Why didn’t Victoria councilors come to the defense of BC Bud in the critical years leading up to legalization in 2015-2018?

Why did the British Columbia government only introduce a farm gate license in 2020?

Stigma is one of the main reasons. Even if cannabis is legal, two Victoria councilors opposed farm-to-table cannabis operations. They said it would negatively impact surrounding residents.

In other words, we’re pro-cannabis, just not in our backyard.

Likewise, British Columbia’s NDP government lacks a backbone. They effectively handed over their multi-billion dollar industry to Ottawa and the Laurentian Elites.

That would be like Alberta handing over ownership and control of its oil sands to its Ottawa cronies.

In fact, it was Señor Trudeau who attempted to nationalize Canada’s oil and gas sector. It’s no surprise that Little Potato followed in his father’s footsteps with BC Bud.

Unfortunately, Trudeau Jr. got away with it.

And this is the result. Authorities have targeted Canada’s oldest compassion club as a criminal element. Thousands of BC Bud farmers remain underground or are partially licensed as “micro growers.”

Meanwhile, Victorian authorities are changing and flaunting their own rules to accommodate a private, tax-paying, farm-to-table cannabis operator.

We have nothing against the Victoria Cannabis Company and wish them all the best. But let’s be clear that the rules of the game are contrary for some, while they are beneficial for others.

What type of regulation?

The fact that a farm-to-table cannabis operator is coming to Victoria is excellent news. It should have happened some time ago.

But many will say BC Bud’s “Wild West” is not responsible for public health and safety, which is why the Community Safety Unit has the right to target them.

The historical evidence doesn’t agree – and not just recent history. Over the centuries, disputes have arisen between consumers and producers, or between producers and other producers, leading to problems.

Fortunately, Western culture has figured out how to resolve disputes in a way that does not inspire vigilantism or retaliation. Over the years, these disputes and resolutions became known as English or Anglo-American common law.

From this process emerged the basic rules of Western civilization. These laws were procedural and regulated according to the particular details of the case.

In the 19th century, demagogic politicians appeared. They implemented reforms in the name of the “public good.” Like undermining the way courts deal with pollution.

Before “democracy” emerged, Anglo-American common law viewed pollution as a violation of private property. I can’t dump my trash on your front lawn. But if I burn it on my property and the smoke travels to your house?

According to 19th century Democratic politicians, that’s fine.

And now, say 21st century politicians, we all have to pay higher taxes and eat insects to “solve climate change” when the problem stems from too much political interference.

They’re basically saying, “Oh, you’re going green?” Smoke more high-THC weed here.”

Farm-to-table cannabis is coming to Victoria

The fact is that we already have the rules in place to effectively regulate cannabis.

Tort law ensures that products are safe and correctly labeled. Criminal law protects against theft and damage to property. Property law and contract law are fundamental to our rules-based society.

It’s a typical straw man that BC Bud proponents want an “all against all” or “unregulated” chaotic anarchy.

What’s impressive is that the people who make this argument and believe that we can’t self-regulate our economy also believe that the government can regulate the economy without negative consequences.

It’s circular logic. “People cannot be trusted, so we need a government made up of people who cannot be trusted, so we need a government made up of people who cannot be trusted…”

Lao Tzu once said, “The more emphasis is placed on law and order, the more thieves and robbers there will be.”

And that’s certainly true in the cannabis industry, where BC politicians and city councilors are demonizing a group of cannabis producers while elevating the taxable group to top status.

A better approach would be to liberalize cannabis. We have already created a framework. The Anglo-American common laws are already established.

Anything beyond that is a government money grab.