canna FACTS
Canadian Cannabis Retailers Still Struggle with Banking
Despite cannabis being fully legal in Canada for three years , many retailers in British Columbia say they still struggle to find access to basic financial services from banks . International pressure and decades of stigma around cannabis still plague the fledgling industry , forcing shop owners to dig into their savings to open their small businesses , limiting the sector ' s growth . Charles Varabioff , owner of Kingsway Cannabis in Vancouver , says finding a bank to take on his business account was next to impossible . “ I tried every single one of them . And every one [ of the banks ] was , ‘ No , no , no , no , no ,’” he says . Branch managers would tell him the cannabis industry is too high risk , says Varabioff , who also owns a shop in Grand Forks , B . C . The Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers says 50 of its 52 members in B . C . have been denied access at traditional banks and have turned to local credit unions instead .
First California-Sanctioned Cannabis Competition
California cannabis vendors will be able to take part in the first-ever state-sanctioned cannabis competition at the State Fair next year . While companies have been participating in various private competitions like the High Times Cannabis Cup for years , this marks the first time a state government agency will be hosting such an event . Cannabis competitors who attend the 2022 State Fair ( from July 15-31 ) will be treated the same way as wine , beer , and cheese vendors — a strong sign of the normalization of the cannabis industry . “ We are pleased to celebrate California ’ s legal and licensed cannabis industry as part of the CA State Fair in 2022 ,” California Exposition & State Fair board director Jess Durfee says in a press release . The competition is open to all licensed cultivators in California , and entrants will be classified under separate groups for indoor-grown cannabis , outdoor , and mixed light . A total of 77 medals will be awarded . Participants can submit products through March 30 , 2022 .
No Short-Term Impacts from THC-Positive Breast Milk
It ’ s not a thumbs up to consume THC and breast feed a child , but researchers have shown THC-positive breast milk has no shortterm health impacts ( breathing difficulty , lung development , and feeding issues ) on early pre-term infants . Since THC passes through breast milk , many neonatal intensive care units restrict the use of breast milk from THC-positive women because the effects on early pre-term infants are unknown . Researchers at the University of Maryland compared early pre-term infants who were fed breast milk from THC-positive mothers to those who were fed either formula or breast milk from THC-negative mothers and found no differences in short-term health impacts such as breathing difficulties , lung development , and feeding issues . Overall , early pre-term babies born to mothers who tested positive for marijuana at delivery were similarly healthy by the time of their discharge when fed their mother ’ s breast milk compared to those who did not receive their mother ’ s breast milk .
18 Maximum Yield