Rene Pietrobon introduced Michelle who has worked for a few years now with Canopy Growth a cannabis growing company preparing to sell legally through Canopy Growth, Tweed Stores and Spectrum Cannabis. Tweed is Canada’s largest licensed producer of Medical cannabis. They work from three locations. A 168,000 square foot operation in Smith Falls distributing dried cannabis, oils and soft-gels from the old Hershey chocolate factory. Tweed’s industry leading strain assortment and product lines are as diverse as the over 62,000 customers who use them. A second location is a 1 million square foot green house operation in Niagara-on-the-Lake that is environmentally friendly and capable of growing large quantities of medical cannabis. The third locations are Tweed Main Street Shops, the first licensed producer to offer direct client care in the community with shops in Toronto’s Distillery District, Hamilton, Guelph and Barrie. All products sold through Tweed shops are categorized according to Spectrum TM which is designed to simplify the dialogue around medical cannabis creating colour categories for products according to their THC and CBD profile
Currently legislation allows access to Cannabis for medical purposes which are not condition specific, require a medical document signed by a physician and submitted to a licensed producer through and purchased from the licensed producer. An application can be made to Health Canada to allow for personal production of 4 cannabis plants. The new act, Bill C-45 will come into effect sometime this summer on passage through the Senate and House of Commons. It will allow for legal, adult use market that is regulated at the provincial level. An eligible individual can purchase and be in possession of 30 grams and have the option to grow cannabis plants. The current regulations surrounding the purchase and use of medical cannabis will be maintained separately from the adult market.
Cannabis Through the Ages
Cannabis has been used and cultivated for thousands of years, dating all the way back to ancient India.
Was used across the globe along side other plant based and natural therapies
Benefits of cannabis are still recognized today
The Cannabis Plant
Cannabis flowers are coated in what look like small crystals, called Trichomes. The Female plant contains the highest concentration of active ingredients and can be separated from the plant to make resins, also known as hashish and other derivative products
Cannabinoids and the body
- Cannabinoids exert their effects by interacting with various receptor systems in our body,primarily the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
- Implicated in the regulation of mood, memory, appetite, pain sensation, and other physiological functions to maintain homeostasis in the body
- Cannabinoids are naturally produced by the body and are also present in the cannabis plant
- Over 100 cannabinoids in cannabis, THC and CBD being the most common
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
• THC is the most common cannabinoid found in cannabis
• Responsible for the pleasant effects of cannabis, like euphoria and relaxation
• Research has linked THC to the following therapeutic properties: Analgesic, Antiemetic, Appetite Stimulant, Anti-spasticity
• Used for many different reasons including those related to: pain relief, as a sleep aid, elevate mood, among others
• Also responsible for the unpleasant ones like panic and anxiety
Cannabidiol (CBD)
- CBD is the second most common cannabinoid found in cannabis
- Does not produce euphoria but it is known to reduce anziety and buffer against some potentially unpleasant effects of THC such as paranoia and panic
- Therapeutic properties include: anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anziolytic, anti-convulsane and Antipsychotic
- Has garnered attention for its uses in seizure management, pain managements, inflammation, stiffness, muscle spasticity and others.
Following the presentation there were several questions, among them. Dr. Lawrie Jones who works with brain studies at the University of Guelph warned that studies show that cannabis can be harmful for both the young developing brain and for the aging brain in seniors. Serious side effects can occur.
Richard Broadwith thanked Michelle for her presentation and announced that the Club has donated to the Rotary Polio + campaign to inoculate 100 children around the world against polio
Guests:
Annette Turner guest of Tom Funk
Domingo Bernal guest of Sue Ricketts
Michelle Davis speaker
Head Table:
Richard Broadwith Local Lager Chair
Hal Jackson International project co-ordinator
Sue Ricketts ClubRunner & Asia Committee Chair
Michelle Davis Community Engagement Specialist, Canopy Growth Corporation
Rene Pietrobon classification
Paul Dredge, Real Estate Commercial, in-coming President 2018-19
Announcements:
Sue Ricketts – The Bulletins are now being produced through ClubRunner effective immediately. Editors & Photographers are requested to send their work to
suericketts94@gmail.com until further notice. By the way, I notice that less than 50% of people are opening their email. Please check your Spam folder to at least take a look at the new design.
Richard Broadwith – announced that he will have advance packages of free admission tickets available for Canada Day to purchase and then donate or give out to anyone to attend the day. Cost is $20 with $10 to go to Rotary Club of Guelph community funded projects and $10 towards out Food4Kids Program. Now available online at
familypass@canadadayinthepark.ca
Happy Bucks:
Carolyn Weatherson – Happy that Sean Yo has finally come out to Rotary.
Jim Stephens - is Unhappy that he received a ticket while parked on Morris Street where he and Paul Truex park on Fridays. The reason is that he was forced to park too close to the intersection because Paul didn’t move down enough.
Alan Jarvis: is happy because on Tuesday Morning at a breakfast in Kitchener Terrie was able to present Kelly-Sue from the Kitchener Food4 Kids program with a Paul Harris Award in recognition of her help with setting up the Guelph program.
Jim MacKenzie – is happy for several reasons this week. 1) It’s not a curling announcement. 2) Canada Day is coming together. 3) He had lunch with the Sargent-at-Arms in Puslinch. 4) The lilacs are planted at Woodlawn Cemetery for his late wife Anne. All in all, a good week.
Ab Moore – is happy because we will have 2 guests from Cameroon, President & President Elect of Rotary Club of Kumbo, Ibrahim Yaouba and Chris Idiress, visit with the Club the weekend of June 22nd before the Toronto Convention. A second happy buck was given because his son, Kent Moore, has been appointed a Vice-President of Research at the University of Toronto.
Roger Garriock - is happy because he was able to attend an event at the University of Tennessee which attended by 18,000 kids.
Sargent-at-Arms:
Bev was back in fine form today helping us reach our goals for funding Polio +. She started off with a happy/sad buck of her own. Six months ago she lost her job, five months ago she lost her fiancé to a heart attack, but she is recovering and ready to face the world again. Wonderful to hear that! So, she fined both Jim MacKenzie & Helmut Slizarenko just because she could, Brett Reichert because he passed his exams and is now a bona fida real estate broker, Sue Ricketts for breaching privacy or something in looking up how many are reading the bulletin emails and Sean Yo just to make him feel welcome. Phew!
