Although marijuana edibles are banned by Island Health, canna-bakers continue to provide a service they say is very much needed.
In March 2017, Island Health (VIHA) initiated a crackdown on the sale of edibles in dispensaries across Victoria, citing that the Food and Drugs Act does not recognize cannabis as a food ingredient. As a result, edibles remain one of the most highly policed products in the cannabis grey market.
In 2009, Owen Smith, head baker at (VCBC) petitioned the Supreme Court to allow medical cannabis patients to access edibles.
And in 2012, he won.
Despite this, Island Health continues to issue on-the-spot fines to dispensaries selling edibles, arguing that they appeal to children and their contents are hard to control.
B次元官网网址淭he whole reason for the edible ban is that VIHA is pursuing this matter from a Foodsafe perspective,B次元官网网址� said Julia Veintrop, manager at the VCBC. B次元官网网址淣o one has gotten sick from edibles, there have been no complaints, and we continue to sell edibles and always will.B次元官网网址� As far as VCBC is concerned, B次元官网网址渢here is no edible ban.B次元官网网址�
Edibles are an alternative cannabis ingestion method to smoking and are favoured by seniors and ill people seeking pain relief. B次元官网网址淎s pain receptors are located in our digestion tract, edibles enable cannabis to be absorbed through the blood stream and go to where itB次元官网网址檚 needed most,B次元官网网址� Veintrop explains.
Over in Esquimalt, canna-baker Cheri Velasco doesnB次元官网网址檛 plan to hang up her green and purple apron anytime soon.
B次元官网网址淪eniors donB次元官网网址檛 want to smoke pot,B次元官网网址� she said as she slowly tempered a bowl of warm chocolate in her kitchen. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why we make edibles, to service this group and really, anyone who is experiencing pain.B次元官网网址�
Velasco, sister Lenore LeMay and VelascoB次元官网网址檚 daughter Amanda are the family behind . They ran a successful store in The Great Canadian Canna Mall on Quadra Street until December, when the City of Victoria denied its rezoning application and the location was forced to close.
Euphoria creates a variety of products: infused pepperoni pizzas, cream cheese swirl brownies and vegan chocolate chip cookies. They even make organic dog biscuits for suffering pets.
On this day, Cheri and Amanda are infusing chocolate bars with cannabis oil while LeMay works a few metres away on her laptop, brushing up on the latest news in the slow climb to legalization.
B次元官网网址淚 have a passion for helping people,B次元官网网址� says Cheri, a former social worker and commercial baker. B次元官网网址淭his is an extension of my lifeB次元官网网址檚 work to take care of people, particularly using food.B次元官网网址�
Euphoria officially launched in April 2016, six years after the family began making their own infused products as a solution to ailments the family was dealing with personally.
Le May has cerebral palsy which causes chronic pain and restricted movement; she uses edibles to manage her symptoms. Their 81-year-old mother consumes their homemade caramels to combat her arthritis, as does Amanda, to manage anxiety.
B次元官网网址淎ll of our products have been developed as the result of a problem,B次元官网网址� says Cheri. B次元官网网址淐annabis is a medicinal plant so I feel like a healer.B次元官网网址� She believes the ban is denying people access to a medicine the Supreme Court has ruled is safe B次元官网网址� and for no sound reason.
The latest proposed amendments by Health Canada to the Cannabis Act indicate the regulation of edibles is more than a year away.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 confident things will change. We have the right to edibles. WeB次元官网网址檝e already won,B次元官网网址� said Veintrop.
