From MMA to cannabis

The owner of West Kelowna’s first cannabis store, Mike Adams, is a former MMA fighter.

Cannabis helped him through injury.

“It’s a rough sport, a ton of contact, and I had some bad injuries," he told me. "I had a neck injury that caused a ton of nerve pain. I was on opiates for about two to three weeks, and I just felt awful. A family member of mine said ‘try this out’ and he had a medical licence so I got into a bit. When I started using it I felt a big difference in using medical cannabis versus pharmaceutical drugs.”

More and more as the stigma’s lifted, people are more open to talk about their experiences, he said.

Read the full Q&A with Mike about life, cannabis and other things. 

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Longtime operators of Mary Jane’s Headquarters, Chris and Jackie Gayford, became the second in Kelowna to open a cannabis retail store. 

They own Cheeba Cheebas, located a couple doors down from their Mary Jane HQ store in Rutland. They’ll soon open a second Cheeba Cheebas in West Kelowna.

There are now nearly 30 licensed private cannabis stores in the Okanagan, as well as four government stores. (Not all have opened yet.)

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A few people have asked me about edibles now that Cannabis 2.0 products are available in Okanagan cannabis retail stores.

Here are the most common questions I’ve been asked: 

Do I have to keep edibles in the fridge?

Health Canada regulations state the products must be shelf-stable. That means they can be safely stored at room temperature and don’t have to be kept refrigerated. Make sure you keep them safely away from kids and pets.

How much do I eat? 

Everyone is different. If you’re timid, just start with a 2.5mg dose of THC — about one square off a chocolate bar. I’ve felt mild effects at about 4mg. For some, eating a whole 10mg chocolate bar isn’t enough to faze them. 

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Nearly half of Canadians want vaping products banned, an Angus Reid poll has found.

Forty-six percent of Canadians want a total ban on vaping products; however, 33% say that would be a step too far.

Despite the sentiment, vaping continues to spread. The Angus Reid Institute found that in 2019, one-quarter of Canadians now say they have vaped.

Health Canada recently has announced an expansion of its intention to better understand cannabis vaping products now on the market through Cannabis 2.0.

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The biggest cannabis tradeshow in Canada is in Vancouver this weekend. 

More than 18,000 people will be at Lift & Co.’s Cannabis Business Conference and Expo Vancouver 2020, starting Friday.

Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, it’s a chance to mingle and see what’s trending in the industry. There will also be a special panel on psychedelics.

More info here.

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Ask him almost anything...

An employee with the BC Cannabis Store has offered to answer questions on Reddit’s r/thebccs, a forum where users discuss legal cannabis products.

It will take place on Thursday at 11 a.m.

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Email questions or tips to [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.