The demonstrations spilled out to the majority of the western world, including our own Australia. The cannabis industry was not immune. Plenty of U.S. Brick and mortar businesses suffered from looting and property damages in the aftermath of rioting.
A revolutionary new type of cannabis edible is being manufactured in Australia. Company iX Syrnix has come up with a wafer-type technology, made for medical use. The technology, patented as WaferiX, is ingested by being placed under the tongue. These fine people are developing a range of medicinal cannabis products and saw a strong interest in the wafers after the initial production run completely sold out.
“The iX sublingual technology offers a fixed-unit dosing, predictable absorption and rapid onset of action. This will overcome some of the absorption issues faced by other delivery methods.” iX CMO Dr Janakan Krishnarajah said.
We saw the Australian government legalise medicinal cannabis purely through prescription in 2016. Meanwhile, the interest in medicinal cannabis has grown healthily. In 2019, it was reported the number of patients prescribed grew by 658%, and as of April 2020, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved more than 12,000 special access applications for medicinal cannabis products. Not bad.
In other news, new laws took effect on January 31st this year, allowing the personal use of weed in the ACT. Here are the notes:
– It's now legal for any adult to possess marijuana (up to 50 grams maximum). – Selling or supplying cannabis is still a criminal offence in Australia. – Each adult can grow two cannabis plants per household. – Each household is limited to 150 grams of “wet” cannabis.
Looking south, the largest medicinal cannabis extraction and manufacturing plant costing $50 million will be built at a secret location in Melbourne’s south-east. Secret? That's no hyperbole. The location is completely undisclosed. The facility will be owned by The Valens Company, local to Canada, however, the hiring and equipment side is being managed by Australian distributor, Cannvalate. Like something out of a Hollywood film, it will be a 4500 square metre facility, they will have double perimeter fences, 24/7 CCTV monitoring, and a vault where the finished goods will be stored.
“It will be very, very secure,” said Cannvalate chief executive, Sud Agarwal.
Beginning earlier this year, the Victoria Legal & Social Issues Committee - under the Legislative Council - released an ‘Inquiry into the use of Cannabis’. Committee chair Fiona Patten stating, “We’re interested in hearing people’s views on whether use of cannabis should remain legal for medical treatment only or whether current restrictions on use of cannabis should be changed,”. Could Victoria be heading towards legislation similar to ACT? You can enter your submission here.
An interview with Greens leader Adam Bandt revealed the party wants to create a legalised and regulated market for cannabis, proposing a new federal agency that would be a buyer and wholesaler for recreational cannabis.
He stated, “People would also be able to grow a small number of plants for their own personal use, but the government would be the one in charge of buying and selling”.
Over 20% of U.S. citizens live in a state where cannabis is legal for recreational purposes, and Canada federally legalised it in 2018.
“The world didn't end when countries legalised the use of cannabis” he exclaims.
Bandt hopes after the next federal election, the country has a “situation like Canberra”, where Greens and Labor were able to create reform in the ACT. He also claims they have a bill currently in parliament, and with some positive input from other parties, it could be done in a matter of months. He also makes a point that other parties are soft-peddling on the issue.
Whilst the world is still in recovery from COVID-19, AND despite protests, U.S. Stock Markets for cannabis companies have moved upward with momentum:
Cannabis stocks are up by 40-odd-per cent across the board. But there's more to this story. For those “not into” the world of stocks, this kind of looks like a boring mess of data. For those who love finance, reading this is amazing! Right? Unfortunately, this isn't accurately representing growth in the cannabis industry.
Thanks to something called “Unlimited amount of cash”, a term coined by the Federal Reserve's President Neel Kashkari in response to the Corona-virus economic downturn in March, The FED has printed up to 6 trillion dollars for support. A large portion of this cash is provided as liquidity to Funds like BlackRock and JP Morgan Chase, to be used to support the markets from a major disaster. So nope, that growth in cannabis stocks surely can't be considered legitimate growth in the industry. It might suggest there is some confidence in cannabis stocks by people in charge. However, we need American workers back behind their desks first. I mean, the country is still under lockdown. It's a very complicated time, and the economic issues are complicated. You won't find any financial advice in this article.
As far as Australian cannabis stocks go, the majority of top players were stagnant throughout May. However, the CANN Group, located in Melbourne, pulled off a 25% gain, (potentially) thanks to new supply agreements allowing the export of medicinal cannabis products into the U.K. And Europe.
Hey! That's some good news after all.
With drug laws still crunching down on the sale of cannabis in Australia, the majority of our publicly listed cannabis companies are still on the speculative side of the Australian Stock Exchange.
As poorly as the western world seems to be performing, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the cannabis industry after the COVID-19 crisis. Cannabis stocks are at least seeing support from American funds, and Australians can look forward to the personal use of weed in the ACT, as well as large projects in development in Melbourne.
But what do you think? We'd love to hear something we missed, so make sure to leave us a comment below.
Stocks Data courtesy of TradingView
]]>But what makes a helpful product review? We’ve put together a guide to help you structure a top-notch review and really get across your experience with your Cannabis Co products so others in the community can benefit.
You will have received an email with a review form to submit, but you can also leave a review by searching for your product on site and scrolling down the product listing until you see ‘Write a Review’. Fill in the fields and voila!
We take reviews very seriously – often they help us to inform changes to all aspects of our business, because your experience is what is important to us. We publish reviews to our site and also use them in some marketing materials – to help educate more people about our products and what you think of them.
If you like taking pictures of your new treasures, we’re always excited to see them - we’ve even gift free products to those who take the time to get a nice snap with our hemp products. Tag @cannacoaus on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and we’ll see it!
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Directed by Michael Blieden and starring stand-up comedian Doug Benson, Super High Me is a parody on the hit documentary “Super-Size Me” (2004). The film stays faithful to the original as Benson consumes cannabis non-stop for 30 days and takes various tests to check the effects on his body and mental wellbeing. Before the experiment, Benson abstained from cannabis for one month, which allowed him to compare the month of abstinence with the month of daily use. A light-hearted and comedic view on the topic of cannabis and the effects it may have on the human body and mind. Check out the rundown on each state and territory in Australia and how to get access to cannabis here.
Directed by Brett Harvey, this truly informative film gives a comprehensive background on the prohibition of cannabis. The documentary uncovers why the government resists the legalisation of the plant, and the degree to which they benefit from the pharmaceutical companies. While now perhaps a little dated, it exemplifies the spectrum of views and benefits that cannabis offers people from different backgrounds and social status. Truly one of the most eye-opening cannabis documentaries to date and must-see viewing for those new to the industry!
Keen to read more on how cannabis can help animals? Click here.
Directed by Ron Mann and narrated by noted cannabis advocate and actor Woody Harrelson, this film is another good introduction to cannabis that offers an in-depth historical perspective on the plant and its use. Demonstrating to significant effect, how badly cannabis was portrayed through deliberate and systematic propaganda and the war on drugs, the film opens with a series of comically outdated anti-drug reels to drive the message home.
Striking just the right balance between informative and entertaining, this is another must-see trip through some of the darkest days of cannabis prohibition.
Director Chris Rice takes the viewer through the ancient past of the plant, spanning from ancient China through to the present day. The documentary Cannabis: A Lost History delves into critical historical events surrounding our favourite plant.
Traditional use of the herb by various religions and cultures is explored, as well as how cannabis travelled from one place to another and the politics encircling the plant in the present day. The documentary has a homemade feel while still giving you lots of insightful information about the history of cannabis in human cultures. What becomes apparent is that the cannabis and human stories are heavily intertwined!
This Vice documentary is free to catch on YouTube and explores the lengths to which “strain hunters” (those who search the globe for rare strains of cannabis in remote locations) will go to secure the next award-winning gene line.
Vice follows Arjan Roskam who has built a cannabis empire with his Green House Seed Company, as he travels in Columbia looking for rare and previously undiscovered types of cannabis. This documentary focuses more on the commercial side of the cannabis industry, and the lengths these pioneers will go to secure the next cash crop.
Award-winning journalist Helen Kapalos explores the subject of medical cannabis uncovering life-changing treatments and cutting-edge research. Produced and shot in Australia, the film sets out to provide clarity and understanding of one of Australia’s most stigmatised and controversial issues – Medical cannabis.
The film was borne out of a TV network news story which told of a young man’s difficult decision to consume cannabis as a treatment for a terminal illness and to help with debilitating nausea and side effects of chemotherapy. The fact the young man’s father served for decades as a drug squad police chief adds an interesting wrinkle to the already emotive film. After the film had gone to air, it sparked thousands of other Australians to come forward and tell their story around their own experience with medical cannabis, both legal and through the black market.
Another home-grown documentary directed by Ned Donohoe, Green Light introduces audiences to Nicholas Morley and his associate Luke, who spend their time openly breaking the law to supply medicinal cannabis oil to chronic and terminally ill patients around Australia. Learn about the key differences between THC and CBD in this in depth blog.
The pair work as medicinal cannabis suppliers for patients who have tried "everything else", operating outside the legal framework that governs the medical cannabis industry in Australia. In the film, they supply and treat a man with a genetic bone disease, a baby with cancer and even a fully-grown horse. They stress they are not medical professionals, and all prospective clients should speak to their doctor before using the cannabis oil they're supplied with.
Directed by Brett Harvey, this film is start studded with some very well-known cannabis advocates such as Snoop-dog, Wiz Khalifa, Richard Branson and Joe Rogan. Not just relying on insights from these pop culture icons, the documentary uses expert opinion to provide balance to the issue and questions the arguments of the legalisation opponents as their true motives are uncovered. A lot of information to unpack in the film, but with the star-studded cast and a healthy mix of humour, this is one not to be missed!
Directed by Abby Epstein, this film centres around the medical cannabis industry and the barriers to access for both adults and sick children. Epstein engages with a community of people in the United States who struggle with the need to try medical cannabis for their child's cancer and their government's inability to allow for reasonably priced and available medical marijuana.
The film takes aim on the government’s stubbornness in allowing researchers to study the therapeutic applications for the plant, and the fight to reschedule the drug from its Schedule 1 status. A powerful and at times, very emotional look into the world of severely sick children, and their parents’ quest to find them comfort.
Written and directed by Peter Cross, Daniel Raffaele and Craig Wilson, this Australian documentary follows the story of Mike, who has a brain tumour. It's a type of tumour that won't kill him but will rob him of his eyesight.
Learn how healthy hemp protein is for your body!
With the current issues with prescription cannabis in Australia, Mike sets off on a road trip to find out if medicinal cannabis can treat his tumour. Travelling around the country in search of answers, Mike chats with patients that have already embarked on their own life-changing therapeutic cannabis journey. He also speaks with politicians, a former Australian Federal Police commissioner, a lawyer, a neurosurgeon, doctors and suppliers of medicinal marijuana, including one that is facing an 18-year prison sentence for cannabis-related crimes.
Want to find out more about medicinal CBD or speak to a doctor who can discuss your options? Read our breakdown on how to access CBD here. Drop us a line on 1300 402 420 or fill in our contact form.
]]>Most people might not know that hemp was on board the First Fleet to Australia as a cargo “for commerce”. It was seen to be an essential aspect of the survival of the new colony and a staple commodity. Some historians think that the original plan for New South Wales was to cultivate a new hemp colony rather than to resettle convicts! Cannabis wasn't viewed in the same way it is now and was a vital tool in making sails, cables and rigging for the ships that spread globalisation.
Early this year, Bloomberg reported that over 200,000 acres of hemp had been licensed to grow in the USA in 2019. Which is a number up from around 25,000 two years ago. It is not just the US that is seeing itself through a hemp craze. Countries such as China, Greece, Jamaica, Africa, Australia and many throughout south America are also pushing for more significant deregulation and access to grow this diverse plant.
The hemp plant has an extremely dense nutritional profile and can be turned into a wide variety of food products. Hemp seeds can be processed for their oil or eaten whole, can be ground down into protein powder and even turned into a milk substitute.
Since changes to the Australian Food Standards Code permitted the sale of low-psychoactive hemp seed food came into effect in November 2017, hemp has become widely known as a superfood. Hemp Seed Oil contains two essential fatty acid: Omega 6 and omega 3. They are crucial because the human body cannot make them on its own, so we need to consume them from our diet. These two omegas are essential in maintaining cell membranes, reducing inflammation and keeping our hearts healthy (amongst many many others).
Hemp protein powder is made by crushing hemp seeds into a fine powder. It is classified as a complete protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids that humans must get from food. Being a plant-based protein, it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike and is easier digested than other animal proteins. Oil – check, protein powder – check, but what about milk? Hemp milk is plant-based and sits in the same category as cashew, soy, oats and almonds. Free of lactose and gluten, it is used increasingly as a tasty alternative to cow’s milk! Hemp milk also works to lower blood cholesterol and ease inflammation.
Hemp is not just limited to eating, however. It can also have significant impacts on the quality of the soil it is planted in. In a process called bioremediation, the hemp plant can filter out toxins and accumulate heavy materials in the soil around it. This has ground-breaking potential to be planted in heavily polluted areas and filter out toxicity in the environment. Scientist Ilya Raskin, a member of a team that tested hemp’s ability to accumulate heavy metals from soil in contaminated fields near Chernobyl said that the results showed the experiment to be a success, and that hemp showed strong phytoremediation properties. This has widespread applicability to replenish damaged farmland around the globe, while also providing food for the millions of people that struggle with lack of nutrition and lack of access to fertile farmland. Hemp is nothing less than a saviour of humanity. A miracle plant that will revive depleted soils, mitigate the threat of climate change, and re-establish the harmonic balance between humans and the environment.
Not sold on the diversity of the hemp plant? Check out our Hemp Flour and Hemp Protein here. They are rich in fibre, a good source of iron and calcium and also contains a variety of other nutrients, including B vitamins, magnesium and vitamin E.
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The term plastic originally meant “pliable and easily shaped”, although recently the term has become known to be a category of materials known as polymers. Polymers are chains of molecules that can be found naturally in everything from the cell membranes in plants, through to the synthetic polymers developed by humans from the carbon atoms provided by fossil fuels. The use and production of synthetic plastics boomed during WW11, where its production increased by more than 300%. Public pressure to reduce our reliance on plastic gained significant momentum during the 1960s as the need to reduce wastage, and environmental contamination gained widespread media attention. This was mainly due to the amount of synthetic plastic that were finding their way into the waterways and oceans of the world, with some estimates suggesting the decomposition time of 30 years for a takeaway coffee cup, and around 450 years for a simple plastic bottle, the future consequences of humans thirst for more single-use plastic will be felt generations to come!
In December 2018, Great Britain's Royal Statistical Society deemed this the statistic of the year: Only about nine per cent of all plastic ever made has likely been recycled. 40% of the plastics produced are for packaging, which is used just once and then discarded. Half the world’s plastics are made in Asia, with 29% of these built-in China. About 8% of the world’s oil production is used to make plastic and power the manufacture of it. Shoppers worldwide are estimated to use 500 billion single-use plastic bags each year, much of which end up in our oceans and waterways.
With the emphasis now focused on moving away from traditional synthetic plastics, you probably would have heard or read about hemp plastic or other bioplastics being touted as a ready-made replacement. Globally speaking, bioplastics make up nearly 331,000 tons of the plastics market [European Bioplastics]. That may sound like a lot, but it only accounts for less than 1 per cent of the 200 million tons of synthetic plastics the world produces each year [source: Green Council].
The hemp plant needs very little water to grow, is naturally pest-resistant, and produces more pulp per acre than trees. Hemp plastic is bio-degradable, toxin-free and recyclable and is made from the stalk of the hemp plant. The hemp stalk contains a high cellulose count (it’s made up of about 65-70% cellulose) which gives it its strength, flexibility and versatility. These high levels of cellulose are essential to note because cellulose is the most naturally abundant natural polymer (see how we brought it full circle!).
Hemp plastic can be used in a wide variety of products, with the recent legalisation for growing hemp gaining momentum in countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, the possibilities for developing further innovations are massive. Some of the current known uses for Hemp plastic are in construction materials such as concrete as plasterboard, with entire homes being built from hemp in places all over Australia.
Many of you may have heard the anecdote somewhere that Henry Ford's first Model T car had at least some parts that were made of hemp. No, this is not just "Greeny” propaganda; this was a real thing. Henry Ford introduced a prototype all the way back in 1941 for the world's first bio-plastic vehicle, that would also run on ethanol. Due to the fact that hemp was outlawed in the United States just four years earlier in 1937, this prototype never got off the ground due to the concerns with getting enough supply of materials to mass-produce the vehicle. Almost a century later when hemp was finally again legalised, Jay Leno formally of the Tonight Show, took a modern-day version for a spin.
It's not just the construction, and industrial sectors that can benefit from the use of bioplastic, the Danish toy giant LEGO has pledged to use sustainable materials in their core product and packaging by the year 2030. With over 19 billion LEGO elements manufactured each year, this shift to a more sustainable product is excellent news from an industry leader, with bioplastic set to replace the current fossil fuel-derived materials.
As we have learned, hemp is a robust and beneficial plant that can be used in a number of sustainable ways- imagine what it can do for the insides of our bodies. If you haven't tried hemp oil before, click here 100% Raw Hemp Seed Oil
]]>The concept is a ground-breaking new series from The Cannabis Company and explores hemp in a new realm, the first of its kind in the world. The artwork itself is a representation of a new and exciting art form that has captivated people globally and integrates a powerful growing technology called AI (Artificial Intelligence).
What initiated the project was our love for the hemp plant and our mission to unite as many people with hemp as imaginable. Art is a language which can be understood by anyone; unconstrained by the laws and rules of our modern world and subject to the freedom of creation. All humans possess emotions that can be evoked by various things, but what if a feeling is absent and the art is purely technological? How would a computer describe the plant without all the misconceptions and prejudice often found with hemp? What would hemp look like from an impartial perspective?
In an attempt to understand the raw code behind machine learning, our artwork series examines a new world of reality, where we can now view what computers see comparably to humans. The incredibly sophisticated AI technology created only a finite number of abstractions of the hemp plant. It cannot be repeated again, making these paintings genuinely iconic.
Tom White endured three months of collecting photos and developing algorithms that would define the process and ultimately lay down the creative abstractive imagery of hemp. His interests have always existed within the realms of visual abstraction created with and recognised by computer vision systems.
Tom is pioneering an art form that leads us on an original exploration of artistry and hemp humans have yet to conceptualise. Tom derived the electric fan painting by using the same technique as with the hemp artwork, visually abstracting an electric fan through the lens of AI.
Just as painter Renè Magritte once challenged the idea of what reality is with the painting "This is not a pipe", the hemp artwork also alludes to what an alternate reality may look like.
The Cannabis Company couldn't envision a more electric outcome working with Tom. This revolutionising artwork, even though abstract, is clearly identifiable as to what it is – for both computers and humans. Recognisable worldwide by third-party recognition systems such as Google's Vision AI, these systems can identify the concepts of the abstract painting and decide that the algorithms used are universally understood by all AI systems.
So, what defines hemp?
It's the distinct colour, plant features such as leaves, but most notably the genus: Hemp. This cutting-edge method of creating art through AI and recognition via online computer systems introduces a brand-new concept to the world. The artwork series is an unspoiled creation that sits at the intersection of the art and tech world, and has now solidified its place as the very first of its kind, and will never be re-created again.
Each limited-edition canvas is made of pure 100% premium quality hemp canvas supplied by the Aussie mother-daughter owned company Hemp Gallery, who share many of the same values as The Cannabis Company - an environmentally sustainable future starts with hemp. The paints used are entirely water-based and from the Aussie premium ink supplier Permaset. They are behind some of the eco-friendliest inks containing no PVC or phthalates.
Tom's artistic abilities allowed for each painting to have its own distinct colour palettes through creating his own custom mixed colours and applying four layers of ink to achieve the unique colour scheme the AI system developed. Tailoring every canvas to illustrate its utmost form of rarity. Each canvas is adorned with an original painting from the AI system, hand painted making each painting unique and 100% Aussie based.
]]>Apart from providing wonderful foods and medicines, there’s much more to the cannabis plant. Let’s take a look at how far it can take us with seven ways hemp can help save the world.
You may be surprised to learn that hemp is normally impervious to pests. In contrast to cotton or flax (which are known to expend half of the pesticides sprayed on them), hemp cultivation requires less use of pesticides or herbicides. Pesticides can saturate water sources, such as streams, seas and lakes. When pesticides defile a waterway, it can adversely affect the animals depending upon that water source, alongside anybody ingesting it.
Pesticides have been connected to many different ailments from cancer and birth deformities to ADHD and Alzheimer's Disease to give some examples – indeed, May 2019 saw Monsanto fined a record $2 billion in damages after a Californian jury found that its Roundup weed killer causes cancer. Pesticides are hazardous for the earth, they are likewise a risk to the wellbeing of all living creatures. By growing hemp, we diminish the globe’s exposure to poisons and toxins.
Hemp is reputed to grow in different territories and soil types – people call it “weed” because it grows like one! Its deep roots hold the dirt together, counteracting soil erosion. Hemp additionally expands the microbial element of dirt. Apart from that, the stem and leaves of the hemp plant are full of nutrients & supplements. As the growing plant sheds its leaves, these nutrients return to the earth, restoring it for better yields in the coming year.
Australians alone use over 9.7 billion single-use plastic bags annually, and even more shockingly, these and other plastic containers can take up to 1,000 years to decompose completely.
The base material in plastics is cellulose, which is produced from petroleum. It’s news to nobody that industrial petroleum is poisonous, both for people and planet. Hemp, however, happens to be the best cellulose source on the planet and is biodegradable too!
Why not use non-harmful and biodegradable hemp for creating plastics when we can have the same product at the end of the process? Rather than stuffing the landfills with poisonous synthetic compounds, we would simply recycle and reuse common items.
Variety is the spice of life, but soil is the basis of life. The plants that are responsible for our food, clothes and housing grow on soil. However, we’re increasingly disconnected from this essential human need and man-made waste has sullied soil over the globe, which is one of the many reasons why preventable diseases are increasing. Both the planet's wellbeing and our own wellbeing are under critical threat, and the need for a change is more urgent than ever before.
Hemp has been proven to reduce the level of poisonous material in soil. It is so successful at retaining harmful metals that it has even been considered for expelling radiation from Fukushima. Even more amazingly, hemp plants which have been grown in contaminated soil can still be used for certain industrial applications!
Imagine there was a safe source of fuel that could be locally delivered and was absolutely inexhaustible. Turns out that there is! Hemp can be made into biodiesel at a 97 percent effectiveness rate. It burns at lower temperatures in comparison to other biofuel options available to humanity. Moreover, when hemp is consumed in a diesel motor, it negates the fumes scent of petroleum with its natural fragrance.
Hemp has the ability to not only change the planet but also save it. Hemp is significant given it is one of the rare crops that’s equipped for cutting down carbon emission through fast carbon dioxide take-up. Hemp does this through the procedure of carbon sequestration. When grown on a large scale, the hemp plant absorbs carbon emission from the environment. Basically, hemp sequesters or ‘traps’ carbon from the air into plants. Each ton of hemp output captures around 1.63 tons of carbon from the air.
With the increasing rate of urbanisation and industrialisation, deforestation is expanding over the globe at disturbing rates higher than ever before in the history of the Earth. Researchers in 2017 estimated the rate of deforestation to cost us around 48 football fields every minute. Unless action is taken, within the next 100 years there will be no rainforests left at all, which will drastically affect the climate of the Earth. Hemp brings some hope, given it can easily supplant trees as the primary source of raw material for wood and paper. One section of land where hemp is grown can deliver paper equivalent yearly as four sections of trees.
While trees take a very long time to grow and deliver some output in the form of paper or wood, hemp can be developed and quickly processed in a matter of months. Hemp paper is generally of better quality than paper created from trees. Farmers practicing sustainable cultivation methods know the significance of cycling crops each season and research has shown that including hemp in these cycles not only keeps the dirt supplement-rich, but also increases the land’s overall output. Cultivating hemp means the land and air stays healthy for a considerable length of time to come.
We’re at a pivotal time for the future of the planet. If we don’t take action, there may not be a future. That’s why it’s time to make the switch to hemp – don’t just sit there, find out how you can join the industry!
Thank you Gurbaj from SCSA for the guest article.
Former sex worker, fashion designer, adult industry lobbyist and now Australian MP for the Reason Party, Fiona's work on censorship, marriage equality and drug law reform has captured the imagination of the Australian electorate. Now she's legalising cannabis – we met up at Parliament House for lunch and a chat.
]]>Born in Canberra to a naval officer father and public servant mother, Fiona formed the notorious Australian Sex Party in 2009 and was first elected to Parliament in 2014. Having honed her skills from 1992 until 2014 as CEO of Eros Association (Australia’s peak body for the adult entertainment industry), she earned a reputation for not just taking hard fights but winning them. Having reformed the Australian Sex Party as the Reason Party in 2017, Fiona was elected to Parliament once again under the banner of Drug Law Reform.
In her initial term as an elected official of Australian public office, she made headlines as the prime mover behind the first ever Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Victoria, which has had a dramatic impact on reducing crime, deaths and overall harm from drug use in the area. She won the battle to create Safe Access Zones, consisting of 150m protest-free zones around women’s reproductive health clinics, securing these essential services against aggressive protestors who wish to prevent women’s access to reproductive education. She initiated a Parliamentary Inquiry that eventually resulted in the Dying With Dignity reform, allowing people with terminal illness to explore options for voluntary euthanasia.
Now she’s legalising cannabis.
In December 2018 you introduced a bill towards full cannabis legalisation within two years. How’s it looking?
“It's still early and it's not something that I want to rush. The debate is changing quickly and just this week we've seen shock jocks like Neil Mitchell (Australian radio presenter) spending a lot of time on cannabis. The response from the community was not absolute opposition and prohibition, there was about a 50/50 support base for it. So introducing the bill enabled us to start a campaign to win the hearts and minds of the politicians but also the public. We do need two years to do that. I think we're over the hump and we're going to see an exponential increase in support.
This is a bill to keep cannabis out of the hands of children and criminals. You pose it like that, as Canada did, and then you work down from there. We know that ‘just say no’ doesn't actually keep it out of the hands of children and criminals, it hands it over to them.”
Your work around censorship, reproductive rights and voluntary euthanasia resulted in opposition from the Church time and time again. So who’s the biggest opposition to Drug Law Reform?
“The police and conservative elements of the medical profession. I think those are the conversations that, once we start having them, it’ll start changing. It’s just stigma. I also think because you do see the ‘Snoop Dogg’ style teenage boy approach overseas in the highly commercialised cannabis marketplace, people are concerned about that. They think “we don't want to go down the path of alcohol, we don't want to go down the path of tobacco” because they see this strong commercial push. Firstly, let's put aside the fact that cannabis is not either of those two drugs, nor is it anywhere near as dangerous. We need a much more controlled market than we've seen in the USA. I think the Canadian model is going to give us some interesting avenues. It's quite conservative, which I think is going to be required.
I don't know whether you’re aware of the synthetic cannabinoid market? A lot of that market actually started in New Zealand. There were a couple of companies over there, and the New Zealand government did this really smart thing where they created a new drug category. So they opened up the market initially, and for a year, you had to register your product, you had to list everything that was in it, and therefore if there were any admissions into hospitals then the doctor knew exactly what was in it. There was responsible service training done and there were specific premises that could sell it, so it went from 1500 unregulated outlets to 50 regulated ones. They restricted it, they controlled it, they educated people, the packaging had a lot more helpful information on it.
It was largely successful until the tabloids got the Minister on the wrong day and that was it. Canada could actually use that model for cannabis. Tomorrow they could introduce that.
Unfortunately, not surprisingly, prohibition just made synthetic cannabinoids more dangerous. The first iteration was JWH018, made by Bayer, who were trying to patent cannabis. They were looking for a synthetic that would mimic the effects of cannabis, that would affect the endocannabinoid system and receptors in the same way, but it didn’t have the desired effect, so instead they started looking at how to get the pain relief without the psychoactive effects. Some others were developed which were closer to cannabis, most of which were prohibited. Then the next generation came out, and the next generation, and all of a sudden they weren't even looking at cannabinoid receptors, they were looking at how to create an effect using the respiratory system and the nervous system, so it ended up with all of these backyard chemists creating this stuff and putting it on the market. It was so dodgy. They’d spray it with inert green material, there was no uniformity and no regulation. So the obvious answer was to legalise cannabis, and that’s what they’re doing in New Zealand.”
So if Australia was to go ahead and legalise it, what would the cornerstones of ‘ethical drug dealing’ actually look like?
“Information will be the cornerstone of it, plus a well-made product that is what it says it is. This is an adult product, so we need to ensure that it is seen as an adult product and is marketed only to adults, and marketed carefully. I want people to know how it's grown and what it's grown in, and the medicinal market is guiding us in that regard. When I purchase it, I want to have an educated person that will be able to tell me about the variety, about an indica versus a sativa, the THC content versus the CBD content, the terpene content etc. I want to make an informed decision. You look at the guidelines for tobacco and alcohol and they're about the only food products that are sold in Australia where you're not required to list the ingredients. Two of the most dangerous drugs – it’s nuts. They've been excluded from the TGA and from the food controls.
Cannabis is a good product, and we’ve had thousands and thousands of years of it. We know so much about it, and so to sell it ethically I think is actually an easy sell. It is in itself an ethical product, look at the impact on climate from how we grow it, using less water, using less electricity, we can even use biomass from the parts of the plants that we don’t use.”
What are the most common misperceptions around the plant you come across?
“It causes schizophrenia, it’s addictive and it’s a gateway. Those are the three major ones. There’s a real concern around mental health, even though all of the research shows that even the most tenuous connection is that people self-medicate. Some people with certain mental illnesses tend to be drawn to it and find some relief with it, but that may also exacerbate their condition.”
…and the solution to that is supervised use and education, similar to the Portuguese model, right?
“I think it’s education, education, education amongst the politicians. I was at a magic mushroom event last night, the launch of a new organisation called Mind Medicine and it's got a lot of philanthropic backers. They've just got a study approved that will start in April, using psilocybin on terminally ill patients who are very anxious about their end-of-life experience. It's being run through the psychiatry unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital, a full clinical trial with 30+ patients. There have already been many many many studies but this is the first in Australia. When you start seeing these sorts of things, that means the conversations are happening and it’s only a matter of time. There was a very broad and diverse representation, a whole range of people that were interested in what else we could be doing. Psilocybin and MDMA, even though they’re both very different things, both of them have the ability to change your brain’s story line after one or two sessions, and for up to three months afterwards. That’s why the big pharmaceutical companies are less interested in it – because you’re signing someone up for one or two sessions and they’re changed. That's not what the pharmaceutical industry wants to hear.
What all this means is that the debate is changing. I hope we don't have to wait 10, 20 years of running with medicinal cannabis before we move to Adult Use cannabis. I don't think there should be a connection. It's two different conversations and it's two very different arguments. We’re seeing some draconian legislation being introduced over the next couple of weeks that will be another attempt at stopping criminal organisations from growing cannabis. 20 years jail hasn't stopped them, so why do you think 25 is going to?”
A memorable story your book detailed how the World Council of Churches international conference in Canberra in the early ‘90s was the busiest weekend that local brothel owners could ever recall. Are similar things are going on in relation to cannabis?
“I don’t think so. The hypocrisy around cannabis is not quite ‘do as I say, not as I do’, I think the hypocrisy around it is that they endorse one drug over another. They’ll say there’s nothing wrong with having a few bottles of Prosecco – I'm thinking of one particular politician here who doesn’t mind having a drink to excess – but cannabis users should be locked up. He believes in bringing back capital punishment for drug sellers. He also doesn't believe in climate change, because despite what the weather people are saying, ‘it’s not that hot’.”
It was 50 degrees in some states this month! A lot of the Christian far right, they’re pretty happy about climate change and the general global turmoil, as that means ‘The Rapture’ is coming.
“Exactly! And that's a terrible thing. They're all excited about climate change, it’s just more signs that God is coming. Which excuses them from any form of environmental protection because it doesn't matter. I mean we've got an evangelical Prime Minister who questions climate change, who believes that the end of the earth and God is nigh. We don't often put those two together but we should, more often.
There’s also the police in this. The police are really interesting and I think they're a multifaceted beast. We know that the age of people using drugs is most frequently between the age of 18 and 30, which is also the largest population of the police force. There is no evidence that the police force, those young officers, are not behaving in the same way as everybody else in the community. So there is recognition in the police force that the police use drugs. They've done their own internal surveying and focus groups, and the majority of police when asked ‘you've got a million dollars to deal with drug use in your community, what do you do?’, it's not ‘I would build a huge police station with more cells’, it’s ‘I would spend that on treatment, I would spend that on education’. Because they’re just like the rest of us – they see that simply arresting people is not helping. However, it would take a leap of faith from them.”
So to finish up then, what do you think the public can do to fan the flames of the debate around legalisation?
“Stay vocal and engaged. We need to keep the conversation going. It's about responding to anything you see in the media – just be active. There may be a good argument around saying that maybe people need to come out a bit more? Saying that they work every day, that they have a family who they love, that they have a very full life and that also includes the occasional joint or whatever it might be. Changing the face of the public perception of what a cannabis user looks like.”
Thank you Fiona – keep up the good work!
If you would like to learn more about Fiona Patten and her Reason Party, click here. We highly recommend her autobiography, 'Sex, Drugs and the Electoral Roll: My Unlikely Journey from Sex Worker to Member of Parliament'.
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How does gin make you feel?
Are we talking in general or right now?! That’ll get you two different answers! Gin, for me, is the spirit with the most room for creativity in the process. Both in making it and mixing, there’s more variety in the gin world than there is in vodka, rum and whiskey. Everything else is made to set definitions, whereas gin is a blank canvas for creativity.
How does cannabis make you feel?
Well if I had any right now I’d feel great! Cannabis for me is the miracle herb that I wonder every day about why we haven’t legalised it, regulated and taxed it here in Australia. I wonder why industries aren’t built off the back of hemp. I wonder why we have petrochem plastics, fibres and fuels when it can all be done with hemp. So, “fuck yeah cannabis” would be my response.
Do they go well together?
As we’re finding with The Canna Co, yes. One of the interesting things I’m finding is that cannabis is its own flavour, it's own botanical and it creates certain flavour profiles you’re not going to find with other botanicals and herbs. The one thing I can a day for The Canna Co is that your gin doesn’t taste like any other gin on my shelf, and that’s rare. It’s mainly the terpenes and the balanced use of the hemp inclusions that sell that for me. The closest comparison I have as a bartender to cannabis’ flavour profile is a white sage. We’re finding, and I only found this out this year when you showed me all this stuff, is that while raw cannabis and raw white sage are very similar in flavour profile, you do see a big difference in the final product in a gin, after it’s been through a still.
When you use gin in your drinks, how do you want people to feel?
This is not necessarily exclusive to gin, but I want people to smile. After they take a sip of whatever drink I give them. I use gin, and I’m a big gin guy, because it gives me an excellent way to create a flavour profile that I know that the customer standing in front of me, based on what they tell me, I can make them happy and create interesting different flavours they hadn’t had before, and in the wheelhouse of things that they’ve told me they’re going to enjoy. I find gin leaves the most room for creativity, and as a cocktail bartender that’s probably the most important thing. You’re standing at my bar and you’ve told me a list of four ingredients that you like, and I’m looking for complex flavours to make those four things into a full realised beverage. It’s all about getting the smile on peoples’ faces when they take that first sip.
What's your relationship with the cannabis plant?
I believe huge steps can be made for the environment, which is very important to me personally, essentially through the controlled cultivation of cannabis and primary industries that can benefit from that. Why are we using petrochem and growing cotton in Australia? The whole Murry-Darling fish deaths that are happening now, for example, when we have the perfect climate to cultivate cannabis. We have sunlight for days, huge open spaces, we’re very similar in our deserts in the centre to California and Nevada, which are perfect cannabis cultivation places, so why are we as a country and an economic power, not taking advantage of our opportunity to be more sustainable with our agriculture. We should replace cotton with hemp, and more generally we as a country should be aggressively pursuing this. The only answer I can come up with for why we’re not is our puritanical roots and conservative fear-mongering to stop what could be a miracle for human right now – we need it.
What's your earliest recollection of marijuana, weed, cannabis? Was it present in your local environment or more of a pop culture thing?
I could tell you a fun story but I think I’ll have to stay off the record on that one!
Who would you rather serve, a drunk or a stoner?
A stoner, any day of the week. I can actually make an excellent point about this; I managed nightclubs for seven years, big ones. I was that guy dealing with crisis’s, First Aid, security etc. I have never had a First Aid call for a stoner. I have never been assaulted or seen an assault from a marijuana-effected person. I cannot say that, categorically, for any other drug, including alcohol. I’ve been punched by a lot of drunk people. Stoners are harmless. If anything, they’re quite nice to be around. Speaking from direct experience, my personal opinion is that we should legalise marijuana and then do everything we can possibly do to eliminate meth-amphetamine. I’ve had countless genuinely terrifying interactions with people affected by methamphetamine or alcohol. I can’t say that for marijuana. It’s safe. It reduces peoples’ aggression which a) in the modern world and b) in the nightlife world, we need. We need a less aggressive environment. I’d love a future, and I see it happening in my lifetime – which makes me happy – where you can go out to a bar and have a joint, drink a great cocktail, everyone’s a little bit high and nobody’s fighting anybody. I think that’s a future we can achieve.
Tell me one thing you'd like to see a change in your industry?
I’d like to see us as professionals. It’s something I don’t see very much anymore – that dedication to the craft, people that go home and practice to try and get better in-and-of-themselves, it’s not just a job. For me this is a passion and I’d love to see more young bartenders putting in the effort, putting in the work to get better, and also not just for professional reasons but because it’s a genuinely enjoyable hobby. It’s a chance to be creative and I think a lot of people forget that because we do it as a job. I’d like to see more people flexing creatively within the drinks industry.
What's your future dream?
Two days off in a row! Hahaha, honestly my dream is the same as it always has been: to create things that I can be proud of and that other people can enjoy. As long as I’m doing that I’m living my dream, so… life is good!
You can check out Marc's work at https://www.instagram.com/endsandmeansfitzroy/
How does gin make you feel?
Gin makes me think of the story as much as it does flavour. I identify with the product that has a soul, and as the first spirit, I ever understood gin is something that can carry a significant amount of weight.
How does cannabis make you feel?
Cannabis isn't something that's been a large part of my life, but I know it well and endorse the benefits.
Do they go well together?
I never thought that the two would go well together until I understood the Myrcene ideology and gained a better knowledge of distillation. Now it seems like one of the best candidates for an aromatic, textured gin.
When you use gin in your drinks, how do you want people to feel?
When I use gin in my drinks, I want people to feel a connection to the story behind both the gin and the drink in front of them. Most times I try to tailor that drink to them at the moment, which means that both the gin and drink become theirs.
What's your relationship with the cannabis plant?
I don't really have a relationship to Cannabis, beyond a decent level of respect. I think it should be legal and can do a lot of good. After all, alcohol causes far more social issues than weed!
Who would you rather serve, a drunk or a stoner?
I don't really care who asks for a drink, but drunk or stoned both I wouldn't be able to serve them.
Tell me one thing you'd like to see the change in your industry?
I'd like to change the disconnect between hospitality as a career and something that enables us to hide our struggles behind personas, booze or drugs. Hospitality can be a messed up gig, and we all need support to get through that when it happens.
What's your future dream?
My future dream is to have or work a bar I've built, stocking and serving the interesting products of the world to guests that care to experience and learn about them. Having a distillery out back wouldn't be too bad, either.
Check out more of Alex's work at
https://www.instagram.com/alexgrumball/
How does gin make you feel?
Personally, it's not my preferred spirit as I'm more of a sweet tooth and gravitate towards Rums, in particular, Agricole. Though having said that, I really appreciate the versatility and complexity gin brings to cocktails.
How does cannabis make you feel?
In a state of Tranquillity and Serenity.
Do they go well together?
I believe it does. Cannabis is so intricate; there are quite a few strains and as I mentioned previously, Gin is complex that when combined, both provide layers of flavour.
When you use gin in your drinks, how do you want people to feel?
Like all my drinks, I hope people enjoy the layers that each drink has, from the smell to the texture and flavour profile. I want to confuse people by breaking the mould.
What's your relationship with the cannabis plant?
Haha, I personally don't have a strong relationship with it. It's like a lunar eclipse, it's rare but always a delightful experience.
What's your earliest recollection of marijuana, weed, cannabis? Was it present in your local environment or more of a pop culture thing?
I had an uncle that used to grow it in his backyard, right next to the chilli, parsley and mint. He used to make his own beef jerky and Chorizo. He'd pack and sell it to various stores around Melbourne, He was quite successful. The family couldn't get enough of that stuff. Now that I think of it, it all kinda makes sense now…
Is cannabis legalisation a good idea?
It's a proven medicine, It vexes me that it isn't legalised here in Australia. I believe it works wonders for people with chronic sickness and would be a huge help for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The biggest hurdle when doing chemo is the loss off appetite, Cannabis is something that could combat that issue.
Tell me one thing you'd like to see a change in your industry?
Sustainability. Everyone talks about it but very few venues make a change.
Also, the amount of food wastage that venues throw away is messed up. I don't understand why that food can't go to the less fortunate people struggling to make ends meet or the homeless. Appalling.
What's your future dream?
To have a successful cocktail bar, one that's unique to Melbourne and that's 100% self-sustainable.
You can check out Roy's work at https://www.instagram.com/royyroyyy/
How does gin make you feel?
I absolutely love gin! It’s my favourite base spirit for cocktails and mixed drinks because it’s so incredibly versatile, the options are endless. I’m just stoked it’s having a resurgence especially with all of the new Australian craft gins available.
Do they go well together?
It’s quite an interesting pairing, with the right pairing of botanicals I think it works very well as a modern gin.
When you use gin in your drinks, how do you want people to feel?
I want to be able to mould a gin to different palates and bring out different flavours and styles from a singular product. There are so many ways to drink gin, I love being able to show people that gin doesn’t always have to be dry and stiff.
What's your earliest recollection of marijuana, weed, cannabis? Was it present in your local environment or more of a pop culture thing?
I think my earliest recollection of marijuana would be from holidays, there were lots of hemp products from clothing to beauty products available in quite a few stores.
Is cannabis legalisation a good idea?
It’s definitely an issue that needs a lot of discussions, research and regulation.
Tell me one thing you'd like to see the change in your industry?
Changes are happening in our industry every day, it’s ever-evolving and I believe we are heading in a good direction.
What's your future dream?
I would really love to get all of my side projects off the ground and spend more time creating.
Check out more of Madeline's work at https://www.instagram.com/madelineloughran/
How does gin make you feel?
Gin is one of my favourite spirits, I really like to combine it with different ingredients and still experience its character. There are so many different kinds of gin, meaning that millions of combinations are possible – some dry, some more floral, others with more botanicals... Thousands of flavours from all over the world, alchemic history in the background, and lots of history in the mixologists’ worlds! Drinking it is an experience; different gins are perfect for different moments of the day (or life)! It’s just about finding the right combination of elements to make your drink a real experience.
How does cannabis make you feel?
Cannabis, even if prohibited in a lot of places, is a really interesting element of this world! People use fit to think more, or to think less! Some students use it to study more, hard workers use it to relax, people that have problems use it to avoid thinking about those problems. I can say that I’ve used it for all those reasons, in every different moment of my life. Sometimes to make me relaxed, sometimes to make me focus, others time to make me smile… and other times to just let me think about something else…!
Do they go well together?
Absolutely. I find in this gin a really interesting product, especially in mixology. Smooth and clear with herbal character.
When you use gin in your drinks, how do you want people to feel?
At the base of my job, I want people to feel happy, comfortable and as if someone is taking care of them! Somebody once said to me, “there are two different kinds of costumers – one of them had a good day and comes to you to make the good day longer. Others have had a bad day and come to you to forget. It doesn’t matter who you serve, the important thing is to make them feel better!”. Gin flavours are the perfect element for this.
What's your earliest recollection of marijuana, weed, cannabis? Was it present in your local environment or more of a pop culture thing?
Let’s just say that in my neighbourhood, everyone was smoking since we were 15. At the beginning, you do what everyone does. After that, when you grow up, you start to think about why you like it, how you feel it!
Is cannabis legalisation a good idea?
Absolutely yes! Could help the economy, could be bad for a criminal gang, make people feel safer about quality and make much more people walking around with a good smile on their face!
Who would you rather serve, a drunk or a stoner?
Neither! Alcohol and weed are amazing but you have to know how to use them and then go home!
Tell me one thing you'd like to see the change in your industry?
In the last few years, I see the industry change a lot. A lot more bartenders around, more events and new brands! This is great for us, as normal people start to enjoy cocktails and understand how flavours work.
What's your future dream?
I’ve spent the last decade all over the planet; I’d like to keep travelling as much as I can and see the world. After that? Open my own place, a place for everyone to feel at home – the traveller, the bartender and the common person alike.
Check out more of Lorenzo's work at https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo_payo/
How does gin make you feel?
Fresh. I love gin cos it’s a mood enhancer – drink it on a nice sunny day and you feel lovely
How does cannabis make you feel?
I love to smoke and draw. Having a joint at 2am and drawing for a few hours is my favourite way to spend my time when I’m not at the bar.
Do they go well together?
I think The Myrcene proves that they do 😉
When you use gin in your drinks, how do you want people to feel?
Relaxed but refreshed.
What's your relationship with the cannabis plant?
We’ve been friends since I was a teenager.
What's your earliest recollection of marijuana, weed, cannabis? Was it present in your local environment or more of a pop culture thing?
I remember cartoons in the ‘90s depicting it like an acid trip, very overly psychedelic visuals but I always just got a good creative buzz from it.
Is cannabis legalisation a good idea?
Absolutely. Legalisation and education are much healthier responses than demonisation and incarceration.
Who would you rather serve, a drunk or a stoner?
Stoner for sure.
Tell me one thing you'd like to see change in your industry?
Less of a culture of binge drinking.
What's your future dream?
Get paid enough for illustration to stop working behind the bar 😂
Check out Micah's incredible work at https://www.instagram.com/scrawnart/
How does gin make you feel?
Depends on why I’m drinking it! Gin reminds me of autumn going into winter, my way of coping with the weather cooling down and to stay warm! As my husband says it’s my Martini season and nothing to me is better than a well-balanced Martini, slightly dirty so that it plays with the flavours of gin.
How does cannabis make you feel?
Personally, socially or politically? I feel it has a very relevant place in today’s community and do believe that it is a more natural way of assisting yourself health-wise. At the end of the day though any type of smoking is bad for you, so it can be a love/hate relationship.
Do they go well together?
I believe they do, I enjoy the different floral effects from the cannabis which is unique. To have to opportunity to play with this product has been a dream. I feel it goes best with “Asian” inspired flavours.
When you use gin in your drinks, how do you want people to feel?
Again, depends on what mood they are in or for that matter what mood I’m in! Gin is so versatile that you can tell a story with your drink that can make them “feel” however you want. Generally I like to make things that confuse the palate “e.g. using molecular gastronomy to make fake olives out of brine” so they have to think a little. I like to make it so that the customer can make their own versions with commercially available ingredients to encourage them to explore what they like.
What's your relationship with the cannabis plant?
None, biologically. ;)
What's your earliest recollection of marijuana, weed, cannabis?
Laying on the roof of my best friend’s house, when I lived in the United States. We stuffed ourselves with vanilla cake and had many epiphanic conversations as I was moving country again and not sure when or if I’d see her again.
Was it present in your local environment or more of a pop culture thing?
I went to a public school in Eltham Victoria, so it was very present… I think one of our teachers got busted for using the horticulture green houses to grow his own crops however I could be wrong and just a school urban legend?!
Is cannabis legalisation a good idea?
I think it’s a good idea as long as it can be measured, controlled and correctly policed. Cannabis has been a part of history for ages, there have been studies showing the benefits however we are still in a stage where we cannot get measured results for the long term effects. This information is now coming through and we are getting an opportunity to study it more and understand it to use it for its best benefits.
Who would you rather serve, a drunk or a stoner?
Stoner for sure, less violent, hilarious and easy to please most of the time, but there are always exceptions to the rule. They can be annoying due to side effects like paranoia or being way to chatty but that can occur with anyone #shutitkaren
Tell me one thing you'd like to see change in your industry?
Just one thing? Stop freaking foraging on the side of the damn streets and putting it in your drinks. It’s not that I’m against foraging (I hunt deer and forage when I’m out bush), I’m just against foraging for commercial consumption in urban and suburban areas because the last thing you want is a lawsuit for giving them worms or worse!
What's your future dream?
For people to stop being so offended and hypocritical – my actual future dream is a secret, but you’ll find out about that later!
Get in touch with Dominique here.
Firstly, what do you guys do?
Sana Packaging designs and develops differentiated, sustainable, and compliant packaging solutions for the cannabis industry using 100% plant-based hemp plastic. We believe packaging should be regenerative and help heal the environment throughout its lifecycle. We’re also proud to be a “Made in the USA” company because we support domestic agriculture and domestic manufacturing.
Why is hemp a great option for packaging?
50% of plastic is made for disposable products, like packaging. This is unfortunate because most plastics are petroleum-based and can take up to 400 years to degrade. And even when they do degrade, petroleum-based plastics just break down to microplastics.
As far as bio-based plastics go, most bio-based plastics are made from corn. And while corn-based plastics are certainly better than petroleum-based plastics, it’s just one step in the right direction. We need to take another step in the right direction, and we believe hemp is an ideal feedstock for bio-based plastics.
With its rapid growth cycle, hardiness, and versatility, hemp provides maximum benefit with minimal impact on the environment. For instance: hemp requires about a third of the water corn does and none of the pesticides; hemp grows to maturity in around 80 days while corn takes upwards of 100 days; and hemp contains 15-20 precent more cellulose than corn.
Hemp also presents a superior carbon sequestration potential as 1 metric ton of hemp sequesters 1.5 metric tons of carbon. Furthermore, hemp does all this while remediating the soil so it's an ideal rotational crop.
Lastly, the US industry is growing over 30% per year and has the potential to reinvigorate stifled agricultural communities across the country.
Give us your two minute origin story – why, when, who, how, where?
Ron and I met in Colorado during our MBA program at CU-Boulder and Sana Packaging started as a project for a Sustainable Venturing class. Basically, we were frustrated cannabis consumers. We both had all this cannabis packaging waste piling up in our apartments and we knew there had to be a better way. We’ve been working on Sana Packaging for about two years now.
When we met in California back in June, we talked about how it’s likely to be at least three years before there is the demand and the infrastructure to produce pure hemp cellophane (which is needed for see-through wrappers). What do you think would expedite this process, if anything?
The federal legalization of hemp would probably speed things up in the US. This might happen as soon as 2019 if the 2018 Farm Bill passes in its current state. That said, we’re not holding our breath because, you know, US Congress…
Regardless, it’s not a matter of reinventing the wheel but it is a matter of adapting existing technology and processes to a new feedstock. This will take time and money in any scenario.
Can I ask what the average age of your team is? Our perspective is that despite all the shade that gets thrown at Millennials, this generation is stepping up with creativity and imagination to solve the problems which older generations haven’t been able to. Have you encountered other companies like Sana who you feel are also trying to make widespread systemic change?
Ron and I are both 29. That said, our team probably has a more even age distribution when you take into account our Advisory Board, Board of Directors, and all the other folks we work with to make Sana Packaging a reality.
And yeah, ageism sucks. I think the biggest difference between Millennials and older generations is that the negative impacts of climate change are no longer some far off thing that might not happen in our lifetime. It’s very real, it’s already happening, and the time to take action is now. We don’t have a moment to spare. This reality weighs on Millennials and Generation Z much more than on older generations.
Fortunately, there are a lot of people – both young and old – who are dedicating themselves to making a positive impact and protecting our planet for future generations. We were just at the VERGE Conference, which is put on by GreenBiz, and it was so inspiring to see so many people, startups, and corporations together discussing the principles of a circular economy and how to reach true circularity.
At the moment the whole “ban plastic straws” thing is really big. Here in Australia, there was recently a widespead initiative to “ban plastic bags” from supermarkets, which the main players have just done a U-turn on. A lot of this seems very minimal when considered in the context of the ecological challenges we’re facing over the next few decades. If you were elected President of Earth tomorrow, what are three waste-related changes you would bring in?
Plastic straw bans are a fascinating phenomenon. It’s true, plastic straws account for less than 0.03 precent of the 8 million metric tons of plastics that enter our oceans each year. That said, we think plastic straw bans are great because they’re shining a much-needed light on the greater problem of ocean plastics. Plastic straw bans and movements like National Geographic’s “Planet or Plastic?” campaign have made plastic waste front-page news and that’s great. Public education is the first step towards change.
Hmmm… If I were President of Earth I would do a lot of things haha. But as far as waste-related changes go, I would (i) ban the use of petroleum-based materials for single-use products, (ii) build up our global waste management infrastructure and make recycling and industrial composting mandatory, and (iii) declare ocean plastic a global crisis and make cleaning our oceans a global priority.
Things are moving very quickly on your side of the planet in relation to the cannabis space. What do you currently find most exciting, and what are your three big predictions for the next five years?
Cannabis is definitely an exciting space to be in. However, instead of making predictions how about I tell you what I hope to see in the industry’s future?
As legalization continues to spread, some people are quick to forget that at its core cannabis is a social and environmental justice movement. The people getting into cannabis to make a quick buck aren’t helping anyone. We can’t forget our roots in the “back to the land” movement of the 1970s and we can’t forget all the people and communities that suffered – and continue to suffer – because of our government’s “war on drugs.”
With that in mind, I hope to see a focus on (i) protecting small cannabis farmers, (ii) increasing sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, and (iii) making the industry more diverse and not excluding the communities that suffer – and continue to suffer – because of the “war on drugs.”
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Now that we’ve gotten to see a couple of issues, the parallels between your former gig at Kinfolk and your new initiative with Broccoli are starting to make sense – at least in terms of the broader aesthetic and general playfulness. However, what did people say when you first made it known that you were quitting one of the world’s most well-known and best-loved design bibles to produce a women’s magazine about weed!?
My career path in publishing definitely added a bit of novelty to our origin story, but it wasn’t surprising to anyone who knew me personally. While I did get to shape Kinfolk’s editorial evolution along with a really talented team and I’m proud of how far the magazine has come, it was never my magazine or full expression of who I am. My favourite articles for Kinfolk were some of the last ones I worked on, like a history piece on the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a profile on the late cellist Jacqueline du Pre, and a series of 1970’s photographs of cats with jobs. Ballet, cello and cats, those are some of my long-term interests expressed through those features, and honestly, they could have been published in Broccoli as well. Those stories originated from a very personal place for me. With Broccoli, we can be a lot weirder, and there’s a lot more flexibility to play with the design and editorial scope. Kinfolk had an established set of parameters that we worked within, and Broccoli is much more open and constantly evolving. We use a lot more colour, too!
Delving into the comments section of anything female-oriented online is a shitstorm [of male outrage]. Any socio-cultural endeavour which dares to make a case for women and non-binary people without concerning itself with what men think tends to suffer a hail of abuse from MRA and “not all men” types. Have you met with any of this nonsense due to Broccoli’s specifically female orientation?
I actually disagree, I find male-dominated spaces online to be much more vitriolic and abusive. Communities started by and centred around women tend to self-regulate in an interesting way because the trolls can’t egg each other on if they are alone. It’s true that I have had a few negative interactions with men who wanted to berate me for some reason or another, but it’s only been a handful of interactions. It barely registers compared to the tens of thousands of people who are supporting us on Instagram, reading the magazine, emailing us, coming to our events, etc. Eventually, maybe the trolls will find us, but they will be ignored.
I find it absolutely bananas that cannabis culture is only just starting to shrug off its “teenage boy” mentality. The parts of the marijuana plant of most interests to the widest amount of people are the female parts, while cannabis has a long history of helping with ailments that affect women only. Can you identify a point at which you started to realise that this plant had particular relevance in a “for women, by women” context, and how did you pursue it from there on?
Well, I’m a woman, and I’ve always enjoyed working with other women, with queer people, non-binary people, those are the communities that have always felt the most supportive and open to me. If I was starting an ice cream business, a shop, a photo agency, any kind of business, it would be coming from the same place of intention. The relationship that women have to cannabis is very broad, and very unique from person to person. Hearing personal stories from women in the industry when Broccoli was just getting started was really powerful and encouraging, and convinced me that a project like Broccoli would actually make a difference for some people. Women really wanted it to exist, and to be involved. I didn’t want to start the business if it was entirely self-serving as a creative outlet, it had to be bigger than that.
I’m sure it was no surprise to your closer confidants that you were willing to put your name to cannabis culture publicly, but did you have any worries about negative effects it may have on your family, career, opportunities, etc? Has that happened?
I grew up in British Columbia, Canada, so cannabis was often present even if it was on the sidelines, everyone has heard of “BC bud”, it’s just part of west coast culture. I didn’t touch it until I was 19, and my family has been really supportive of Broccoli. I was a little embarrassed when my mom recently saw a photo of me smoking weed that we shot for an interview, I’ve never smoked in front of her, but she doesn’t care at all. She gives copies of Broccoli to my grandma. Obviously, I’m coming from a place of privilege, and my experience is not reflective of the hugely diverse perspectives that we share in the magazine. One of the most amazing things about Broccoli has been the way it has opened up connections to people all over the world who want to share their cannabis stories, and we get to see the things we have in common while giving space to all of our differences. We’re always very cautious of how comfortable people are with sharing these stories publicly, some people have used an alias in the magazine because they know it could threaten their careers or personal safety. It’s not always an option for someone to be open about cannabis use, and it’s important to respect that.
What are your earliest memories of cannabis? Not necessarily smoking or getting high, but anything to do with the cannabis plant?
Growing up on the west coast, it’s always vaguely present. I remember in elementary school finding out that my friend’s parents smoked weed, and we were all really judgmental and maybe a bit scared for her. Pretty ridiculous, but we had no idea what cannabis was other than it being a “drug”. I also remember digging around in our cupboard at a young age and smelling a big jar of dried tea leaves, and I believed it was tea, but recently I smelled a jar of very old weed and it triggered that scent-based memory, so it was probably my parents’ weed.
When did you first actually try it and what was the first time like?
My first time was around 19, I had just moved away from home to Vancouver and was watching a movie with my new housemates. They had a joint and offered it to me, and I tried to play it cool even though it was my first time. I remember one of my best friends trying weed at a party a year or so earlier, and she had a terrible time, so I just didn’t see the appeal. I think I needed the right environment, something calm and easy, not a big chaotic teen drinking party.
How do you tend to utilise cannabis these days?
My favourite product is the Quill, a low-dose vape pen that uses pure cannabis extract, so there’s nothing artificial in it. It’s straightforward to regulate how much THC you get, and it never, ever makes me feel too high. I’ve recently come to accept that cannabis tends to accentuate how I’m feeling, so I’m more thoughtful about how I use it. When I’m stressed, it’s usually not a good choice, but when I feel good, it can make me feel even better. Cannabis really asks you to be honest with yourself, to respect your boundaries, and to be flexible and willing to learn from your experiences.
The market in the United States is beyond anything I ever imagined regarding strains, edibles, tinctures and suchlike. It seems to be growing in acceptance throughout broader society almost on a daily basis. Have you had any surprising encounters regarding unexpected people you’ve met who are similar aficionados of the Tree of Life?
The biggest surprise for me has been tapping into a global community, beyond our legal markets in the US. We’re shipping the magazine to over 40 countries, including some you might not expect, like Latvia for example. We’ve connected with a family there who runs a hemp farm; they’re called Obelisk Farm. How cool is that? Cannabis is such a powerful connector, and I’m so grateful to be part of this vast and fascinating network.
Whereas High Times has been around for close on half a century now, we’re starting to see a lot more magazines (of varying quality) appear in the cannabis space. Do you reckon there’s a broader market for more publications about cannabis, specifically those orientated towards women? How about more extensive media, beyond print?
We’re definitely in a bit of a cannabis magazine boom right now, but I don’t think they will all last. Running a magazine and making it into a profitable company is really, really challenging. Vice has done a lot digitally with weed for a long time, and they just released a cookbook from their Munchies platform. There are a couple of digital content platforms out there that focus on cannabis, and some do highlight a female audience, but it takes a lot of money and resources to sustain that kind of content schedule. I think we’re going to see more and more people going offline, I feel right about the future of new print media, and I’m excited to see people connecting more in person. Even in legal markets, there are many restrictions on where you can consume weed as a group (it’s illegal to do it anywhere but a private residence or privately-owned space), but I think those laws will soften over time.
In 2015, women held 36% of executive level positions in the cannabis industry (according to a survey conducted by Marijuana Business Daily). By 2017, that number had fallen to 27% (which is at least still higher than the national average for the United States, in which women hold just 23% of executive-level positions). Firstly, do these figures accurately represent what you see “on the ground”? Secondly, do you feel this situation can be improved, and how so? Thirdly, here in Australia, the cannabis industry is still in a fledgling state – do you have any advice for women who want to enter the industry on their terms, to create it in their own image?
I’ve had a hard time reconciling with these stats, and seeing that the industry is just as male-dominated as any other while also championing the story of “women in weed”. Venture capital firms and big investors primarily power the industry, and they’re pretty much all run by white men. Women in cannabis have a huge voice, but we don’t always have the financial resources. However, it’s the only industry where I see people constantly demanding transparency from the companies they support, and it’s women who are leading those conversations. It’s women who are organising rallies, events, and organisations that support socially-driven causes within cannabis, who support minority-owned businesses, and who are creating the cannabis community. There’s a powerful movement happening, and it’s being led by women. I don’t know how it will evolve, but we are working towards something useful.
Finally, if you could smoke out anyone in history, who would it be?
My best friends. There’s nothing better than getting stoned and laughing until your belly hurts with the people that you love the most.
Thank you, Anja, for the insight!
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