Vancouver Forum Invites Citizens Into the Discussion Around the Future of Fully Legalized Marijuana in Canada


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 10, 2015) - During his campaign, newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to legalize cannabis, a bold move that would make Canada the first G7 country to do so at the federal level. However, the path to legalization is unclear and Mr. Trudeau has been short on details. Many questions exist: How long will it take? What will the role of the provinces be? Should cities like Vancouver and Victoria move ahead with regulating dispensaries or wait for guidance from the federal government? Will home production be allowed? What happens to the existing medical marijuana program? How will access for patients be protected in a full adult-use market?

The Lift Cannabis Forum (November 12 at UBC Robson Square) provides an opportunity for healthcare professionals, industry experts, patients, and the general public to come together to explore these questions and not only discuss the future of cannabis access and regulation in Canada, but to help shape it.

The forum panellists represent various industry stakeholders and include Dr. Dave Hepburn, physician, author and radio host; Rielle Capler, PhD candidate, researcher and advisor; Andrew Livingston, policy analyst at Vicente Sederberg in Colorado who helped craft the laws for regulated recreational cannabis sales in that state; Theresa Kozak, a manager with Health Canada-licensed producer, Tweed; and Chris Stone, Quality Assurance Manager at Health Canada-licensed producer, Broken Coast.

Up until now, discussions have focussed primarily on aspects of medical cannabis regulation and research in Canada. In the wake of the recent election, stakeholders are keen to expand the conversation outwards to look at what a federally-regulated 'adult/recreational' system can look like, and how it relates to current examples in the US and around the world. Panellist Andrew Livingston helped craft the Colorado regulations, and has cautioned that the road ahead may be a bumpy one if Canadian policymakers don't learn from their southern counterparts' experiences.

The Lift Cannabis Forum is an opportunity for anyone interested in cannabis as a medicine and as an industry to take part in an open conversation about the current state of legal medical cannabis and where things are heading in the future.

For tickets and other information, please visit http://forum.liftcannabis.ca

About Lift:

Lift is a Vancouver-based patient services provider that makes exploring, purchasing, and consuming medical marijuana easier for Canadians. www.liftcannabis.ca

Contact Information:

Lift Cannabis - Media contact:
David Brown
Director of Communications
1-800-681-1593
david@liftcannabis.com
www.liftcannabis.ca