Find out what RSO is and whether you should try it. Learn how to make your own cannabis oil with our guide on how to make Rick Simpson Oil at home.

Rick Simpson Oil Guide

In this guide, we'll teach you everything you need to know about edibles. From the different types of edibles to dosage and effects, we've got you covered!

Complete Edible Dosage Guide

<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/56ced1e54941a6ca4f866a90b24994ca.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" />
Travis Petersen, also known as The Nomad Chef, is a Canadian-based chef from Vancouver, specializing in cannabis-infused meals ranging from bison ribeyes to cannolis. Travis Petersen takes cannabis-infused cooking to a whole new level.&nbsp;
Leafythings had the pleasure of attending The Nomad Chef&rsquo;s pop-up dinner at the High Garden restaurant in New York. We arrived early and were welcomed by live music, greenery, and beautiful flowers everywhere. We began connecting with the other members of the dinner party. There were&nbsp; 42 people from all across the states, from Denver to Washington, with different levels of experience (or no experience) with cannabis consumption. We were all asked by the Chef&rsquo;s assistants about our tolerance for consuming cannabis on a scale from 1-5. A couple from Denver said 5-out-of-5, whereas a lady from Washington said 1-out-of-5 as it was her first experience.
As the evening rolled on, food was being served. The best part was the duck. It was deliciously seasoned and infused! While we were waiting for the next entrees, we were encouraged to smoke a joint and engage in conversation, which we all of course did. The night ended with delicious infused ice cream and another joint. This was an experience that we will never forget.
Once the dinner was complete, Leafythings had the honour of interviewing Travis about his journey, the release of his new cookbook, and his experience hosting a pop-up dinner at the High Garden restaurant in New York.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s how the interview went:&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>
<h1> How does working with a brand like Leafythings align with your mission and infused culinary dining?&nbsp;</h1>
</li>
</ol>
My mission is to have culinary cannabis seen as a Canadian Cuisine, so getting to work with a brand like Leafythings, you know, being a Canadian-born company. I think we have a lot of the same values, the same beliefs when it comes to cannabis and its accessibility. And you know how it can be used, you know, kind of everyday life. That's beyond faux pas, preconceived notions of what people who use cannabis are.
&nbsp;
<ol start="2">
<li> What prompted you to start cooking with Cannabis?</li>
</ol>
I was always a cannabis user, and in 2018, Chef Chris Sole, also known as The Herbal Chef, came to Canada and made a pop-up dinner for about six-seven months before legalization and was put on the front page of the paper, seeing that just kind of inspired me because I felt, you know, a Canadian should have been doing that first in Canada and, you know, seeing him do it, six months before legalization and getting the notoriety through the press and the public and seeing how accepted it was. So I decided I would do one too. I didn't want to be called the Cannabis Chef. It was only going to be one or two dinners, to begin with, but very quickly, I realized, you know, I found my calling and what I was meant to be doing.
&nbsp;<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/e29f9a96ad45efb8221899a6cacc3c37.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" />
<ol start="3">
<li>
<h1> Where would you like to see the infused dining experience go?</h1>
</li>
</ol>
I'd like to see it go overseas into Europe and Asia. As conceptions around cannabis and the culture around cannabis is continuing to change to become more accepted. I would hope we will be able to bring this to more places, eventually, and seeing this within restaurants and having tourism really take advantage of the opportunities cannabis could offer.
&nbsp;
<ol start="4">
<li>
<h1> What separates your cookbook from other books related to infused cooking?</h1>
</li>
</ol>
More specifically, my book focused on someone who really wanted to take this seriously or who really wanted to do it safely. This got a very culinary, first approach to it, building some best practices and fundamentals to ensure that you're taking the proper steps and using the right equipment. You know, making sure that you understand all the details of your cannabis. Regarding what the THC and CBD percentages are, what the terpene profiles are. Having all that information at your fingertips can set you up to succeed.
&nbsp;<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/8f657312d58143a81cac5891280aec9e.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" />
<ol start="5">
<li>
<h1> Leafythings is super excited to participate in your Las Vegas event for MJ BIZ Con next month. So what can people expect from that experience?</h1>
</li>
</ol>
Yeah, I'm super excited for MJ Biz and what we've got going on in Vegas. We're going to be hosting in the Palms Penthouse. We&rsquo;ll be having breakfast in the morning around lunchtime for about 4 hours. We&rsquo;ll have a laid-back atmosphere, where we serve up fresh pizzas and our take on Chinese take-out food. So, it's not a seated plated lunch but more of an opportunity to come back, consume some cannabis, eat good food, play pool, and just enjoy yourself. Then that night, we'll be doing a nomadic night's dinner. And what's really exciting in Vegas is we've got a dab bar set up by City Trees, a cannabis company based out of Nevada, and we're going to have a magician come in. So before the dinner, we've got a 30-minute magic show and dab bar for our guests to sit and enjoy, get their imaginations running wild, and then bring them in for dinner.
<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/0e79a9f14de490f52d897f6e3f55a415.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" /> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/85c3f236f8e957954240d9bd556c1a0b.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="267" />
<ol start="6">
<li>
<h1> Do you have any funny or interesting stories about an experience at one of the dinners that you can share?</h1>
</li>
</ol>
Yeah, I still think, you know, I didn't want to be called a Cannabis Chef because when I started doing this, I was buying into many preconceived notions; I thought this would be something for young people, 20-year-old males. It would be a bit of a fad because cannabis is becoming legal, so it had this sort of new look at it, but you know, one of the first groups that I had, there was a wide range of different demographics from ethnicities, age, and gender. People from all walks of life sat at a table together, having nothing in common except this plant, which opened up conversations. It was a really inspiring moment because it was my aha moment, like, yeah, this is what I wanted to do.
&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 7. And the last question, what's in store for you in 2023?
Oh man, 2023 will be a big year for The Nomad Chef. Outside of travelling all over the US and hosting these dinners. My goal is to get a certification program up online so people can come and take a course and get safety responsibilities and knowledge around cooking with cannabis so they can feel confident and find ways to incorporate it themselves.
&nbsp;
<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/849b3506f353a937e8998a6da607f2bc.jpg?1668096776596" width="400" /> <img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/12635b88a238190d87395bad696b28b5.jpg?1668096793933" width="400" />

Leafythings sits down with Travis Petersen, also known as 'The Nomad Chef', a Canadian-based chef who specializes in cannabis-infused meals.

Leafythings Interviews: Travis Petersen 'The Nomad Chef'

There are plenty of weed stores, dispensaries, and same day <a style="color: #169179;" href="Get your cannabis delivered in Toronto ">weed delivery options in Toronto</a>, On. You can find cannabis stores, mail order, and delivery services in Toronto on <a style="color: #169179;" href="https://www.leafythings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leafythings</a>. You can browse menus of hundreds of Canadian cannabis brands on the platform to find the best weed deals and fastest mail-order and weed delivery options that are close to you.&nbsp;
Whether you&rsquo;re shopping for premium AAAA Kush, or more budget-friendly AA buds, there&rsquo;s a plethora of options for buying weed in Toronto.&nbsp;
Related blog post: <a href="https://www.leafythings.com/blog/where-can-i-get-free-weed-in-canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Where to get Free Weed in Canada&nbsp;</a>
<h2 class="p3"><a style="color: #169179;" href="https://dank-delivery.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dank Delivery</a></h2>
If you&rsquo;ve ever found yourself asking &ldquo;Where can I find the best quality weed in Toronto?&rdquo; than Dank Delivery is your answer.
Not only does Dank Delivery offer some of the best quality edibles in Toronto, they also sell a wide variety of cannabis strains. From <a style="color: #169179;" href="https://dank-delivery.co/product-category/flower/99-or-less-ounces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AA-Grade $99 ounces of flowers like Girl Scout Cookies and Lemon Kush</a>, to the infamous <a style="color: #169179;" href="https://dank-delivery.co/product/jack-herer-15-g/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jack Herer AAAAA-Grade bud for $300/ ounce (or $15/ gram).</a>
Dank Delivery caters to every price point, and they always pull through with quick and discreet mail-order deliveries.
Save 15% site wide on <a style="color: #169179;" href="http://dankdelivery.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dankdelivery.com</a> with the code leafy15.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://dank-delivery.co/99-ounces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://leafyimages.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/storage/images/blog/articles/3dc3e13f17a25509910325b3f26b0b12.jpeg?1591295632653" width="500" /></a>
&nbsp;
<h2 class="p3"><a style="color: #169179;" href="https://highrollas.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Highrollas</a></h2>
Highrollas is an online weed store in Toronto that&rsquo;s most know for <a href="https://highrollas.com/product-category/prerolls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their epic pre-rolls</a>, but they sell a ton of cannabis products, like concentrates and flower. &nbsp;
Highrollas sells and delivers budget-friendly A-Grade ounces of bud, like the <a style="color: #169179;" href="https://highrollas.com/product/red-headed-stranger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Headed Stranger strain, for $99.</a> You can also find several AAA-Grade weed delivery options in Toronto <a style="color: #169179;" href="https://highrollas.com/product/red-headed-stranger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on their website</a>, like their Strawberry Kush and Violator Kush. &nbsp;
If you spend more than $138 on Highrollas website, you don&rsquo;t have to pay for shipping. And the best part is it only takes 2-3 days to ship!
&nbsp;
<h3 class="p2"><a href="https://highrollas.com/product-category/prerolls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://leafyimages.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/storage/images/blog/articles/dd153914740f69313e9c4800eb8e20c3.jpeg?1591295288953" width="500" /></a></h3>
&nbsp;
<h2 class="p5"><a style="color: #169179;" href="https://thccollection.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THC Collection</a></h2>
THC Collection is an authorized cannabis online dispensary in Toronto that sells everything from concentrates, to edibles, to flower.
THC Collection recently listed a AAAAA-Grade hybrid, indica dominant strain for sale on their website: <a style="color: #169179;" href="%20https://thccollection.com/shop/buds/island-pink-aaaaa-brand-new-premium-strain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Island Pink Kush</a>
With THC levels of 25%, Island Pink Kush is for cannabis users with a higher tolerance. If you really want to be knocked off your feet, you need to try their <a style="color: #169179;" href="https://thccollection.com/product-category/medical-grade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">medical grade shatter and resin.</a>
Related blog post:&nbsp;
THC Collection is all about quality bud, so if you prefer hard-hitting strains delivered right to your door,<a style="color: #169179;" href="https://thccollection.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THC Collection&rsquo;s website</a> should be bookmarked on your computer.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://thccollection.com/shop/buds/island-pink-aaaaa-brand-new-premium-strain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://leafyimages.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/storage/images/blog/articles/83912ca8aacc98d14ca5a1b1b119ea45.jpeg?1591295484759" width="500" /></a>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Whether you’re shopping for premium AAAAA Kush, or more budget-friendly AA buds, there’s a plethora of options for buying weed in Toronto. These are our top 3.

Where to buy Weed in Toronto | Grades A-AAAAA

Looking to understand the differences between Indica and Sativa strains? Click here to learn more directly from Leafything's experts.

Indica vs Sativa: What You Need To Know About The Different Weed Strains

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As a thought leader in the cannabis industry, Leafythings is always keeping an eye out for pioneers in the field that leave an imprint on society which extends beyond simply selling product. In the world of alcohol, for example, the Molson Coors Company has implemented several community initiatives, including a canned water distribution program, hand sanitizer deliveries to first responders during the pandemic and millions of meals to food banks during previous holiday seasons. It is impressive to see a large, successful company such as Molson Coors making a positive impact in the community. So, what about the cannabis industry? Is there any company out there facilitating community growth and development, and is as interested in giving back to society the way Molson Coors does?&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Perhaps not at the magnitude of the alcohol conglomerate, but yes, there is &ndash; right here in Toronto. <a href="https://www.leafythings.com/marijuana-dispensary/on/toronto-west/cafe-104-harbord">CAFE</a>, also known as Cannabis and Fine Edibles, prides itself on its high-quality cannabis products, eclectic coffee and infused beverages and more. Indeed, <a href="https://www.iamcafe.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAFE is more than just a dispensary in Toronto</a>. The company prides itself on corporate and social responsibility, as is evident in the various outreach efforts they have been spearheading throughout the city over the last 6 years. CAFE caught the attention of Leafythings last weekend, when they organized a Turkey Giveaway in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. Realizing that so many people in Toronto&rsquo;s various communities simply do not have access to the luxuries of holiday meals, CAFE distributed over 800 turkeys in the Corso Italia, Bloor West, Harbord Village and Fort York CityPlace neighbourhoods on Saturday, October 8th, 2022. A Leafythings representative went to check the scene out at one of the giveaway locations, and was in awe at the number of people waiting in line to receive a turkey to prepare their Thanksgiving meal with. It was a real eye opener, not just with regards to Toronto&rsquo;s food insecurity and accessibility issues, but also to the generosity of one company. The enthusiastic staff, the appreciative community members and the overall jovial atmosphere was the pick-me-up the city needed as the warm days of summer recede and we head into colder weather.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;CAFE also regularly participates in food drives and toy drives around the holidays. Leafythings also learned that CAFE recently volunteered at the Fort York Terry Fox Run, handing out free beverages to all participants and supporters. CAFE also conducts multiple community cleanup efforts throughout the year, picking up garbage in the neighbourhoods surrounding their store locations. All of these efforts are impressive, not just because they are amazing causes, but because this is the first we have seen of this type of philanthropic initiative within the cannabis industry. This consistent effort towards community welfare is what seems to set this company apart from other dispensaries. Hopefully, these actions inspire other business owners to create positive change, and we begin to see charitable ventures, local outreach and community advocacy become the norm in a cannabis company&rsquo;s modus operandi. Until then, CAFE has definitely made its mark when it comes to responding to community needs - and we here at Leafythings are proud to support them.
&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp;<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/40d54b27f082e06acaaaa311e9df23bb.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="800" />&nbsp;

CAFE has definitely made its mark when it comes to responding to community needs - and we here at Leafythings are proud to support them.

Community Focused: CAFE Gives Back

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;October 17th is a date we&rsquo;ll never forget!&nbsp; It&rsquo;s the day cannabis became legal in Canada! Since that day, people have seemed friendlier and more relaxed!&nbsp; Of course, we&rsquo;re only joking.&nbsp; However, October 17th was an exciting date for cannabis pioneers and consumers alike.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Leafythings celebrated the 4th anniversary of legalization by handing out free cannabis products to the people who&rsquo;d appreciate it the most - cannabis consumers! Leafythings travelled around Downtown Toronto to hand out those freebies from brands like Aurora, Shred, Good Supply, Wana, Eve, Daily Special, Edison, Fireside, and more!&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Leafythings made sure to educate the people of Toronto on these (free) products regarding strains, THC percentages, and consumption methods.&nbsp; Whether it was dried flower, a vape, edibles, or concentrates, the consumers still wanted to receive the right product for their needs.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Leafythings travelled in the infamous #LeafyVan through hot spots in Toronto, including the University of Toronto Campus, Kensington Market, Yonge and Dundas, the CN Tower and the Scotiabank Arena, where the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing a game.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;October 17th was celebrated the right way, with free cannabis products in the hands of cannabis consumers. Leafythings once again created unforgettable memories. &ldquo;Best day ever!&rdquo;, &ldquo;This is my first time in Toronto, and I love it!&rdquo; said some of the consumers.
<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/4a30f8b5ce6162c68488355a200811b7.jpg?1666195800350" width="800" />
Watch as Leafythings celebrates Legalization using the link below
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzWqxaUvhLM">&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzWqxaUvhLM</a>

Leafythings celebrates Legalization in Downtown Toronto visiting hot-spots such as he University of Toronto Campus, Kensington Market, Yonge and Dundas, the CN Tower and the Scotiabank Arena! Leafythings was handing out freebies from brands like Aurora, Shred, Good Supply, Wana, Eve, Daily Special, Edison, Fireside, and more! 

Leafythings Celebrates Legalization

UPDATE &ndash; Ontario Cannabis Store Retail Store Closure Support Program.
Leafythings Canada is pleased to announce the early success of its retail store closure support program. Helping struggling store owners maintain integrity during a difficult time, while at the same time ensuring the safe and responsible sale of cannabis has been our top priority. To date Leafythings has assisted with the closure of four retail store operations within Ontario, while at the same time repurposing and sharing these products in our experiential give-aways. Getting great regulated cannabis products to great cannabis consumers has been an amazing experience. We have been able to share and give away cannabis to consenting adults as per the guidelines of the cannabis control act. Retailers who enter the program must follow the stringent retail sales limits per person, as per the Cannabis Control Act. We have assembled an intra-provincial task force whose job it is to wind down a retail store&rsquo;s inventory through compliant purchases at the point-of-sale system to ensure the integrity of the retailer&rsquo;s space.
Leafything&rsquo;s participating Licensed Producers and regulated brands have really latched on to the incredible opportunity that this program has enabled, to be able to reach out to the consumer in an unconventional way. When LP&rsquo;s and brands heard that we could execute this program in a compliant manner, they were excited. All of the entrepreneurs who have participated in the program were extremely thankful that at the end of the day, these great products were going to get to the consumer which is why they entered the cannabis industry in the first place.
We look forward to working with our partners, retailers and government to create a safe and responsible cannabis industry that we can be proud of

Updated - Leafythings launches Retailer Support Program to help struggling Ontario Cannabis Store businesses.

Updated - Leafythings launches Retailer Support Program

TORONTO,&nbsp;Sept. 22, 2022&nbsp;/CNW/ - Unfortunately due to the rise of cannabis store closures on the horizon in the&nbsp;Ontario&nbsp;cannabis marketplace, Leafythings has discovered the lack of an efficient orderly closure program existing for struggling retailers and is proposing a retailer support program
<img src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/c8ac22bb81f62fbf750037fce9fd389e.webp" width="355" height="237" />
Leafythings engaged with Canadian cannabis consumers to hear their testimonials on the issues with Cannabis legalization (CNW Group/Leafythings Canada)
"I was competing directly with the OCS with absolutely no ability to differentiate myself or market myself."
Leafythings discovered that the wind-down process for an authorized retailer takes approximately two months. This delay is due to the inventory requirements retailers must execute to maintain their accountability. For retailer store owners, this process is deepening the losses for owners with an additional two more months of rent, two more months of insurance and two more months of labour and other overhead costs.
In the case of Lagoo Cannabis that was already in default by one month, the current regulations are illogical and increase the losses of store owners.
"The math just didn't make sense any longer," said&nbsp;Levon Kostanyan, owner and operator of Lagoo Cannabis. "I understand when the legislation was designed, it wasn't designed to accommodate a failing retailer, but this was more than a failure. I simply didn't have a partner in the industry."
"It wasn't the unregulated market that made my business fail, it was my&nbsp;$2,000&nbsp;-&nbsp;$3,000&nbsp;orders that came with a&nbsp;$200&nbsp;delivery fee. Multiple times per month. It was the aggravations due to interruptions in the supply chain and ordering process. It's not the roughly&nbsp;$10,000&nbsp;it is going to cost me to renew my retail store authorization every two years. Quite frankly, the OCS sells the products they sell to me for cheaper than I can sell them to my customers."
"I understand the argument that the liquor store sells a bottle of liquor for&nbsp;$40&nbsp;and the bar or restaurant sells it for&nbsp;$240, but the difference is that the bar and restaurant can create an experience. They can glamourize, they can sensationalize, and they can promote a lifestyle. To be honest, I have to have a storefront that is opaque or has no line of site to a minor. The entire experience I wanted to create in my store was sterilized, from the packaging of the products to the energy of the store. I was competing directly with the OCS with absolutely no ability to differentiate myself or market myself."
"From the beginning the application process took me eight months. I paid and rent and insurance for 8 months. I still cannot open a tier one Canadian bank to process my sales. I have to use a Credit Union that charges me&nbsp;$700&nbsp;per month just for access to a basic account."
"We clearly saw a problem brewing," said&nbsp;Jeffrey Neil, Leafything's Director of Community Engagement. "I just knew we could find a solution to help all key stakeholders. Leafythings will begin its Retail Cannabis Store Support Program by buying all available inventory from stores who wish to wind down in a timely fashion. Store owners we have spoken to have literally cried and were so thankful that we could help them in this way."
"Being a technology platform and experiential exhibitor, this also provides us the ability to get great Canadian cannabis products to the consumer. We will be sharing and gifting these products at all of our events and exhibitions."
Leafythings most recently secured a private investment of&nbsp;$8 million&nbsp;to assist with acquisitions and experiential programs.
"I was extremely thankful for their assistance," said Levon. "Leafythings has acted like a partner for me. Sometimes my leads came from the Leafythings mobile platform. It has been quite a journey. I think I expected the cannabis industry to work like all other industries and I was wrong. I do hope that the regulated and unregulated markets eventually make their way to a retailer's shelf, so an operator would be able to offer a more tailored, curated experience, providing a more comprehensive product selection that has some familiarity."
Ontario Cannabis Retailers who may be struggling are encouraged to reach out to&nbsp;<a class="link " href="mailto:supportprogram@leafythings.com" rel="nofollow" data-ylk="slk:supportprogram@leafythings.com" data-rapid_p="8" data-v9y="1">supportprogram@leafythings.com</a>&nbsp;to see if they may be eligible for the Leafythings Retail Store Closure Support Program.
Leafythings is empowered by a mission to help bridge the gap between consumers and businesses while supporting public health initiatives. Leafythings helps consumers find and access quality cannabis products in&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;through highly localized strategies and public education in efforts to collaboratively shatter social equity barriers in the market and improve public perception of the industry.
About Leafythings: Since 2019, Leafythings has taken a cannabis consumer centric approach to helping Canadians find affordable and quality cannabis anywhere in&nbsp;Canada. Leafythings operates as a web platform, mobile application, and advertising medium. Through a series of event partnerships, advertising initiative, and grassroots marketing programs, Leafythings has developed the largest cannabis consumer database in&nbsp;Canada.
Leafythings is actively working with brands and retailers through partnerships and social initiatives to help drive industry credibility and reinforce the trust between consumers and their cannabis. Leafythings is committed to working with organizations, brands, retailers, and public health officials to create a better cannabis industry.
To read more about Leafythings, head to&nbsp;<a class="link " href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3656974-1&amp;h=2975848455&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leafythings.com%2F&amp;a=www.Leafythings.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-ylk="slk:www.Leafythings.com" data-rapid_p="9" data-v9y="1">www.leafythings.com</a>
<h5>Sourced From:</h5>
<a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/leafythings-launches-retailer-support-program-204300376.html">https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/leafythings-launches-retailer-support-program-204300376.html</a>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Unfortunately due to the rise of cannabis store closures on the horizon in the Ontario cannabis marketplace, Leafythings has discovered the lack of an efficient orderly closure program existing for struggling retailers and is proposing a retailer support program.

Leafythings launches Retailer Support Program to help struggling Ontario Cannabis Store businesses.

Nearly four years after cannabis was legalized in Canada, the federal government will finally announce its plans Thursday for a long-overdue review of the country&rsquo;s Cannabis Act.
The legislative review was supposed to take place nearly 12 months ago, and calls for reform are echoing from coast to coast to coast.
According to Health Canada, &ldquo;the legislative review must study the impact of the Act on public health. In particular, it must look at the impact on the health and consumption habits of young persons with respect to cannabis.&rdquo;
With so many unlicensed weed providers operating store fronts across the country as well as online, some industry leaders are telling the government that the health and well-being of consumers is being put at risk.
When weed was legalized across Canada in October 2018, it sparked a "green rush," but fears are now mounting that parts of Canada&rsquo;s cannabis industry could go up in smoke.
CTV National News spoke with the former CEO of cannabis behemoth Canopy Growth, the president of the Cannabis Council of Canada, and a brand partnerships expert who currently works for a company that is connecting consumers with black market products.
While nearly everyone working in the marijuana game agrees that wholesale changes are needed, finding a consensus on how to move forward remains elusive.
Industry complaints range from sky-high taxes, government overreach and advertising restrictions to the proliferation of the black market.
Leafythings, an online cannabis directory, was recently given the &ldquo;best innovative technology&rdquo; award at a national industry gala, though their big win turned heads mainly because the products they offer online come from both licenced companies and unregulated retailers &ndash; which lawmakers still point to as illegal.
Nima Derak, the company&rsquo;s director of brand partnerships, characterizes those in the black market as &ldquo;independent operators that are looking to enter the market -- most of these people want to enter the (legal) market but because of the government&rsquo;s financial barriers they&rsquo;re really struggling to.&rdquo;
In major urban areas across the country, regulated pot shop owners are sounding the alarm, claiming that provincial governments are handing out too many retail licenses, resulting in city streets becoming saturated with stores. Look no further than Toronto, which now has more weed stores than Tim Hortons locations.
&ldquo;A lot of these mom and pop businesses are going to go bankrupt, they&rsquo;re going to lose their life savings,&rdquo; adds Derak, though many legal, regulated cannabis store owners are pointing to the black market as a big part of the problem.
George Smitherman, the president of the Cannabis Council of Canada, believes that &ldquo;the playing field is nowhere near level. There's illegal retail store fronts, there&rsquo;s also considerable illegal delivery services which are also largely ignored (by the authorities).&rdquo;
A report commissioned by the Cannabis Council of Canada notes that in Ontario, each gram of weed is taxed more than 27 per cent collectively by the provincial and federal governments. An additional markup of nearly 19 per cent is then applied by the Ontario government - that's all before a product arrives on the market for sale. &ldquo;No other sector could deal with a tax bite that's like that,&rdquo; claims Smitherman.
Meanwhile the black market is operating without paying a dime in taxes for their products. Smitherman believes the authorities and prosecutors must find a way to shut down illegal operations. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a significant body of regulation, but there isn&rsquo;t enough law on the books to stop obvious illegal operators and no one is doing anything about it,&rdquo; he said.
Large-scale regulated growers and cannabis producers are also finding themselves with a smaller piece of the pot pie, with mass layoffs and plummeting shares at large Canadian industry players like Aurora Cannabis and Canopy Growth.
In 2019 Canopy Growth's stock hit nearly $70, today it has fallen to about $4 a share. The company declined our request for an interview but their former CEO, Bruce Linton, did sit down with CTV National News, noting that Canopy&rsquo;s &ldquo;actual sales number, dollars of cannabis sold, has been declining while the market is growing. So they're actually selling less total revenue.&rdquo;
Linton wants to see the easing of government restrictions on marketing and advertising so that regulated growers and producers can compete with the black market who don&rsquo;t have any limitations on their packaging or the potency of their edible products.
&ldquo;If you want to have a legal, regulated, safe system succeed, it has to be able to sell product that you can identify, associate with and build from,&rdquo; notes Linton.
Derak and his colleagues at Leafythings believe there&rsquo;s a way for everyone to succeed. He&rsquo;s calling for a &ldquo;system to be set up similar to the Canadian food standards, where growers and brands are able to retain samples of their product, and send samples to independent labs for testing and distribute directly to regulated businesses.&rdquo; He also claims that many of the black market businesses would be open to paying taxes if &ldquo;overreaching&rdquo; government regulations are dropped.
Smitherman, who was previously a minister of health in Ontario, believes that Derak and others are &ldquo;trying to make the illegal market work better for themselves,&rdquo; not the industry and consumers as a whole.
Derak fired back, saying: &ldquo;our focus is legal age consumers, giving them the right to choose where they purchase and what they purchase,&rdquo; and pointing out that Canada's cannabis industry &ldquo;as a whole is a $6-billion market and we're neglecting half of the market. It's time to bring that money in and start contributing to Canadian society.&rdquo;
When cannabis was first legalized in Canada, the federal government downloaded the regulatory responsibilities to each provincial government, creating a patchwork system, with different legislation and regulations depending on where you are in the country.
For an industry that is sputtering its wheels as the world watches, all eyes will now turn to the Canadian government&rsquo;s review of the Cannabis Act. In an email to CTV National News, Health Canada states that &ldquo;the Government is committed to putting into place a credible, evidence-driven process for the legislative review, which will assess the progress made towards achieving the objectives of the Cannabis Act.&rdquo;
With the government set to announce its plans on how it will review the Cannabis Act, this week Aurora Cannabis reported a fourth-quarter loss of just over $600 million.
&nbsp;
<h5>Sourced From:</h5>
<a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/federal-government-to-announce-review-of-cannabis-act-as-legal-industry-faces-big-hurdles-1.6078899?cid=sm%3Atrueanthem%3A%7B%7Bcampaignname%7D%7D%3Atwitterpost%E2%80%8B&amp;taid=632c4bed694a8900011d6718&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/federal-government-to-announce-review-of-cannabis-act-as-legal-industry-faces-big-hurdles-1.6078899?cid=sm%3Atrueanthem%3A%7B%7Bcampaignname%7D%7D%3Atwitterpost%E2%80%8B&amp;taid=632c4bed694a8900011d6718&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter</a>
<h5>Watch the news release using the link below</h5>
<a href="https://youtu.be/3CE267eiIts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://youtu.be/3CE267eiIts</a>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Federal government to announce review of Cannabis Act as legal industry faces big hurdles.

Leafythings discusses alongside CTV News the big changes that need to happen within the Cannabis Act

The Mane Event; Elias "The Spartan" Theodorou, reigning from Mississauga, Ontario, was a man not only known as a great friend, son and brother but also a dedicated professional athlete, actor, cannabis advocate and chief access officer for us here at Leafythings.&nbsp;
In 2009 after his first year at Humber College, Elias took on an MMA workout class, which led him to begin his career in the MMA. At Humber, Elias had studied creative advertising,&nbsp; a program he would utilize further to help grow his career as an entrepreneur.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/c7573a460531d13d6869b39e89441462.jpg" />
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Elias had gone pro and debuted in 2011. Then, in 2013, he joined the cast of "The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia," where he was the first ever Canadian fighter to win. This UFC reality TV show featured teams of Canadian Australian MMA fighters who wanted to become professionals. Along with 15 other fighters, Elias had spent six weeks filming in a lodge outside Montreal. When asked about the experience, his response was, "It was an interesting and amazing experience," Elias had said, "I missed women," he quickly added with enthusiasm. 
In 2014, Elias earned his UFC contract. He went on to have 19 wins and only 3 losses as a middleweight in the UFC.&nbsp;
For years Elias had campaigned for the use of medical cannabis to help with aches and pains caused by the sport. In 2020 Elias was the first professional athlete to have received a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for the use of medical cannabis. This was something that had allowed Elias "to even the playing field and fight at a baseline level."
In 2022, Elias became the Chief Access Officer of Leafythings. He accepted The Most Innovative Technology award at the 2022 O'Cannabiz Industry Awards. We have reason to believe this was a proud moment in Theodorou's career outside of the MMA, as he was an advocate for reasonable access to cannabis. In addition, Elias often used the hashtag #FightingToEndTheStigma, to which he had dedicated his life.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img class="img-fluid rounded" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/eb0468e59086aed340de34cb5dd50359.jpg?1663162808248" width="800" height="534" />
September 11th will go down as a celebratory day for the Leafythings community. It's a day where we celebrate our friend, Elias Theodorou, who had won his last battle&mdash;achieving the ultimate level of grace, strength, courage and enlightenment. We will all miss Elias dearly and promise to continue to embody his spirit, tenacity and charm in our day-to-day activities to ensure the continuation of his mission as a thought leader and pillar of the cannabis community.&nbsp;
To remember Elias, please consider donating to the Theodorou Foundation. A foundation that provides educational content and access to resources for patients struggling to engage with the health-care system or the medical cannabis system. The Theodorou Foundation hopes to raise funds to support these bequests and build upon his work in aiding others facing barriers to getting the Therapeutic Use Exemption.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://gofund.me/560a0d23">https://gofund.me/560a0d23</a>
<img class="img-fluid rounded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://dz8osaahf9pd7.cloudfront.net/storage/images/blog/articles/035cc5aaaca18033028189ec291b5c64.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="1197" />&nbsp;

Leafythings reminisces over the sudden loss of Chief Access Officer, Elias Theodorou.

Remembering Elias Theodorou

TORONTO,&nbsp;Aug. 15, 2022&nbsp;/CNW/ - Leafythings, a thought leader in the cannabis industry and award-winning cannabis directory platform and mobile application, proposes a supplementary independent cannabis supply chain in&nbsp;Ontario.
The Leafythings platform is a digital aggregation of independent and regulated brands and retailers across the cannabis retail market. Leafythings uses Google and open-source solutions to compile all of its retailers and brands. Independent cannabis supply chains represent roughly a&nbsp;$3 billion&nbsp;marketplace in&nbsp;Canada, equal to the size of the regulated supply chain. Given the size of this market and the feedback Leafythings and industry leaders have received within the field, the company has a profound understanding of the Canadian cannabis consumer as well as existing operational gaps that can potentially translate to widespread industry issues. "It is disastrous," said&nbsp;Nima Derak&nbsp;of Leafythings. "Local Canadian cannabis growers and farmers have made up the independent supply chain for 40+ years. They have worked to prove the medical and recreational benefits of cannabis through evidence-based research and development methods. These individuals have worked tirelessly with legislators to advocate for cannabis businesses and consumers, and to facilitate the legalization of consumption and possession of marijuana. They are members of the public, they are Canadians, and they have been neglected and removed from the current process.&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;is to marijuana cultivation as&nbsp;Belgium&nbsp;is to chocolate. Over-regulation and financial barriers coupled with monopolization of the cannabis supply chain in&nbsp;Ontario&nbsp;is causing major distress to independent Canadian growers and retailers and is locking them out from operating successfully. Last week, The Ontario Cannabis Store has had to halt all deliveries to its retail partners due to an alleged&nbsp;<a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3621135-1&amp;h=495108520&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Ftoronto.ctvnews.ca%2Fontario-cannabis-store-unable-to-make-deliveries-after-partner-faces-cyberattack-1.6019417&amp;a=hacking+incident+that+crippled+its+third+party+logistics+handlers" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">hacking incident that crippled its third party logistics handlers</a>. "The role of Government should be held to regulating cannabis, not creating an unnecessary role as the distribution middle man. Delivery is a basic function of today's society. Could you imagine if the liquor store stopped delivering to its retail partners? This doesn't happen. It never happens within the logistics of our independent distributed food supply chain. It doesn't happen to tobacco products at the thousands of convenience stores and it doesn't happen in any other industry in&nbsp;Canada.." Leafythings wishes to work together with our partners in cannabis at the OCS, to create a better and improved model now that Cannabis has been legalized for over three years. The independent supply chain has expressed substantial interest in working with regulators and contributing to the Canadian economy.
"It is not in the benefit of the Canadian tax payer to take an industry that already existed, ignore it, and put a new system in place that ignores the other 50% of consumers. Let's call it as it is: the OCS as the sole monopoly distributor and online store has acted only as another broken and redundant arm of the government," Derak states. He goes on to shed light on a logical solution to this issue.
"The&nbsp;$3 billion&nbsp;independent cannabis industry and the&nbsp;$3 billion&nbsp;regulated industry have to reconcile. It is absolutely insane to continue on the path we are on. We are making a clear and logical proposal to the Ontario Cannabis Store. The regulation and cannabis supply chains within&nbsp;Ontario&nbsp;can be managed exactly like food is. There are no mandated organic food certification companies within the food supply chain, but there are third parties who follow the principals of the&nbsp;<a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3621135-1&amp;h=1439406531&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca%2Fongc-cgsb%2Fprogramme-program%2Fnorms-standards%2Finternet%2Fbio-org%2Fdocuments%2F032-0310-2008-eng.pdf&amp;a=Canadian+Organic+Standards" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Canadian Organic Standards</a>, to certify organic food. We can create transparent Independent Cannabis Standards that support Health Canada's objectives. Government can take on a more regulatory role. We propose the creation of an agency similar to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. This agency's role would be to maintain samples and certificates of analysis from anyone who selling into the independent supply chain for the purposes of product recalls. There are hundreds of laboratories within the cannabis space, and these independent facilities can be leveraged for this capacity by independent producers. Due to the proven safe nature of cannabis, we propose no THC limits on independently produced cannabis goods. Independent producers must comply with the Federal Cannabis Act's guidelines on packaging, Says Derak, "There is no way to put this in a politically correct fashion - cannabis is proven to be safer than many non-regulated household goods and medications, and it is time we start acknowledging this."
What would this proposal mean for cannabis retailers? These companies would be able to order directly from independent manufacturers as well as the regulated supply chain, much like a grocer carrying traditional and organic foods. Some goods come directly from the manufacturer while others come from various food terminals. This would allow retailers the ability to differentiate themselves and cater to their local consumers more appropriately - and ultimately - it is the consumer that dictates the success of the retailer.
&nbsp;"Access to cannabis is very important to millions of people across&nbsp;Canada. With the recent service disruption experienced by the OCS here in&nbsp;Ontario, so many will have that access interrupted," states local cannabis consumer&nbsp;Kunal Vora. Allowing retailers diversity in their product sourcing would help ease the mind of the consumer, while managing to retain their trust in the event of another widespread industry issue. Leafythings proposes a sensible, solutions-based approach for an economic engine like&nbsp;Ontario&nbsp;to help alleviate the burdens of supply chain management and to support the objectives of legalization.
Leafythings is empowered by a mission to help bridge the gap between consumers and businesses while supporting public health initiatives. Leafythings helps consumers find and access quality cannabis products in&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;through highly localized strategies and public education in efforts to collaboratively shatter social equity barriers in the market and improve public perception of the industry.
About Leafythings:
Since 2019, Leafythings has taken a cannabis consumer centric approach to helping Canadians find affordable and quality cannabis anywhere in&nbsp;Canada. Leafythings operates as a web platform, mobile application, and advertising medium. Through a series of event partnerships, advertising initiative, and grassroots marketing programs, Leafythings has developed the largest cannabis consumer database in&nbsp;Canada.
Leafythings is actively working with brands and retailers through partnerships and social initiatives to help drive industry credibility and reinforce the trust between consumers and their cannabis. Leafythings is committed to working with organizations, brands, retailers, and public health officials to create a better cannabis industry.
To read more about Leafythings, head to&nbsp;<a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3621135-1&amp;h=3608693263&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leafythings.com%2F&amp;a=www.Leafythings.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">www.leafythings.com</a>
<h5>Sourced from:</h5>
<a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/leafythings-proposes-a-supplementary-independent-cannabis-supply-chain-858618206.html">https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/leafythings-proposes-a-supplementary-independent-cannabis-supply-chain-858618206.html</a>

Leafythings, a thought leader in the cannabis industry and award-winning cannabis directory platform and mobile application, proposes a supplementary independent cannabis supply chain in Ontario.