The precedent has been set. When Ascent Industries (ASNT.C) lost its Canadian LP licensing over product that had allegedly found its way into the grey market, the regulators at Health Canada – rightly – didn’t hold back. They investigated publicly, loudly, and ultimately de-licensed the company, running the brains trust out of town on a rail.
“There are times […] when even being right feels wrong. What do you say, for instance, about a generation that has been taught that rain is poison and sex is death? If making love might be fatal and if a cool spring breeze on any summer afternoon can turn a crystal blue lake into a puddle of black poison right in front of your eyes, there is not much left except TV and relentless masturbation. It’s a strange world. Some people get rich and others eat shit and die.”
– Hunter S. Thompson
I’ve been writing about cannabis companies on the public exchanges since the days before cannabis companies were technically allowed on public exchanges. During that time, I’ve seen many stages of the cannabis industry come and go, and I’ve seen people get rich, and I’ve seen plenty eat shit.
Since cannabis became kinda mostly depends where you are legal, companies have been looking to find celebrities to brand and endorse their products, generally to limited success, especially as Canadian regulators have banned marketing that includes endorsements or celebrity names.