Ontario drops cannabis from list of essential businesses allowed to operate during lockdown
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Canada classifies medical cannabis ‘essential’ amid COVID-19 pandemic
Canada’s federal government has deemed medical cannabis production “essential” to the country’s critical health-care infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The designation is intended to assist provinces, municipalities and businesses in their decisionmaking around the types of employees considered essential for the health, safety, security and economic well-being of the country.
Even though the designation is nonbinding and advisory in nature, it is important because all cannabis production, including medical marijuana, is regulated by the federal government.
The guidance on essential services and functions can be found here.
“The manufacturer, logistics and warehouse operations, and distribution of cannabis for medical purposes have been identified as essential services,” according to an email, obtained by Marijuana Business Daily, that was sent to multiple stakeholder groups by the acting director of the Office of Medical Access and Specialized Authorizations.
“Health Canada has been, and will continue to be, in contact with companies holding a medical sales license to understand any challenges they are experiencing,” according to the email, which was sent April 2.
“Based on the information we have received to date, license holders remain open, are continuing to produce cannabis and are processing requests.”
Canada had 370,000 active medical cannabis registrations as of September 2019, plus another 30,000 personal or designated production registrations, making it the largest federally regulated scheme in the world.
Most Canadian provinces have allowed cannabis businesses and their supply chains to remain operational amid stricter physical-distancing measures undertaken to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Patient group Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) had joined others, including the Cannabis Council of Canada, in lobbying the federal government to classify medical cannabis as an essential service. A House of Commons petition drew roughly 2,600 signatures.
Cannabis Council of Canada CEO George Smitherman said the move is an acknowledgment of the essential nature medical cannabis plays in the country’s health-care system.
“During this period, it is essential that the delivery of cannabis directly to the patient remain,” Smitherman said, otherwise patients will turn to nonregulated sources with untested products.
Smitherman said the industry remains a startup sector and new businesses are vulnerable to the disruptions caused by COVID-19.
“We continue to impress upon the government that the cannabis sector should have equal access as others to government-backed services like those from (the Business Development Bank of Canada),” he said.
CFAMM Vice President Max Monahan-Ellison said, “We are thrilled to see the government take this step to ensure patient access to medical cannabis is maintained and are grateful to have had support from the Arthritis Society, Wounded Warriors Canada, the Canadian AIDS Society, NORML Canada, SheCann, the Canadian Cannabis Council and more from the nonprofit and corporate side to push this forward.
“Now we will be turning our focus to address the heightened affordability challenges facing patients at this time.”
Public Safety Canada, which compiled the nonexhaustive list of essential services and functions, said it will continually consult on and amend the list as warranted.
Canada’s federal government has deemed medical cannabis production “essential” to the country’s critical health-care infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The designation is intended to assist provinces, municipalities and businesses in their decisionmaking around the types of employees considered essential for the health, safety, security and economic well-being of the country.
Even though the designation is nonbinding and advisory in nature, it is important because all cannabis production, including medical marijuana, is regulated by the federal government.
The guidance on essential services and functions can be found here.
“The manufacturer, logistics and warehouse operations, and distribution of cannabis for medical purposes have been identified as essential services,” according to an email, obtained by Marijuana Business Daily, that was sent to multiple stakeholder groups by the acting director of the Office of Medical Access and Specialized Authorizations.
“Health Canada has been, and will continue to be, in contact with companies holding a medical sales license to understand any challenges they are experiencing,” according to the email, which was sent April 2.
“Based on the information we have received to date, license holders remain open, are continuing to produce cannabis and are processing requests.”
Canada had 370,000 active medical cannabis registrations as of September 2019, plus another 30,000 personal or designated production registrations, making it the largest federally regulated scheme in the world.
Most Canadian provinces have allowed cannabis businesses and their supply chains to remain operational amid stricter physical-distancing measures undertaken to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Patient group Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) had joined others, including the Cannabis Council of Canada, in lobbying the federal government to classify medical cannabis as an essential service. A House of Commons petition drew roughly 2,600 signatures.
Cannabis Council of Canada CEO George Smitherman said the move is an acknowledgment of the essential nature medical cannabis plays in the country’s health-care system.
“During this period, it is essential that the delivery of cannabis directly to the patient remain,” Smitherman said, otherwise patients will turn to nonregulated sources with untested products.
Smitherman said the industry remains a startup sector and new businesses are vulnerable to the disruptions caused by COVID-19.
“We continue to impress upon the government that the cannabis sector should have equal access as others to government-backed services like those from (the Business Development Bank of Canada),” he said.
CFAMM Vice President Max Monahan-Ellison said, “We are thrilled to see the government take this step to ensure patient access to medical cannabis is maintained and are grateful to have had support from the Arthritis Society, Wounded Warriors Canada, the Canadian AIDS Society, NORML Canada, SheCann, the Canadian Cannabis Council and more from the nonprofit and corporate side to push this forward.
“Now we will be turning our focus to address the heightened affordability challenges facing patients at this time.”
Public Safety Canada, which compiled the nonexhaustive list of essential services and functions, said it will continually consult on and amend the list as warranted.
Ontario cannabis stores, construction and more to close April 4 after premier enacts tighter COVID-19 measures
The stricter measures come after Ontario released models showing dire outcomes of the virus if public health measures are ignored
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The Canadian Press
Michelle McQuigge and Shawn Jeffords
April 4, 2020
1:03 PM EDT
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The sacrifices Ontarians have made recently have saved thousands from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier Doug Ford said Friday, even as he announced more stringent measures in a bid to avert what new projections suggest could be a dire outcome.
Moments after public health officials spelled out the prospective toll the novel coronavirus could take on the province’s population, including thousands of potential deaths, Ford moved to shutter an even larger swath of the Ontario economy.
The move was among the recommendations made by a group of high-ranking doctors, who said failure to adopt stricter public health measures could lead to an estimated 1,600 fatalities by the end of April and as many as 15,000 over the full course of the outbreak.
Ford said the decision to drastically pare down the list of essential services allowed to operate was difficult but necessary in light of the data showing the effectiveness of physical distancing in curbing the spread of COVID-19.
The new business closures, which take effect on Saturday at 11:59 p.m. and will be in effect for at least 14 days, include all industrial construction sites except for those on projects considered critical.
The new list of essential services features 44 categories, down from 74 released less than two weeks ago. Grocery stores, pharmacies, utilities, public transit, taxis and animal care services all remain open.
Cannabis shops, which had initially been deemed an essential business, have been cut from the revised list with only the province’s online sales portal remaining open.
The projections that paved the way for the latest wave of closures painted a stark picture of the effect COVID-19 will have on the provincial health-care system, but also suggested the outcome would have been much worse without the actions taken to date.
They showed that up to 100,000 people in the province might have died over the full course of the pandemic without the widespread closures of schools and businesses the government enacted last month.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford holds his daily briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic at Queen’s Park in Toronto on April 2, 2020. Frank Gunn
Dr. Peter Donnelly, president of Public Health Ontario, said the numbers clearly illustrate the gravity of the situation.
“If we do everything that we can think of — everything that already has been done stays in place, all of the other measures that are being considered put in place — then I think we could reduce the death toll in Ontario to somewhere between 3,000 and 15,000,” he said.
Donnelly and other officials offered suggestions for such measures. In additions to the steps Ford announced Friday, they advised imposing entry restrictions on some communities including First Nations, providing more protection for seniors and tightening guidance on physical distancing.
Donnelly said the projections, which are far from set in stone, span the full course of the outbreak. He said that could last as long as 18 months to two years if second and third waves of the virus are taken into account.
“Where we end up depends on all of us,” he said.
Ford, who ordered the release of the bleak forecasts on the grounds that Ontario residents had the right to as much information as possible, said the data make the need for aggressive physical distancing even more evident.
A pedestrian walks across Toronto’s Yonge Street and Dundas Street intersection, as a nearby billboard urges people to “Stop The Spread Of COVID-19.” Peter J. Thompson/National Post
“We all have to ask ourselves, what is the cost of a life?” Ford asked. “Is a life worth a picnic in a park? Is a life worth going to the beach? Is a life worth having a few cold ones with your buddies in the basement? The answer is no.”
Industry groups that originally lauded the decision to keep construction sites active through the pandemic voiced support for Ford’s new closures.
“We all want safe jobsites,” said Joe Vaccaro, chief executive officer of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association. “Let’s keep each other safe. We are all in this together.”
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Ontario continued their upward trajectory on Friday. The province reported 462 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 3,255. Deaths climbed by 14 for a total of 67 provincewide.
Those figures did not include four new deaths at a central Ontario nursing home, the scene of one of the largest outbreaks in the country.
Twenty of the roughly 65 residents of Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ont., have died in recent weeks. At least 24 staff members at the facility have also tested positive for COVID-19.
The home announced it had taken additional steps on Friday, including isolating healthy residents from sick ones and ramping up staffing levels and cleaning protocols.
The stricter measures come after Ontario released models showing dire outcomes of the virus if public health measures are ignored
Advertisement
The Canadian Press
Michelle McQuigge and Shawn Jeffords
April 4, 2020
1:03 PM EDT
Filed under
Comment
Facebook Twitter Reddit Email More The sacrifices Ontarians have made recently have saved thousands from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier Doug Ford said Friday, even as he announced more stringent measures in a bid to avert what new projections suggest could be a dire outcome.
Moments after public health officials spelled out the prospective toll the novel coronavirus could take on the province’s population, including thousands of potential deaths, Ford moved to shutter an even larger swath of the Ontario economy.
The move was among the recommendations made by a group of high-ranking doctors, who said failure to adopt stricter public health measures could lead to an estimated 1,600 fatalities by the end of April and as many as 15,000 over the full course of the outbreak.
Ford said the decision to drastically pare down the list of essential services allowed to operate was difficult but necessary in light of the data showing the effectiveness of physical distancing in curbing the spread of COVID-19.
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The new business closures, which take effect on Saturday at 11:59 p.m. and will be in effect for at least 14 days, include all industrial construction sites except for those on projects considered critical.
The new list of essential services features 44 categories, down from 74 released less than two weeks ago. Grocery stores, pharmacies, utilities, public transit, taxis and animal care services all remain open.
Cannabis shops, which had initially been deemed an essential business, have been cut from the revised list with only the province’s online sales portal remaining open.
The projections that paved the way for the latest wave of closures painted a stark picture of the effect COVID-19 will have on the provincial health-care system, but also suggested the outcome would have been much worse without the actions taken to date.
They showed that up to 100,000 people in the province might have died over the full course of the pandemic without the widespread closures of schools and businesses the government enacted last month.
Dr. Peter Donnelly, president of Public Health Ontario, said the numbers clearly illustrate the gravity of the situation.
“If we do everything that we can think of — everything that already has been done stays in place, all of the other measures that are being considered put in place — then I think we could reduce the death toll in Ontario to somewhere between 3,000 and 15,000,” he said.
Donnelly and other officials offered suggestions for such measures. In additions to the steps Ford announced Friday, they advised imposing entry restrictions on some communities including First Nations, providing more protection for seniors and tightening guidance on physical distancing.
Donnelly said the projections, which are far from set in stone, span the full course of the outbreak. He said that could last as long as 18 months to two years if second and third waves of the virus are taken into account.
“Where we end up depends on all of us,” he said.
Ford, who ordered the release of the bleak forecasts on the grounds that Ontario residents had the right to as much information as possible, said the data make the need for aggressive physical distancing even more evident.
“We all have to ask ourselves, what is the cost of a life?” Ford asked. “Is a life worth a picnic in a park? Is a life worth going to the beach? Is a life worth having a few cold ones with your buddies in the basement? The answer is no.”
Industry groups that originally lauded the decision to keep construction sites active through the pandemic voiced support for Ford’s new closures.
“We all want safe jobsites,” said Joe Vaccaro, chief executive officer of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association. “Let’s keep each other safe. We are all in this together.”
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Ontario continued their upward trajectory on Friday. The province reported 462 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 3,255. Deaths climbed by 14 for a total of 67 provincewide.
Those figures did not include four new deaths at a central Ontario nursing home, the scene of one of the largest outbreaks in the country.
Twenty of the roughly 65 residents of Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ont., have died in recent weeks. At least 24 staff members at the facility have also tested positive for COVID-19.
The home announced it had taken additional steps on Friday, including isolating healthy residents from sick ones and ramping up staffing levels and cleaning protocols.
gwheels
Well-Known Member
It is the brick and mortar stores that are closed. And they should close the beer and liquor stores as well.
The perfect breeding ground for a covoid spread.
Order the shit online. Or better still grow your own.
Why use the OCS at all. Dried out shitty weed....anyone can do that. You can do so much better for so much less.
The perfect breeding ground for a covoid spread.
Order the shit online. Or better still grow your own.
Why use the OCS at all. Dried out shitty weed....anyone can do that. You can do so much better for so much less.