NOT A SAFE BET
Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition suggests amendments to SAFE Banking
A new white paper by the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition has several suggestions for how to make the SAFE Banking legislation more equitable for communities impacted by the War on Drugs.
Among the suggestions in the Not A SAFE Bet paper are:
- Allocating Section 280E tax revenue to a fund to support entrepreneurs from communities disproportionately affected by prohibition
- Requiring financial institutions to comply with anti-discrimination laws like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act
- Including a provision that states cannabis criminal records aren’t suggestive of illegal activity of a business
“We have both an opportunity and responsibility to pass cannabis banking reform that not only increases access to cannabis banking but that also seeks to ensure that access to cannabis banking is equitable,” said co-author Cat Packer, who will appear on an Aug. 17 panel to discuss the recommendations, in a statement. “Not A SAFE Bet includes our analysis of the SAFE Banking Act, why it is unlikely to result in equitable access to cannabis banking, and recommendations to more equitably achieve cannabis banking reform.”
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2 STEPS TOO MANY
Alberta cannabis stores aren’t seeing online shopping boost they hoped for
Private retailers took over online cannabis transactions from the province of Alberta in March. But store operators who aren’t seeing a boost in sales blame high delivery costs and the two-step verification process, per CBC.
The details
- 232 of the 765 licensed stores now offer online shopping
- Customers can choose click ‘n’ collect or delivery
- So far, sales aren’t high enough to cover the costs of delivery
- Alberta’s onerous ID verification process, which requires shoppers to create a profile, could also be deterring customers
“We found that for many consumers, they found that a bit cumbersome,” said Omar Khan, senior vice president of corporate and public affairs at High Tide. “What we’ve noticed in Alberta is that additional first step of having to create a profile and upload your ID as a consumer has meant that the growth rate in terms of online sales in Alberta is much lower than what we have seen in Ontario and other provinces.”
STRIKE ACTION
Striking BC government workers aim to disrupt cannabis wholesalers
Strikes by the British Columbia General Employees’ Union will affect four regulated cannabis distribution centres, per Okanaganz.
The dispute is largely over wages. Picket lines are planned for four locations:
- Delta Distribution Centre
- Kamloops Distribution Centre
- Richmond Distribution Centre
- Victoria Wholesale Customer Centre
For now, provincial stores will operate as usual. “Retail liquor and cannabis stores will not be part of this phase of job action,” advised the BCGEU in a statement.
