the oz. | vol. 1, iss. 3

VOLUME

01

ISSUE

03

The future of everyday cannabis

PLUS

Cannabis themed weddings are chic

AND

Five perfect yoga poses to elevate your buzz

Weed that’s part of your routine; The Valens Company talks about Cannabis 3.0

INSIDE

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8

15

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FEATURES Weed-themed weddings More brides and grooms are choosing to include cannabis

Everyday cannabis

Tour The Valens Company’s extensive extraction and manufacturing facilities

Volume 01, Issue 03 May/June 2021

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Stories about Canadian cannabis Must be 19+ years of age to subscribe

17

Publisher

David Wylie Media + Co.

Editor

David Wylie david@okanaganz.com

Stretch and breathe

Five yoga poses that feel fantastic when you’re high

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To advertise

DEPARTMENTS First hit

Bad buzzes date back to the 17th Century

Contact Michael at sales@okanaganz.com

5

Reviews

6

Profile

8

Fun & Games

15

Some of the most novel and most awesome products

Checking in with the owner of Spiritleaf Vernon

Dozens of things to do when you’re high

Food & Drink

An easy cocktail to make, try a Chronic Tonic

Last hit

Social media restrictions are a crisis for the industry

Writers in this issue Corinne Doan Jenny Neufeld Shylo Thompson David Wylie

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Cover shot

Bath bombs are part of The Valens Company’s Cannabis 3.0 strategy.

Jaesin Hammer/for the oz.

Okanagan Z PO Box 41080 Winfield South Lake Country, BC, V4V 2L9 © Copyright 2018-2021 All rights reserved

hello@okanaganz.com

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First Hit | the oz.

The painting ‘Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam’ by American artist John Greenwood shows a raucous party.

Way too high in the 17th Century

B

By David Wylie ad cannabis buzzes have been around a long time—even longer than you might think. Take the experience of a group of British sailors in the 1670s. During their travels in Eastern India, they tried tea laced with cannabis (called bangha tea).

Thomas Bowrey, an English merchant and mariner in the East Indies trade, recounted the tale in his report, A Geographical Account of Countries Round the Bay of Bengal.

The group of sailors paid a local man who had experience getting intoxicated off the drink to come along and watch over them (which is always a smart move for a rookie). The group told him to shut

the doors and windows from the outside so nobody inside could run out into the streets, and nobody from the outside could come in to laugh at them after they drank by the pint. Things got interesting.

“Myself and one more sat sweating for the space of three hours in exceeding measure,” he wrote.

As for the others: • Two people experienced no effects – something that’s fairly common when people try cannabis for the first time.

• One “wept bitterly all the afternoon.”

• One was “terrified with fear” and stuck his head into a giant pot, staying that way for four hours.

• Four or five lay upon the carpets spread around the room and complimented each other highly – “each man fancying himself no less than an emperor.”

• One was quarrelsome and fought with the pillars until there was little skin left on his fingers.

The point is cannabis can affect us all differently.

I’ve had my own bad highs to contend with where I’ve felt very uncomfortable.

One memorable episode happened after taking way too much cannabis oil. I woke up suddenly at 2 a.m., vibrating.

There are a few things you can do if you find yourself tripping.

In my case, I got out of bed and gulped down a big glass of cold water. Then I turned on the news and watched for hours, reminding myself everything was OK. The main thing to do is try your best to relax and distract yourself; lay down and listen to music, put on a TV show, cuddle a pet, take a bath or shower.

Using a CBD-only tincture can ease the THC effects, according to many different sources. Inside this issue, you’ll find a big list of things to do; some may help take the edge off a bad buzz.

David Wylie is publisher of the oz.

theounce.ca

5

Reviews | the oz.

1st legal blunt, quick gummies, a CBD vape,

6

BLNT by BLK MKT

SLK by Greybeard

PB MAC by BLK MKT

Canada’s first legal blunt comes in a solid glass container with an easy twist-off cap. The BLNT, an abbreviation for blunt, has one-gram of Candy Rain (18.3% THC, Hybrid) inside a hemp wrap; blunts are rolled in a similar fashion to cigars. Once out of the container, it has a nice heft.

It’s beautiful, neat and tidy. It burns perfectly with tight grey-white ash.

Full-flavoured, with a nice sweetness, this is a treat. They’re about $15 each and worth it. The strain crosses Gelato and London Pound Cake.

Tasty and potent, Greybeard’s SLK live resin vape stands out in a crowded category. It’s a more naturally cannabis tasting vape experience than other carts.

The half-gram 510-thread cart contains a notable amount of terpenes at 7%. It’s also more potent than many other vape carts on the market, at 88% THC. It’s packaged in a stylish tin and retails for about $50, plus taxes in BC. Overall, Greybeard is making a name for itself.

There is a buzz around its Afghani Drifter flower, as well as its high-terpene, high-potency concentrates.

It’s as satisfying as peeling the seal off a new jar of peanut butter. BLK MKT’s Peanut Butter MAC is smooth and nutty.

A cross between Peanut Butter Breath and Miracle Alien Cookies (MAC), this high-THC Indica-hybrid is premium priced. If you’re looking to treat yourself, this is worth it. We got four beautiful, dense, sticky buds, trimmed with care, in our eighth. The hefty little glass jar protects the treasure inside, and a Boost humidity pack keeps it fresh. Our lot was 23.54% THC, with 3.28% terpenes.

CBD Earth by Purefarma

Quick Gummies by Wana

Drinks by XMG

One good hit will leave you feeling calm and clear. The high-CBD Earth Vape by Purefarma has the good vibes without the head high. This is a full-spectrum product, which means the terpene and flavonoid profile is maintained from the plant for fuller flavours and effects. It also means there are possibly more cannabinoids than just CBD. This vape has a robust earthy pine flavour with a peppery bite at the end, a pleasant surprise on the first hit. Highly recommended for those wanting a fast acting CBD product that is discrete.

We’ve really enjoyed Wana’s selection of Sour Gummies. Now Wana has a new type of gummy that gets you high faster. Trying them, we got the most high we’ve ever been off edibles. The 10-mg gummies are soft and chewy with a sugar coating like the regular gummies. But these were triangle shaped, not squares like the Sour Gummies. The Pineapple Coconut Sorbet has a powerful coconut smell and taste. Orchard Peach smells more subtle, and it tastes like a fuzzy peach. As for effect, they take a speedy five to 10 minutes to onset.

Mango Pineapple and Tropical Fruit XMG drinks taste different but suffer the same flaws. They coat the tongue with an oily cannabis texture. Mango Pineapple is bright yellow, and Tropical Fruit is pinkish-red. Both smell fruity and sugary, and taste it too. Far and away the best part of these drinks is the effect— a happy buzzy head high. But first you have to choke down the taste. Each 10 mg THC drink comes in a small 237-ml can. They have 15 grams of sugar and 60 calories. If you’re into sugary drinks, you’ll like these.

the oz.

THC strips, classic flower...

BC Black Cherry by Flowr

Gummies by Verse

Introducing

The Ultimate IN STORES NOW

This 24.7% THC Indica is beautiful.

Its smell and flavour is fruity, with some peppery notes. First impressions are important. Flowr’s BC Black Cherry comes in a fancy blue glass container, and the bud inside is worthy of the vessel. Grown in the Okanagan Valley, where cherries are a main crop, it’s fitting that Flowr got this strain so right.

Released at the crest of the cherry craze in the cannabis market, this Indica is sweet smelling and potent. When we first got it, the buds were dense and sticky. It has aged nicely.

The Sour Medley pack of gummies from Verse adds something new to cannabis edibles—a variety of flavours in one package. Five colourful gummies come in the bag, and each individual chew is 2mg of THC. Overall, they have a nice texture with an inviting sugar coating.

The gummies were more candy-like in flavour than we’d expected. The five flavours are cherry, watermelon, blue raspberry, green apple, and tropical. Verse soft chews also come in baked apple flavour. They were by far our favourite and tasted just like fresh apple pie.

THC Strips by Being

Cherry Punch by Organnicraft

Do they get you high in five minutes like they promise? We put Being’s sublingual 10-mg THC strips to the test of time, and they do indeed take about five minutes for a gentle onset to begin.

There are 10 neatly individually packaged strips per pack. Similar to using a Listerine breath strip it goes in your mouth—but you put this hard squarish film under your tongue or against your cheek. It feels reminiscent of putting an X-ray in your mouth. It melts slowly and feels gooey. It has a peppery mint taste that can trigger coughing as it dissolves.

This Okanagan-grown Cherry Punch hits the nose every time you open the jar.

Sweet and rich scents come off the tight and sticky flower. They are beautifully trimmed. The effect is strong and mellow. A 23% THC Hybrid, it has total terpenes listed on the bottle as 3.49%— mainly made up of Myrcene, Caryophyllene, and Limonene, with some Ocimene and Pinene. It’s grown indoors and hand-harvested in Vernon. It comes in a nice hefty recyclable jar that does a great job of keeping it from going too dry too quickly.

• Small batch craft • Grown with care • Backed by 25 years experience of growing top medical strains

Ask for it by name:

Smoker Farms The Ultimate Coming soon: MASTER KUSH ULTRA smokerfarms.com

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the oz.

Friends in high places | the oz.

S

The right people help Spiritleaf stand out

piritleaf Vernon has personality.

Owned by Sarah Ballantyne, the bright spacious store has a great selection of products. It was the first legal cannabis retailer to open in the Okanagan, on July 1, 2019.

“We’ve seen the second wave of legalization happen, and along with that came new technology and innovation, like nano-emulsion for drinks and the fast-acting gummies,” she says. That includes, edibles, beverage and concentrates.

“The quality has been going up and the prices have been coming down.”

As part of the Spirtleaf franchise, all stores have a consistent look no matter where they’re located.

Ballantyne is hands on, which helps bring her own individuality to the store.

“I’m here almost all the time—maybe too much,” she says with a laugh.

“My approach to this was all about staffing, finding the right people for the right job. Our team here is amazing.

They’ve been with me the whole time.”

Ballantyne has a background in human resources with the Alberta government.

She moved to the North Okanagan with her husband to open the store. She wanted

to enjoy the longer summers and warmer winters. “I was really looking to get out of my cubicle.”

Her background in HR helped a lot during the hiring process. She recruited some staff even before opening.

Staff picks are listed on a board behind the counter and help guide customers of varying cannabis tastes.

Ballantyne is helping shape the industry through her position as a cannabis store owner. She provides feedback to the provincial distributor and has been an outspoken voice for the legal industry.

She enjoys vape pens, edibles and drinks.

She also tries topicals.

“I like the carbonated soda waters; they’re less calories (than alcohol) and real easy to drink in the sun.”

Subscribe to the oz. podcast to hear the whole interview.

Sarah Ballantyne, opposite page, owns the Spirtileaf location in Vernon, pictured top. Her experience in human resources has helped her to recruit and retain great staff. A staff picks board behind the counter, above left, shows recommendations, like the beautiful bud above right.

Photos: David Wylie/the oz.

theounce.ca

9

4/20 wedding

To have and to high...

More couples are incorporating cannabis into their wedding

C

By Shylo Thompson helsea and Ryan Hannah tied the knot on 4/20. Married as Canada began to lock down in 2020, they did have to make some changes because of the pandemic. Still, they managed to incorporate cannabis into a smaller ceremony and celebration. “The date was super important to us because it was our actual anniversary,” says Chelsea.

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Fine flairs of cannabis were included at the Hannah wedding.

Clockwise from the top, napkin adorned with a leaf, bud candies,

and cannabis cuff links.

Centre, the bride and groom kiss.

Photos: Chloe Jaenen/Chloe Photo

theounce.ca

11

Chloe Jaenen/Chloe Photo

“I didn’t want it to be cheesy.”

— Chelsea Hannah

Dream wedding included bud bar, edible flower, glass bong vases Although the couple had to reschedule the larger wedding party to Oct. 31, 2020, when restrictions eased, they legally married on their specially chosen date 4/20/2020 in front of a small group.

Since group sizes were so restricted, a family friend decided to set up a surprise parade/drive-by to allow for other family and friends to show their support.

“They all met by the school, as we were having our ceremony by the gazebo. Once we were done officially getting married, we sent the family away to do cake-cutting photos and all of a sudden I heard all of these cars honking, and I had to run out front to wave at people,” says Chelsea.

The intention of the small ceremony was just to officially seal the deal and sign their marriage certificate on 4/20/2020, so although it was small, it went above and beyond what they could have hoped.

“I didn’t have any expectations. I personally wanted it to just be Ryan and I, our commissioner, and our witnesses. I totally shut down on that day, but the women in

my life would not let me do that.”

As restrictions eased, on Oct. 31, the couple had their dream cannabis-themed wedding with all of their guests at The Heritage Centre. Much of the wedding was inspired by the Cannabis Wedding Expo that came to Calgary in 2019.

There was a bud bar, with party-favours that included edible candies and pre-rolled joints. The couple used bongs as flower vases/centre pieces, engraved with the words “Hannah Wedding 2020.” They had napkin holders with pot leaves on them.

The wedding party flower bouquets had cannabis leaves in them.

They also had Tasty Bud chocolates in the centre pieces—which are made to look like weed but don’t actually have any THC in them, so they are great even for guests who don’t want to get high.

With a Halloween Day wedding, the guests were allowed to wear costumes for the reception after dinner.

“I didn’t want it to be cheesy, I still wanted it to be nice,” says Chelsea.

Wedding industry embraces cannabis Vanessa Oliver, CEO of the Cannabis Wedding Expo, says more people are becoming interested in having cannabis at their weddings, and they’re being intentional about how it’s integrated.

“Couples are really starting to tap into their creative pallets as new innovations surface and events, such as CWE (Cannabis Wedding Expo), broaden their understanding of the plant,” says Oliver.

“As legalization continues, the accessibility also allows them to feel more comfortable with exploring their options. We are experiencing couples looking to have a bud bar rather than a wet bar, infused dinner options at their receptions, a toke after their ceremony, CBD guest favours, nugs in their bouquets, and much more.”

Meanwhile, more venues and wedding

professionals are entering the space as regulations relax. The wedding industry is a $72-billion market. In recent years, the cannabis industry has grown to a $61-billion industry with support for legalizing cannabis at a 68% high. By 2030, the cannabis industry is projected to be $100 billion.

“As cannabis continues to emerge in the mainstream market, we are going to see more vendors and wedding professionals transitioning into the industry,” says Oliver. “For couples, there are more options to explore unique, healthy, and fun ways to engage your guests. We are already seeing this influx with more wedding couples reaching out for help planning their cannabis nuptials.

The interest for cannabis (services) will continue, especially for those couples discovering new ways to introduce it as a classy and elegant experience in their wedding.”

Oliver says those who attend the Cannabis

Wedding Expo are mostly men and women in their late 20s and early 30s.

The most popular cannabis-wedding trend is bud bars.

“Bud bars, hands down have become popular at weddings,” says Oliver. “They add a fun and interactive approach by allowing guests to smell different strains before deciding which product is best for them.”

Bud bars also offer a variety of cannabis beverages and edibles. A budtender guides guests through their experience.

“Bud bars usually take the place of a liquor bar, proving to be a great way for guests to enjoy a social setting without getting sloshed,” she says.

There’s also an increase in couples wanting to toke together after the ceremony to ‘release the jitters.’

Oliver says she expects to see more cannabis infused dinners in the future.

CANNABIS TRAINING COURSES Okanagan College is offering a range of cannabis training courses that provide unique insights into the emerging industry of medicinal and recreational marijuana. Find the full course list online and register now.

For information or to register: 1-800-289-8993, select Vernon campus or email csnorth@okanagan.bc.ca okanagan.bc.ca/cannabistraining Students must be 19 years of age to register in a cannabis course.

CONTINUING STUDIES

A dinner menu by Cultivating Spirits features cannabis strains (and wines) that would pair well with each course. A bride holds a bouquet by Flowers on Flowers.

Photos: The Wedding Expo

Fun & Games | the oz.

A big to do Wrestle with boredom while baked?

Here’s a list of (mostly) accessible things to do when you’re high

1. Snap photos 2. Look at things through a microscope 3. Take a hike 4. Draw and/or colour 5. Watch TV 6. Watch a movie 7. Play video games 8. Tidy and organize 9. Journal 10. Sexy times 11. Play a board game 12. Finger paint 13. Bake cookies 14. Listen to music 15. Watch music videos 16. Dance 17. Take shots at a hockey net 18. Play an instrument 19. Chat with someone 20. Browse Reddit 21. Jump on a trampoline 22. Swim 23. Meditate

24. Pamper yourself with a face mask 25. Listen to a podcast 26. Deep breathing 27. Sled 28. Climb a tree 29. Wash dishes 30. Read 31. Write a newsletter 32. Light some candles 33. Flip through cookbooks 34. Fold laundry 35. Garden 36. Drink a pot of tea 37. Yoga 38. Stargaze 39. Give/get a massage 40. Lay in bed and close your eyes 41. Shower or bath 42. Play with your pet 43. Watch a comedian 44. Browse/post social media

45. Eat 46. Role-playing game (like D&D) 47. Fill your mouth with pop rocks 48. Wander the mall 49. Virtual reality 50. Do something naked 51. Nerf gun fight 52. Play catch 53. Do origami 54. Check out optical illusions 55. Make a playlist 56. Sculpt (or just play with some Play-Doh) 57. Enjoy a campfire 58. Stretch 59. Lift weights 60. Watch nostalgic cartoons 61. Chat with Internet strangers 62. Play with Lego 63. Laser tag

64. Work on a puzzle 65. Flip through magazines 66. Iron clothes 67. Crochet/knit 68. Chill in a sensory deprivation tank 69. Ride a bike 70. Sit by a river/lake/ ocean 71. Have a picnic 72. Sunbathe 73. Apply temporary tattoos 74. Blow bubbles 75. Wander through a library 76. Go to a museum 77. Give/get a manicure or pedicure 78. Kick a soccer ball 79. Update your apps 80. Design a logo 81. Drink water 82. Snuggle your pillow

Subscribe for stories, reviews, video, podcasts and more!

Visit theounce.ca

The Valens Company manufactured about 1.4 million units of finished goods over the course of a year.

Everyday cannabis The Valens Company leads the way in Cannabis 3.0

By David Wylie

I

f you’re reading this, chances are you’ve tried something made by The Valens Company—even if you didn’t realize it.

The company has three manufacturing facilities in Kelowna, B.C., where they make everything from high-potency concentrates to pastel-coloured bath bombs.

They manufactured about 1.4 million cannabis products last year across 190 different SKUs, including Tropic Lemon vapes from Verse, Summit 10 iced tea drinks by A1 Cannabis, and a range of sublingual oils from nūance.

Valens is one of the top performing cannabis companies in the world.

CEO, Co-Founder, and Chairman, Tyler Robson says a focus on fundamentals makes them stand out.

“Everybody got as big as they could as quick as they could and that’s the exact opposite of what we’ve done at Valens.

For us it’s all about making sound business decisions, remaining focused on the fundamentals, and once you’ve perfected at the pilot scale, then you expand.”

It’s tough to keep up with what Valens is doing. There is a continuous stream of announcements, everything from global acquisitions to amended licensing for pre-rolls.

Robson says he always believed in the Cannabis 2.0 and 3.0 categories taking market share. They focus on tailoring products to what consumers are after.

“What we do at Valens really well is listen, rather than try to dictate the products that people want,” he says.

“A lot of people get distracted by noise, but focus on the fundamentals will win.

If you can launch a product that you can stand behind. Remove the noise and keep moving forward.”

They evolve with the market, and to that end, made major expansions with their 42,000-sq.-ft. K2 facility and acquisition of edibles maker, LYF.

“We don’t get distracted by what anybody else is doing.

To be frank, I don’t care what anybody else is doing.

We know where we need to go and we know how to get there.”

— Tyler Robson, CEO, Co-Founder, and Chair, The Valens Company

Photos: The Valens Company

theounce.ca

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Valens Labs, above, keeps the whole company moving by ensuring there is always access to timely lab results.

Bath bombs, right, are stored in the K2 facility before being packaged and shipped across Canada.

The biggest untapped market Robson says he’s a big believer in the health and wellness categories.

“When you really look at bringing cannabis mainstream you need different products, you need different form factors, you need different experiences. We believe the biggest untapped market is the health and wellness vertical.”

That means bath bombs, lip balms, honey products, and other things that jive with daily rituals. As for health, they focus on low 18

the oz.

calories, with no refined sugar.

Robson says it’s taking a product consumers want overall, reverse engineering it, and gearing it for the cannabis crowd.

He says listening to feedback is key to staying on top of those trends, and that includes reading blogs, evaluating hard data from the US, and looking at your own successes and losses as a company.

However, the US market isn’t always a reliable barometer.

“The one thing that shocked me is how

well pre-rolls have done,” says Robson.

He says if you look at any mature legal recreational US state, pre-roll sales are substantially lower. In Canada, certain types of joints are doing great with consumers. “It seems like what I’ll call a ‘.35-gram dog-walker’— where you smoke a very small joint if you’re walking your dog—those ones seem to be doing very well,” he says.

Valens worked with an engineering team out of Montreal on a fully-automated custom commercial pre-roll machine.

Photos: Jaesin Hammer/for the oz.

Contributed

K1, left, is 25,000 square feet, while the newer K2 is 42,000 square feet, with two floors.

The company is making 10-packs of .35-gram pre-rolls for the Verse brand.

“We don’t like bleached tobacco paper,” says Robson. “What we’re doing is a natural organic hemp paper.”

As the largest purchaser of biomass in Canada, Valens can handpick genetics and strains— whether for potency, terpene profile, experience or even aroma. “We turn down more products than we actually buy,”

he says. “We’re not tied to a single genetic.”

Valens is using SōRSE Technology in its drinks, which Robson calls “an absolute game changer.” The emulsion process means drinks by Valens—including Basecamp and Summit 10—have fast onset and predictable offset.

Recently Valens acquired neighbouring Kelowna company LYF, an edible manufacturer that complements what Valens does.

They have large commercial automated lines for gummies and chocolates.

Robson has been involved with cannabis since the early medical licensing days.

“I knew about the cannabis space and I’d grown up around it,” he says. “That’s when I figured I needed to go to university if I really wanted to make something of it. I accepted a football scholarship to the University of Saskatchewan.”

VERY CHERRY

Milk Chocolate Covered Fruit Chew

WHITE CHOCOLATE

Ice Cream Sandwich

FRUIT CHEW

Twisted Berry

Jaesin Hammer/for the oz.

Robson went through CFL training camp and landed briefly on a roster, then made his way back to Kelowna to be one of the founders of Valens.

“We wanted to bypass cultivation as a whole and really just get into derivatives and different types of extraction,” he says.

“Our whole logic is when you really look at medical cannabis, what’s medical about smoking a flower and inhaling a product that’s inconsistent? We really need to make it like a medical product where it’s replicated whether it’s product one or a million, with concrete dosing and consistent dosing. That’s where extraction came into play.”

That wasn’t an option a decade ago.

“We didn’t have a choice. Health Canada only offered cultivation licences at the time.”

“What we did was the path of least resistance,” he says. “We had to play nice in the sandbox and effectively pivot as soon as we were allowed to.”

They were a pioneer in receiving one of the first extraction licenses using cannabis derivatives as the matrix.

“Then we scrapped the grow rooms,” he says.

Valens’ state-of-the-art facilities The Valens Company has an expansive footprint in an industrial area that straddles the Kelowna and Lake Country border.

We start our tour in the company’s original 25,000-sq.-ft. facility, called K1, and follow a path similar to the one thousands upon thousands of kilos of cannabis have taken on the journey toward refinement.

From shipping and receiving, to preparation and storage, on to all the different extraction methods. Valens has expertise and experience in CO2, ethanol, hydrocarbon, solventless, and terpene extraction. One of their latest is a solventless hash-making process.

Quinn Shiskin, Director, Innovation and Commercialization, leads the tour.

A lot of equipment is custom, he points out.

Shiskin comes from the oilsands, where he was helping create these kinds of custom solutions on a big-oil scale—from one oil to another kind of oil, he says. A Red-Seal welder and millwright, Shiskin worked in oil and gas for 12 years running his own welding business. At Valens, the company has its own unique needs as a pioneer in the commercialization of cannabis.

“We bought stuff off the shelf and it didn’t really work, so the last four years we’ve been at this, we’ve custom designed most of our equipment and really put innovation at the top of our business plan,” he says.

“It’s a growing industry with no playbook to follow.

I think we’ve pioneered a lot of it on the extraction to this commercial production.”

— Quinn Shiskin, Director, Innovation and Commercialization

“There wasn’t really a leader to follow— trends in food and pharma, but cannabis is different. I would say it’s a garage chemistry industry … and now we go to commercial cannabis production and that was a big part of what I loved—making it that, making it commercial, safe, reliable, quality control, so it’s been a lot of innovation these last few years and we’re really putting our best foot forward to lead that sector.”

Take hydrocarbon extraction. It’s the process of creating live resin. First, growers harvest flower and flash-freeze it; the never-dried buds maintain the unadulterated terpenes and natural flavours of the plant.

Then Valens runs it through their hydrocarbon process at -80 C. “We really pioneered the first one in Canada. We worked on this for many years.

We had one of the first operating units and over the years have perfected our processes,” says Shiskin.

“It’s really the essence of that plant into the extract itself, a very cool process and we’re one of the largest capacities here in Canada.”

During the tour, we can’t enter the small space where they’re actually doing the hydrocarbon extraction, to keep from creating any static electricity; the room itself is a C1D1/ C1D2 intrinsically safe space required to operate with volatile solvents. Throughout this space, you can see safety in the highest regard – down to the anti-static scrubs, and even the anti-static garbage can in the room.

We peek inside, then Shiskin shows off some of the concentrates in progress.

He removes a baking dish from an oven.

The room fills with the beautiful terpene-rich smell. He removes two more dishes that are further on in the process and more baked.

They are mesmerizingly beautiful.

What’s in these dishes will go on to become White Rhino Crumble from Verse.

We visit a small chemistry lab where Valens has a team working on isolating minor cannabinoids through synthesis and chromatography. Many are familiar with THC and CBD, but CBN and CBG are on the cusp of becoming more mainstream.

“We have our sights on those,” says Shiskin. “Those are going to be a hot topic as well. Once you have CBN and CBG and those other derivatives in the final products it opens up a whole new category of experience and onset-offset and delivery time. There’s a whole different category coming.”

One of the key decisions made early on by Valens was creating its own third-party subsidiary laboratory; Valens Labs offers testing and analysis and is ISO 17025 accredited, the global gold standard for laboratory testing services.

The equipment can detect trace amounts of pesticides, terpenes, residual solvents, and heavy metals, among other things. All the flower that comes into the facility gets tested.

This is particularly important when it comes to extraction, as small amounts of impurities can concentrate.

Fast access to the lab has been key, says Shiskin; a quick turnaround (rather than weeks spent waiting) increases the company’s throughput.

“It’s full a-la-cart service for us,” he says. theounce.ca

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Right: There is a

lot of chemistry

happening inside the company’s

K1 facility where

the extraction

process happens.

In the K2 facility, employees are

busy filling

and packaging.

Above: Concentrate made using hydrocarbon extraction is at different stages of the process. Once finished, what’s in these trays will become Verse’s White Rhino crumble.

The Valens Company

Fast-moving cannabis industry After a quick visit to the lab, we walk next door to the brand new K2 facility, which feels absolutely spacious compared to K1.

There are empty rooms to fill, with new machines coming. As Shiskin says, Valens is “constantly changing, constantly innovating.”

The building has a pharmaceutical feel, with full epoxy, cleanable surfaces on all walls. No dust can trap anywhere.

“I definitely feel comfortable eating off these floors,” says Shiskin.

The processes in K2 include packaging, tincture filling, vape filling, bath-bomb production, and other mainstream everyday-life products.

“Our biggest hurdle at the K1 facility was capacity and space,” he says.

Above: The Valens Company worked with a Montreal engineering firm to create their custom pre-roll machine.

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Rooms in the new building feature services for quick change-outs and swapping of equipment, so the company can open walls and a create custom rooms for products not even imagined yet. A lot of knowledge goes into planning and creating the GMP aspects for commercial cannabis.

“It’s unbelievable how fast cannabis moves,” he says. “There were a lot of lessons learned in the original facility.”

Music plays as we enter the vapourizer filling room. The smell of Verse’s Tropic Lemon vape is heavy in the air. Even Shiskin was surprised on the tour to see a new innovation—vape trays that can hold up to 250 carts instead of the previous 117. The new trays are custom made. That’s how fast things move at Valens.

The company can fill 20,000 vapes per day out of just one room. Sometimes they run two or three rooms per day.

A few doors over, the room where bath bombs are stored smells fantastic.

The bath bombs are sold under the brand name nūance and are available in retailer shops across Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and very soon in Manitoba and Yukon.

“We’re really going to own this market segment, health and wellness,” says Shiskin.

This is all new territory to cover.

“It’s a growing industry with no playbook to follow. I think we’ve pioneered a lot of it on the extraction to this commercial production. I think we nailed it our first two builds,” he says.

Jaesin Hammer/for the oz.

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Q&A We spoke with Chief Operating Officer at The Valens Company Chantel Popoff. With Cannabis 3.0 on the horizon and Valens’ acquisition of edibles maker LYF, the Kelowna company is well positioned to offer consumers cannabis products that fit into their everyday life. They’re poised for growth in Canada and beyond. the oz. – What exactly is Cannabis 3.0?

Popoff – Essentially 3.0 products focus on bringing the benefits of cannabis derivatives into more mainstream health products already present in consumers’ homes. Some examples would be THC or CBD-infused bath bombs, THC-infused lip balm, THC or CBD-infused honey, or CBD-infused topical creams—and not just for pain relief, but also everyday items such as moisturizers. Essentially, the more advanced we get in cannabis products, the more mainstream or the more regular common items in the household are going to be carrying cannabis derivatives.

4.0 will see an even broader spectrum of cannabis infused deliverables made available to the consumer. the oz. – How do companies prepare for this evolution in cannabis?

Popoff – Be able to predict what consumers are looking for by watching the trends that have happened down in the US. The State of California is a great example. Companies were offering cannabis infused products such as skin creams, moisturizers, and everyday food items such as salad dressings, honey, and coffee over three years ago — these are things consumers have in their everyday lives and now they want the benefits of cannabis infused into them. Consumers don’t want to have to change their habits or their day-to-day routine, rather they just want to do a direct substitution of cannabis infused products into their everyday purchasing habits. The success of being able to position yourself to support 3.0 comes down to innovation, quality and consistency. the oz. – How many products has Valens now released in total?

Popoff – To date we’ve manufactured just over 190 different SKUs across nine different product categories within the 24

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space. Because we do both white-label manufacturing as well as manufacturing for other LPs, we’ve really been able to focus in and gain experience in a broad spectrum of different categories, which really is what led us to looking at LYF as a great partner for Valens and a great next stepping stone to be able to jump into a vertical we weren’t already playing in. the oz. – When and how did LYF come to Valens’ attention Popoff – They’re actually located just down the road from us, so from a geographical perspective the location made a lot of sense. We looked at LYF early on as a potential manufacturer for us simply because they had an expertise in novel product creation. They were looking at infusion technologies and different white label manufacturing very similar to what we do here but focused on the food space. The thing that made LYF different to us in our eyes versus other edibles manufacturers is that they focused on the broader spectrum of products. LYF was focused on manufacturing everyday foods that support more of the 3.0 categories, such as desserts, energy bars, fruit, nut and seed mixes, things that were more specialized and more CPG (consumer packaged goods) aligned. Currently LYF holds capabilities to produce things such as real fruit gummies, caramel filled bars, peanut butter cups, candies, granola products—but they’re also looking at the different consumer trends that clients are after, such as plant-based, sugar-free, and natural ingredient offerings. They’re also looking at raw ingredient or raw processing, which is very important in the market today. Being able to add our SŌRSE Technology, which is water-soluble technology, into those products makes it not only more

shelf stable but also tasteless and odourless, which is very important for folks somewhat hesitant getting into cannabis edibles because of potential cannabis taste and smell. the oz. – How many people are employed by Valens?

Popoff – We are currently at just over 250, and we’re growing quickly. We expect to have close to 300 employees by the middle of summer. the oz. – What is Valens doing to position itself for a more global market?

Popoff – We’ve been focusing on the international scene for quite some time.

Most recently (in April 2021) we signed a deal to buy Florida-based Green Roads as part of our initial expansion into the US. We have also received our import and export licences for products in Australia and we’ve completed our first successful shipment to a partner that we have in Denmark for an R&D initiative. We are going to continue to focus on quality and consistency and making sure that we have the necessary proceeds in which to grow. We recently closed a bought deal financing for total gross proceeds of almost $40 million, with $32 million of those proceeds to be used for M&A and business expansion opportunities in international markets. the oz. – What is the one change that Health Canada could make to current regulations that would most benefit the industry as a whole?

Popoff – I think there are two changes that would benefit the industry. The first would be increasing the THC limit per pack from the 10 mg allowed today to 100 mg per pack that are commonly found in the US market. That would be a win-win—not only for ourselves and other manufacturers— but also for consumers because it drives the price down and margins up, allowing for more units or more serving sizes per pack. In addition, we would love to see the continued growth and deregulation of CBD. In the United States CBD infused health and beauty products are available almost everywhere as over the counter items. The more that we can make CBD a mainstream ingredient, the more consumers will benefit and the more the market will benefit. It also provides an additional category for CPG and wellness companies to play in.

The first Valens/LYF formulated products are now available. Popoff says the team at LYF has a few secrets up their sleeve, so expect to see cannabis offerings that are outside of the box.

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Perfect poses for lifted spirits

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By Jenny Neufeld oga can offer your mind and body a number of benefits. The same can be said for cannabis. I have found that cannabis can enhance certain aspects of my yoga practice and that yoga can provide context for my high.

When practising yoga after enjoying any form of cannabis, I do my best to listen to my body and satisfy what it needs.

It’s important not to do anything that makes you feel discomfort. I have found that moving through the following five poses creates an enjoyable yoga experience while lifted.

Tree pose Instills strength, focus and balance To get into tree pose stand tall on both feet and find your breath. When you feel settled and composed, bring one knee up toward your chest; you can pause here to reestablish your balance if you need. When you are ready to move on, turn your knee out to the side and place your foot on the inside of your standing leg. You can do this at any height, even as low as your toes still touching the ground (if you are not having a good balance day) to right up near your hips and anywhere in between. You should not put your foot directly on your knee joint. Press the heel of your foot into the inside of your leg and keep your standing leg strong, as this creates a resistance and balance.

Your arms can be used to help you find your balance by spreading them out wide, holding your hands in prayer at your heart or even stretching toward the sun like branches. As pictured, I prefer my hands at prayer for the calming centered feeling it helps to instill. Try to hold the pose on each side for a few breaths.

If you lose your balance and fall out of the pose, that’s OK. Take another breath or two and try again. If you feel wobbly in the pose, don’t stress, rather allow yourself to feel your muscles and body find their balance and compensate for your one-legged stance, perhaps you are more of willow in the wind and not an immovable ancient oak.

I find this pose helps me settle my mind by putting aside any distracting thoughts and focusing on the sensations of my body as I continue through my yoga practice.

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Bound angle Creates a balance of openness and release Find a comfortable seat wherever you are practising. Keeping your back tall, bring the soles of your feet together and drop your knees down toward the ground. You can pull your feet closer to your body for more of a stretch, or you can leave them further out if that feels better. There are so many ways you can make this pose work for your

body and how it feels, even if it is different from one practice to the next.

You can put yoga blocks or pillows under your knees to support them comfortably.

You can stay sitting upright and give your feet a nice little massage for a little extra self-care bonus. You can keep your feet together and lay back on the ground for reclined bound angle. Or, my personal favourite, fold

forward, rounding your back slightly and relax into an introspective space.

Hold this pose for a few breaths, allowing your knees to continue to soften toward the ground as your muscles ease into the stretch. The opening of your hips can sometimes bring more than just a release of physical tension, you might find an emotional release as well.

Give yourself space to ride the wave of whatever might arise.

“Give yourself space to ride the wave of whatever might arise.”

Child’s pose Offers a soothing sense of grounding Tuck your feet under you, so you are sitting on your knees. Move your knees apart to create a space to lay your torso down into—the space can be as narrow or as wide as you like, and that works for your body.

Your arms can be placed anywhere you feel most comfortable: stretched out long and straight; with your elbows bent but still resting above your head; or with your hands down toward your feet, as pictured.

When I am practising while high, my preference is definitely the latter option with my arms. Typically, that means I don’t spread my knees quite as wide so my arms can comfortably rest along the rest of my body. This feels the most soothing to me, all curled up. It’s a nice counterbalance after the openness of the last posture.

Again, hold for a few breaths, taking notice of where your body touches the ground.

Allowing your thoughts to quietly turn inward. Feel your ribs expand against your legs as you breathe in and sink further into the pose as you breathe out.

I find this allows for many of my stresses and worries to just melt away.

Legs-up-the-wall pose A mild inversion for a shift in perspective This pose can be a little awkward to get into, but once you do, it can be very enjoyable. You can use a wall, your couch or a chair as long as you have space for your body to stretch away from it.

Wherever you choose to prop your legs up, the easiest way I have learned to get comfortably close to it is to start curled on your side with your bum as close as you can get it and then roll onto your back stretching your legs up. If you have tight hamstrings you may need to put a bend in your knees and move away from the wall a little, but you will still gain the benefits of this pose nonetheless.

As for your arms, again, comfort is key. As pictured, I prefer to stretch mine away from my body for a sense of openness. You can also rest your hands on your belly, feeling it move with your breath, which can be helpful if you are struggling to focus your thoughts.

Enjoy this pose for as long as it is comfortable; taking slow, deep breaths. Inversions, such as this pose, are said to aid in relaxation. In part because many body systems don’t have to work as hard, there is less strain on the heart. They also put you into positions unlike those you usually take. I find the combination of the calming sensation and change in perspective offers space for a more clear and positive mindset.

Savasana Quiet stillness The perfect end to any good yoga practice is to spend a bit of time in savasana or corpse pose. Lay down on your back with your legs outstretched and relaxed on the floor, allowing your ankles and feet to roll outward.

Allow your arms to soften away from your torso with your palms facing up your fingers comfortably curling in a restful position. Tuck your chin slightly to keep your spine aligned and long.

Now focus on your breath. Breathing through your nose, allow your body to fill with each breath in. With each breath out, feel your body sink into the floor, getting heavy and releasing any tension held in your muscles. It can help to focus on one part of the body at the time, starting with the forehead, the jaw and neck.

Move down the chest, your arms, then the belly and back. Finishing as you move down the hips, legs and feet.

You can spend as much time, or as little, as you like while you allow your body to relax and your thoughts to still. When high, this pose is often more accessible for me because I am able to let go of so many of the things that usually cause mental and physical distraction. Allowing me to reach a quiet, mindful, meditative state that is blissful. I hope you can find the same.

Namaste.

Jenny Neufeld is a daily yoga practitioner and a regular writer at the oz.

Email her at jenny@okanaganz.com.

Food & Drink | the oz.

Recipe for summer sipping Chronic Tonic 1 can of tonic 2 big basil leaves or mint A spoonful of lime juice Your favourite cannabis drops

A splash of blueberries, (or other fruit— raspberries, blackberries, strawberries) Lime wedge is optional

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Last hit | the oz.

Can’t even defend itself A communications crisis is handcuffing the cannabis industry

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By Corinne Doan he purpose of the Cannabis Act is to protect public health, safety and restrict access to minors.

The architects of the Act believed this could be achievable by restricting communication. The Act has a meticulously detailed section dedicated to numerous promotion prohibitions. Highlights are prohibitions on information regarding price, or endorsements. Communications can not be depicted by a person, character, animal, real or fictional. And my personal favourite, it is prohibited to communicate any health benefits related to cannabis.

The Canadian Department of Finance released a research paper that was largely redacted including the entire section regarding the Outstanding Challenges for Canadian Firms to Reach Global Scale. The seemingly state secret is protected by The Access to Information Act. Provincial and municipal governments have restrictive limits on signage, brand names, and Internet promotions. British Columbia added restrictions on inducements, vouchers, product samples, promotional events, and use of the hospitality industry.

Further, there are restrictions for social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The extensive communications prohibitions equate to CENSORSHIP. Censorship is the counterbalance to freedom of speech. It suppresses speech considered harmful. The purpose is to prevent distasteful ideas from consciousness. Therefore, if something is censored, it has a negative connotation. An example would be when the War Measures Act was used to limit speech from militant political opposition during the 1970 October Crisis.

In contrast to an armed militant group are the censorships posed on cannabis—a plant.

Keep in mind, until the mid-1990s Canadians faced imprisonment and a $300,000 fine for disseminating any cannabis related information. Ideas could not be shared, there was no foundation to learn, and it was forbidden to verify the plant’s risks or benefits. Deliberate misdirection and ex-

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“The greatest challenge to the emerging cannabis industry is undoing the stigma related to a century of prohibition.” treme suppression of information pressured society to believe an enormously misguided idea. Fear and ignorance fueled with stigma and oppression unfairly damaged cannabis credibility. For a communications professional, this would be considered a crisis.

A communication crisis is an unstable issue with public scrutiny creating a negative impact on reputation or credibility. Under a typical setting, managing damaged credibility can be achieved with proactive engagement with stakeholders. A safe, transparent environment for dissemination of information and feedback over time cultivates understanding. Dialogue provides a free flow of ideas and information which can motivate beneficial advancement in society. Therefore, it’s reasonable to conclude a communication policy embracing an open safe environment would be accommodated in the Cannabis Act. Oddly, that is far from the case. Stifling cannabis censorship is thriving to the point it could be challenged if stakeholders are being deprived democratic rights.

Freedom of speech is a fundamental criterion for democracy. Like democracy, freedom of speech is a fragile idea. It is each citizen’s responsibility to respect limits with their speech. In Canada, freedom of speech is protected in section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Also, The Charter permits enforcement of “reasonable” limits if there is hate speech, obscenity, or defamation of certain categories of restricted Canadian speech. Communication boundaries are necessary to protect the rights of others for public health and security. Likewise, communication creates a foundation to learn and build goodwill. Further, communication provides a forum to identify risks and resolve problems before issues escalate. Hence, it should be questioned, are the limits placed on cannabis communications reasonable?

Despite aversive political and capitalistic dynamics, the plant survived a century of prohibition because its medicinal purposes were recognized. Cannabis is less toxic with fewer side effects than many synthetic drugs (note, I did not use the word ‘healthy’). Capitalism and politics relented and reversed stances on prohibition when potential revenue was identified.

However, censorship has hindered the progress of the Canadian cannabis industry because it is not able to sufficiently address its damaged reputation.

There is a cost for a damaged reputation.

In his book, A Strategic Approach to Crisis Management, author Kurt Stocker explains a company’s bottom line will take a 5-50% hit due to bad reputations. Prior to the 2018 legalization, it was estimated the legacy market was earning $7 billion per year. It is estimated legal Canadian cannabis sales to be on the upside of $3.5 billion for 2021 (Desjardins, Dec. 17, 2020 report). Although there are many reasons to blame, one has to wonder how much better the industry could be doing without ongoing censorship.

Consider, Canada’s economic advantage of being the first G7 country to legalize is dwindling. The new American administration has mandated cannabis legalization.

When it does, it is unlikely the same communication prohibitions will be implemented. To do so, would restrict an already battered economy in immeasurable ways.

For example, look at this year’s Super Bowl LV. A Superbowl commercial costs in the field of $5.5 to $11 million USD. During the game there was a seemingly innocent advertisement featuring Scotts Miracle Gro. For over a century Scotts has been a respected American company for lawn fertilizers and garden accessories.

It seems irreproachable, however, there is an issue which would restrict this commercial in Canada. Scott’s subsidiary Hawthorne Gardening Company has a dedicated research facility for improving cannabis fertilizers. (The facility is based in Kelowna, BC.) Hawthorne sales soared 71% to a whopping $309.4 million USD in the last quarter alone. Because garden products do not sell during winter, the increase attributed to Scotts first quarter profit in the company’s 135-year history. Hence, Scotts is a strong advocate supporting cannabis legalization in the US. More, Scott’s advertisement featured gardening/cooking guru ce-

lebrity Martha Stewart. Stewart is also under contract with mega cannabis conglomerate Canopy Growth and has recently released her CBD pet line. Accordingly, Scotts and its cannabis associations should be restricted to advertise in Canada. Leaving the question, how does prohibiting a lawn commercial in Canada protect its citizens from harm?

dizing positive image. It is understandable people are still scared and confused. With legalization, it seemed hopeful a welcome climate would be extended to help rectify the prohibition and censorship imposed on cannabis. Unfortunately, that is far from reality.

Instead, Canadian cannabis censorship puts the industry at great disadvantage.

The hypocrisy to Canada’s censorship is mind boggling. Canadian cannabis businesses are restricted from opportunity, and that is an immense harm.

The greatest challenge to the emerging cannabis industry is undoing the stigma related to a century of prohibition. That is a communication issue. The remaining prohibitions in the Cannabis Act equate to censorship. That too is a communication issue. By limiting cannabis communication, the industry is restricted to address its reputational damage. There is an ongoing lingering threat and negative impact jeopar-

Corinne Doan is Canada’s first published author with a book regarding Canadian cannabis investments titled Canadian Cannabis Stocks Simplified: A How-To Guide for the Budding Investor. She was a licensed investment advisor with a focus on venture capital markets and held investment industry (IIROC) relevant licenses with the Canadian Securities Course (CSC), options and branch managers.

Also, Cori has an MBA with specialty disciplines in public relations and communications. Any data or Information that is not directly cited in this report is believed to come from reliable sources.

Kurt Stocker, “A Strategic Approach to Crisis Management,” in the Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Communications, ed. Clark Caywood, ed. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah , N.J.: McGraw-Hill, 1997),197. All dollar values are Canadian unless otherwise specified.

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