In case you didn't already know, CanFest was to be the first mainstream cannabis expo in Quebec. CanEmpire was to host the event in Quebec City on May 28, 2022.
This first-of-its-kind concept has been founded primarily to help the cause of destigmatizing cannabis, a cause that is particularly important in Quebec.
Organizers had been working on CanFest since 2019 before government agents forced its cancellation.
FORCED CANCELLATION OF CANFEST QUEBEC BY GOVERNMENT AGENTS
Even if the laws in force in Quebec were respected in their entirety for this event, the Quebec edition of CanFest was forcibly canceled by the organizers due to the threats and actions of certain agents of the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS). These agents led a fear campaign inciting the different venues that were supposed to host CanFest to break their agreement with CanEmpire for the event scheduled for May 28.
« Although CanFest, an event in support of the destigmatization of cannabis, fully respected the strict legal framework of Quebec (as the same ministry had previously confirmed to us), we must, unfortunately, face the fact that this province will not let our cannabis event take place here. Freedom of expression has taken a hit and we are disgusted to see the censorship in which Quebec reigns on the subject of cannabis (to the point that even an educational event on the subject is disturbing and stigmatized) [Our translation] », CanEmpire's team wrote on their social networks, a few hours after seeing their contract with their host venue terminated.
Realizing that an event where cannabis is mentioned would not be tolerated in the province, the organizers decided to cancel the "booths and conferences" part of the event and to keep only the After-Party (comedy and music shows), without any link with cannabis. This way, the company made sure to offer a great experience to the ticket holders despite everything.
This change did not however prevent the MSSS agents from intervening once again, less than 48 hours before the event, when the shows were finally relocated to a new venue (for the 3rd time, eh!).
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To all CanEmpire, It is with broken hearts that we must announce the forced cancellation of part of our May 28 event (CanFest cannabis show) following numerous threats received from the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS). |
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***IMPORTANT PRESS RELEASE - CANCELLATION OF SHOWS ON MAY 28*** |
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT CANNABIS STIGMA?
The main reason is that this stigma is real and affects practically all cannabis users regardless of where they are in the world. Now that cannabis is legal across Canada, it's time to open up the discussion and put an end to the stigma once and for all.
It is even more important to address the stigma surrounding cannabis in Quebec because, as you certainly know, the laws adopted by "la Belle Province" are much more restrictive than what applies in the rest of Canada.
THE RESTRICTIVE SITUATION IN QUEBEC
In order to fully understand the situation in which cannabis users currently find themselves in Quebec, the following is an overview of some of the major differences between the cannabis rules in Quebec and those in other Canadian provinces.
No, it's not only cannabis-themed events that are forbidden only to Quebec consumers.
YOU MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO USE CANNABIS
While the federal law on cannabis sets the legal age to consume, purchase and possess cannabis at 18, the provinces have chosen to set the age at 19 in their provincial legislation. Except for Alberta which kept the age of 18 and... Quebec which went in the opposite direction ( 1 ).
In Quebec, since the Caquist government adopted the Act to tighten the regulation of cannabis in January 2020, the legal age to consume cannabis is 21, although the legal age to drink alcohol is 18.
IT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO CONSUME CANNABIS IN ANY PUBLIC PLACE
Quebec residents are prohibited from consuming cannabis (by smoking, vaping, or other means) in all public places, including any outdoor location open to the public ( 2 ).
This interdiction has the effect of making it illegal for people living in rented homes whose leases expressly prohibit the use of cannabis.
Indeed, if you are a tenant, your landlord can explicitly include in the lease a total prohibition of cannabis consumption in your home, leaving you no option of where to consume it ( 3 ).
QUEBEC HAS BANNED ITS CITIZENS FROM GROWING THEIR OWN CANNABIS AT HOME
Although Canada's cannabis law allows for the cultivation of four cannabis plants at home for adults of legal age, Quebec has decided to ban home cultivation entirely. It is the only province, along with Manitoba, to prohibit its residents from growing their cannabis at home ( 4 ).
In fact, good news for Quebec cannabis enthusiasts: the Supreme Court officially heard a few months ago the case challenging sections 5 and 10 of the Cannabis regulation act, provisions prohibiting the possession of a cannabis plant and the cultivation of cannabis for personal use. While the Superior Court had initially invalidated these two clauses of the Quebec law in September 2019, the Court of Appeal reversed that decision. It's now the turn of the highest court in the country to address the issue ( 5 ).
SEVERAL DERIVED PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN QUEBEC
Despite the federal permission for cannabis-derived products, Quebec has banned the sale of edible products that may be appealing to people under 21, such as :
- Candies ;
- Sweets ;
- Desserts ;
- Chocolate.
In addition, although some extracts such as hashish and cannabis oils are allowed in Quebec, the Quebec government has tightened the knot by banning all vaping products in the province.
Finally, once again, despite federal law, the Quebec population is forbidden to obtain any topical product derived from cannabis in their province ( 6 ).
WHAT'S NEXT FOR CANFEST?
The first edition of CanFest was obviously to be held in Quebec City, where the founders of CanEmpire are from, but the team was already planning to expand the event concept to other Canadian cities. The censorship experienced in Quebec will only accelerate the event's migration to other provinces where cannabis-related laws are more flexibly applied, such as Ontario.
In the meantime, CanEmpire does not intend to turn a blind eye to the numerous financial and psychological damages that were unjustly suffered during this saga. This is why the company has officially filed a lawsuit against the MSSS for an amount of over 1 000 000 $. The organizers hope to create a positive precedent that will protect the entire Quebec cannabis industry from such actions by government agents.
The CanEmpire team strongly believes that education is the key to fighting the stigma surrounding cannabis, and CanFest is a great opportunity to educate the public on the various facets of the plant, as well as to bring together a cannabis-loving community in a non-judgmental and welcoming atmosphere.
For CanEmpire, destigmatization also means normalizing entertainment for cannabis consumers. That's why the company is looking forward to expanding CanFest to as many locations as possible and to providing a unique experience for its participants.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THIS CAUSE?
CanFest Quebec was a positive manifestation in favor of the destigmatization of cannabis use. It was the first and only opportunity for the Quebec cannabis community to come together in a large-scale event to show their support for this cause, which is of particular importance in Quebec.
But to make things happen, we need your support and that of the Quebec population!
The whole CanFest cancellation story is shocking to you and you're wondering how you can offer your support?