Day 1: The New Cannabis Landscape 2018

Course Chair
John W. Conroy, QC — Conroy & Company, Abbotsford 

About the Course Chair 
John W. Conroy, QC is a barrister and solicitor who graduated from the University of BC Law School in 1971 and was called to the BC bar in 1972. He has his own law firm, Conroy & Company, based in Abbotsford, BC and his practice is primarily as defence counsel in criminal matters with an additional focus on sentencing and post-sentencing matters which involves an extensive administrative law and constitutional law practice.

In January 1996, Mr. Conroy was appointed Queen's Counsel. In August 2005, he was awarded the Gold medal of the International Society for the Reform of the Criminal Law in recognition of his contribution to the goals of the Society. In 2012, he received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal. He was awarded the 2014 Liberty Award by the BC Civil Liberties Association for Excellence in Legal Advocacy. In 2015, he received from the Office of the Correctional Investigator for Canada, the Ed McIsaac Human Rights in Corrections Award.

On the cannabis issue, Mr. Conroy has been involved in numerous cannabis cases since 1972 including R. v. David Malmo-Levine, R. v. Smith, and Smith and Allard v. Canada.

Faculty
John W. Conroy, QC — Conroy & Company, Abbotsford 
Sukhbir Manhas — Young Anderson, Vancouver
Nicholas McCandie Glustien — Associate Director, Policy, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa
John Morales — Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, Ottawa
Jonathan Page, PhD — Adjunct Professor, Department of Botany, University of BC, Vancouver
David Poore — Legal Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General, Victoria 
Mary Shaw — Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Secretariat, Victoria
Kirk I. Tousaw — Tousaw Law Corporation, Duncan

Click here for full faculty bios »

Welcome and Introduction 

John W. Conroy, QC — Conroy & Company, Abbotsford

What Is Canabis Marijuana? The Essentials 
An Overview and Primer

• botany
• pharmacology
• acute and other impacts

Jonathan Page, PhD — Adjunct Professor, Department of Botany, University of BC, Vancouver

Break

Cannabis in Canada: The Past, Present, and Proposed Future 

History of Prohibition to Date — Constitutional and Criminal Law

• the past to the present from 1908 to 2018 and some cases along the way

John W. Conroy, QC — Conroy & Company, Abbotsford 

Canada's Public Health Approach to the Legalization and Regulation of Cannabis 

• the Federal Government's public health approach towards a new legislative and regulatory framework

via video link
Nicholas McCandie Glustien — Associate Director, Policy, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa
John Morales — Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, Ottawa 

Networking Lunch

Cannabis Regulation in BC — Representatives from BC's Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Secretariat

In April 2017, the Government of Canada introduced the Cannabis Act and amendments to the Criminal Code to address cannabis impaired driving with plants to legalize non-medical cannabis in Canada. While the proposed Cannabis Act provides for the federal government to regulate production, provinces and territories will have the authority to regulate certain aspects like minimum age, public consumption, personal cultivation, possession limits, distribution, retail, and a range of other matters. Provincial staff will provide an update on BC's proposed regulatory framework for legalized non-medical cannabis.

David Poore — Legal Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General, Victoria 
Mary Shaw — Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Secretariat, Victoria

Break

Local Government Issues Arising: The Role and Impact on Local Governments 

• zoning
• business licensing and regulation
• health and safety issues
• Board of Variance applications and judicial reviews
• the Vancouver injunction enforcement test case and other litigation filed by local governments against dispensaries

Sukhbir Manhas — Young Anderson, Vancouver

Q & A Closing Panel 

John W. Conroy, QC — Conroy & Company, Abbotsford 
Kirk I. Tousaw — Tousaw Law Corporation, Duncan