A Tax System Built to Overwhelm
At its core, the excise tax program for cannabis is unnecessarily complex. Unlike cigarettes, which carry a single federal excise stamp regardless of where they’re sold, cannabis must be excised provincially. This means that every package of legal cannabis must bear a province-specific excise stamp, adding unnecessary layers of logistics, time, and cost.
What’s worse, obtaining these stamps isn’t a straightforward process. Businesses are required to submit monthly reports to the CRA, breaking down every detail of their operations:
Sales figures by province
Product categories such as dried flower, fresh flower, extracts, edibles, and topicals
Payments calculated for each specific segment
These reports are both time-intensive and error-prone, requiring significant resources to manage. For smaller businesses, this translates to hiring additional staff or outsourcing compliance—an expense many can’t afford.
Monthly Reporting: A Ticking Time Bomb
Submitting monthly reports might seem manageable at first glance, but the level of granularity required is staggering. Every sale, every product type, and every province must be accounted for in excruciating detail.
The administrative burden of these reports eats into time and resources that could otherwise be spent growing the business. Worse yet, the CRA ties the procurement of excise stamps to these reports and payments. Without compliance, businesses can’t legally sell their products—a system that disproportionately penalizes small and medium-sized enterprises that may already be struggling to keep up with regulatory demands.
Financial Strain: Death by a Thousand Cuts
Cannabis businesses are already grappling with tight margins due to licensing fees, regulatory compliance costs, and market competition. The excise tax program adds yet another layer of financial strain. Monthly payments to the CRA are often substantial, further squeezing already narrow profit margins.
Consider this: the legacy market operates without these fees and reports. While the legal market fights to stay afloat under the weight of government demands, the legacy market thrives, offering competitive pricing without the same overhead. The CRA’s approach not only stifles legal businesses but inadvertently makes the legacy market more appealing to both producers and consumers.
A Double Standard: Cannabis vs. Cigarettes
Why does the excise tax program for cannabis demand provincial stamps while cigarettes get by with a single federal stamp? It’s a glaring double standard that highlights the inconsistency in how the government treats cannabis compared to other taxable goods.
Cigarettes and alcohol, long-established in the market, have streamlined excise systems designed to maximize revenue without crippling businesses. The cannabis industry, on the other hand, is treated like a scapegoat—an industry to be milked for every dollar, regardless of the consequences.
The Consequences: A Thriving Legacy Market
The CRA’s overreach doesn’t just hurt legal businesses; it actively benefits the legacy market. By making compliance so costly and cumbersome, the excise program discourages small-scale producers from entering or staying in the legal market.
When legacy operators see the mountain of bureaucracy that comes with legalization, many decide it’s simply not worth the effort. The result? The legacy market continues to flourish, providing products without excise stamps, provincial breakdowns, or monthly reports.
The Path Forward: Simplify and Streamline
If the legal cannabis market is to succeed, the CRA must reconsider its approach to excise taxes. Here’s how:
Unified Federal Stamp: Adopt a single federal excise stamp for cannabis products, similar to tobacco, to reduce logistical complexity.
Quarterly Reporting: Shift from monthly to quarterly reporting, allowing businesses more breathing room to focus on operations.
Flat Tax Structures: Implement straightforward tax rates that don’t require exhaustive categorization of products by province and type.
Support Small Businesses: Introduce financial incentives or reduced tax rates for small and medium-sized businesses to level the playing field.
The CRA’s excise tax program is emblematic of the challenges facing Canada’s legal cannabis industry. With its excessive demands and fragmented structure, it’s no wonder the legal market struggles to compete with the legacy market.
For legalization to truly achieve its goals, the government must adopt a more business-friendly approach. Simplifying the excise tax system isn’t just a matter of convenience—it’s essential for the survival of the legal cannabis industry. Until then, the legacy market will remain a powerful competitor, thriving in the gaps left by bureaucratic overreach.
Provincial Cannabis Agencies: Bottlenecks in the Industry
The promise of Canada’s legal cannabis market was one of efficiency, opportunity, and accessibility. But for those of us navigating the industry, the reality is quite different. Provincial cannabis agencies, while intended to regulate and streamline distribution, have become significant bottlenecks that add unnecessary expense, inefficiency, and frustration to an already overburdened system.
Let’s take a closer look at how these provincial entities are hindering the growth of the cannabis industry and why it’s time to rethink their role.
A System Built on Redundancy
One of the most glaring inefficiencies in the provincial cannabis distribution model is the requirement to ship products to a central warehouse before they can reach dispensaries—even when the dispensary is in the same town as the grower or processor.
Consider the absurdity: A grower located in a small town produces cannabis, ships it to a provincial warehouse hundreds of kilometers away, and then waits while the product is shipped right back to the dispensary down the street. This not only wastes time but also drives up costs for transportation, handling, and storage—costs that are ultimately passed on to the consumer.
Is this really the most efficient way to distribute cannabis? Wouldn’t it make more sense—and cost significantly less—for growers and processors to ship directly to dispensaries?
The Financial Burden of Provincial Entities
Provincial cannabis agencies are expensive to maintain. Warehouses, staff, logistics, and administration all require significant funding, and guess who foots the bill? Cannabis businesses, and, of course, that gets passed along to the buyer. So, you as the consumer, are footing the bill for these entities to police the industry.
These agencies are funded, in part, by the fees and markups imposed on growers, processors, and retailers. Every dollar spent keeping these provincial entities afloat is a dollar that could have been invested in product development, marketing, or growing the business.
For small and medium-sized producers, these additional expenses can be crippling. Instead of fostering a thriving industry, provincial agencies act as gatekeepers, siphoning resources away from the businesses they’re supposed to support.
The Application Process: A Herculean Task
Getting accepted by a provincial agency isn’t just challenging—it’s like winning an award. The application process is long, complicated, and opaque, leaving many prospective growers and processors feeling as though they’re jumping through hoops just to be considered.
Once accepted, the challenges don’t end. Ongoing restrictive requirements and compliance demands make working with provincial agencies a continual uphill battle. Businesses must navigate everything from stringent packaging rules to complicated reporting requirements, all while managing the costs of doing so.
For many, the process is so daunting that they question whether entering the legal market is even worth it.
The Marketing Myth: Who’s Telling the Story?
Despite their significant role in the supply chain, provincial agencies don’t advertise or market products for growers and processors. It’s up to individual businesses to create demand for their products while navigating the limitations imposed by provincial rules.
Dispensaries are often left to decide which products to stock based on limited information, and consumers may never even know about the growers behind the products they purchase. This lack of support further disadvantages small businesses trying to establish themselves in a crowded market.
A Better Way Forward: Direct-to-Dispensary Distribution
It’s clear that the current system is flawed. Here’s how we can create a more efficient, cost-effective model:
Eliminate Centralized Warehousing: Allow growers and processors to ship directly to dispensaries. This would cut down on transportation costs, reduce turnaround times, and lower the environmental impact of excessive shipping.
Streamline Applications: Simplify the process of getting listed with provincial agencies, and ensure transparency in decision-making.
Reduce Fees: Lower the financial burden on cannabis businesses by cutting back on the costs of maintaining provincial warehouses and staff.
Empower Businesses: Provide tools and resources to help growers and processors market their products directly to dispensaries and consumers.
The Consequences of Inaction
The inefficiencies of provincial cannabis agencies are more than just an inconvenience—they’re a serious barrier to the growth of the legal market. While legal businesses struggle to navigate the system, the legacy market remains agile and cost-effective, offering consumers competitive prices and consistent supply.
Until these bottlenecks are addressed, the legal market will continue to lose ground to its unregulated counterpart. If provincial agencies truly want to support the industry, they must evolve into partners, not obstacles.
The provincial cannabis distribution model in Canada is outdated, inefficient, and expensive. It’s time to rethink the role of these agencies and prioritize a system that supports, rather than stifles, cannabis businesses.
By embracing direct-to-dispensary distribution, simplifying applications, and reducing unnecessary expenses, we can create a legal cannabis market that’s not only competitive but also sustainable. Until then, the legacy market will continue to outpace its legal counterpart, and the dream of a thriving cannabis industry will remain out of reach.
Cannabinoids vs. Terpenes: Understanding the Power of Cannabis Compounds
Cannabis is much more than a plant—it’s a chemical powerhouse packed with compounds that influence how it interacts with our bodies. Among these, cannabinoids and terpenes play leading roles. But what’s the difference between the two, and why should you care?
Whether you’re exploring cannabis for therapeutic benefits or just curious about what makes different strains unique, understanding cannabinoids and terpenes is key to making informed choices.
Cannabinoids: The Core Players
Cannabinoids are the active compounds in cannabis that interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system regulates a variety of processes, including pain, mood, appetite, and sleep.
Common Cannabinoids and Their Effects:
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)
The most famous cannabinoid, THC is responsible for cannabis’s psychoactive effects—the “high.” It also offers potential therapeutic benefits, such as pain relief, appetite stimulation, and nausea reduction.
CBD (Cannabidiol)
Known for its non-intoxicating properties, CBD is celebrated for reducing anxiety, inflammation, and seizures. It’s a favorite for those seeking therapeutic effects without the high.
CBG (Cannabigerol)
Often called the “mother of all cannabinoids,” CBG is the precursor to THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. Early studies suggest it may help with inflammation, glaucoma, and even antibacterial properties.
CBC (Cannabichromene)
While less researched, CBC shows promise in mood enhancement and pain relief by interacting with receptors outside the ECS.
CBN (Cannabinol)
Created as THC degrades, CBN is mildly psychoactive and may support sleep and relaxation.
These cannabinoids are just the tip of the iceberg—there are over 100 known cannabinoids, each contributing uniquely to cannabis’s effects.
Terpenes: The Aromatic All-Stars
While cannabinoids get most of the attention, terpenes are equally important. These aromatic compounds give cannabis its distinctive smell and flavor, but their role goes far beyond sensory appeal. Terpenes can enhance the effects of cannabinoids through what’s known as the entourage effect, where compounds work synergistically for greater benefits.
Common Terpenes and Their Profiles:
Myrcene
Aroma: Earthy, musky, with hints of clove
Effects: Relaxation, sedation
Found In: Mangoes, hops, and thyme
Limonene
Aroma: Citrus (lemon, orange)
Effects: Mood elevation, stress relief
Found In: Citrus fruits, peppermint
Pinene
Aroma: Pine needles
Effects: Focus, anti-inflammatory
Found In: Pine trees, basil, rosemary
Linalool
Aroma: Floral (lavender)
Effects: Relaxation, stress relief
Found In: Lavender, mint
Caryophyllene
Aroma: Spicy, peppery
Effects: Anti-inflammatory, pain relief
Found In: Black pepper, cloves
Terpinolene
Aroma: Floral, citrus, and herbaceous
Effects: Uplifting, energizing
Found In: Lilacs, nutmeg, apples
Each strain’s unique terpene profile plays a huge role in determining its flavor, aroma, and overall effects.
Cannabinoids and Terpenes: A Symbiotic Relationship
One of the most fascinating aspects of cannabis is how cannabinoids and terpenes interact. Neither works in isolation; their combined effects create the unique characteristics of different strains.
The Entourage Effect:
This concept explains how cannabinoids and terpenes work together to amplify each other’s benefits. For example:
THC and Myrcene: Myrcene may increase THC’s psychoactive effects, creating a more pronounced high.
CBD and Limonene: Limonene can enhance CBD’s calming effects, making it even more effective for stress relief.
When choosing a cannabis product, looking at both its cannabinoid content and terpene profile can help you find the right fit for your needs.
How to Choose Based on Cannabinoids and Terpenes
When selecting a cannabis strain or product, consider the following:
Your Desired Effects:
Need relaxation? Look for high myrcene and CBD.
Seeking focus? Try strains with pinene and moderate THC.
Flavor and Aroma Preferences:
Love citrus? Go for limonene-rich strains.
Prefer earthy flavors? Myrcene and caryophyllene are your go-to terpenes.
Therapeutic Goals:
For pain relief, combine THC with caryophyllene.
To manage anxiety, choose a CBD-dominant strain with calming terpenes like linalool.
Conclusion: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Cannabinoids and terpenes are the dynamic duo of cannabis, each bringing unique benefits to the table. Understanding their roles can help you make better choices, whether you’re seeking therapeutic relief, exploring creative culinary uses, or simply enjoying the plant.
By looking beyond THC or CBD percentages and considering terpene profiles, you can unlock the full potential of cannabis. After all, the magic of this plant lies not in any single compound but in the symphony they create together.
Why I’m Sharing My Recipes: A Journey of Food, Farming, and Living Naturally
It all begins with an idea.
Food brings people together, tells a story, and connects us to the earth. My book of recipes is more than just a collection of meals—it’s a reflection of my journey, a celebration of farm life, and an invitation to embrace a lifestyle rooted in simplicity, sustainability, wellness and creativity.
From cannabis-infused creations to everyday recipes that make the most of fresh ingredients, I want to share the joy of cooking and the beauty of living close to the land. Here’s why I’m so passionate about opening up my kitchen, garden, and farm to you.
A Taste of Cannabis and Beyond
While some of the recipes in my book feature THC and CBD, this is far from the whole story. Cannabis is just one part of the bigger picture—a plant with powerful benefits and creative culinary uses. But my love for cooking goes beyond infusions.
From hearty farm-to-table meals to sweet treats that showcase fresh eggs or honey, my recipes highlight the diversity of farm life. Whether you’re looking to explore the health benefits of CBD or simply want a new way to use garden vegetables, there’s something for everyone.
Sharing the Farm Experience
Living on a farm has taught me lessons that extend far beyond cooking. It’s about nurturing life—whether it’s planting vegetables, caring for horses, or raising chickens. It’s about learning to appreciate the cycles of nature and finding joy in the simplest things.
Through my recipes and stories, I want to give you a glimpse of what it’s like to live this lifestyle. You’ll find recipes inspired by what’s growing in the garden, tips for raising happy, healthy animals, and ideas for making the most of seasonal harvests.
This isn’t just a cookbook—it’s a way to share the rhythm of life on a farm.
Growing More Than Food
Gardening is at the heart of what I do. From fresh tomatoes and cucumbers to cannabis, growing plants is both an art and a science. My book includes practical advice on gardening—whether you’re starting a vegetable patch, planting an herb garden, or cultivating cannabis responsibly.
By sharing what I’ve learned, I hope to inspire you to grow something of your own. Gardening doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. With a little guidance, anyone can enjoy the satisfaction of growing their own food or even experimenting with medicinal plants.
The Farm Life Connection
Horses and chickens may seem unrelated to recipes, but they’re an integral part of my life and my philosophy of sustainability. Chickens provide fresh eggs for sustenance, horses remind me of the importance of patience and care, and both contribute to the ecosystem of the farm.
My book will share not only recipes but also insights into the farm life that inspires them. From collecting fresh eggs for a frittata to using composted manure to grow better tomatoes, everything is connected. It’s a lifestyle that feeds the body and the soul.
Why Sharing Matters
Food is deeply personal, but it’s also meant to be shared. I’ve spent years experimenting with recipes, growing my own ingredients, and learning from the land. Now, I want to share those lessons with you.
Whether you’re curious about cannabis-infused cooking, and eager to try new recipes, or simply looking for inspiration to grow or live more naturally, this book is my way of saying, “Come join me.”
Together, we can explore the joys of food, farming, and living in harmony with nature.
What You’ll Find in My Recipes
Cannabis-Infused Recipes: Tips for incorporating THC and CBD into meals, from savory dishes to indulgent desserts.
Farm-to-Table Cooking: Simple, wholesome recipes using fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Gardening Guides: Advice on growing vegetables, herbs, and cannabis at home.
Farm Life Inspiration: Stories and tips for raising chickens, caring for horses, and embracing a sustainable lifestyle.
Natural Living: Ideas for making homemade products like soaps, balms, and more.
Join Me on This Journey
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener, a curious cook, or someone dreaming of farm life, I hope you’ll find inspiration in these pages.
Together, let’s celebrate the art of growing, cooking, and living naturally.
The Canadian Revenue Agency’s Excise Program: A Barrier to the Legal Cannabis Market
It all begins with an idea.
The legalization of cannabis in Canada was meant to bring transparency, economic growth, and an alternative to the legacy market. Instead, the legal industry has been bogged down by excessive regulatory burdens, none more glaring than the Canadian Revenue Agency’s (CRA) excise tax program. For many cannabis businesses, this program isn’t just a headache—it’s a significant roadblock to success.
Let’s explore why the CRA’s excise system, with its convoluted reporting requirements and punitive financial demands, is hindering the growth of the legal cannabis market.
A Tax System Built to Overwhelm
At its core, the excise tax program for cannabis is unnecessarily complex. Unlike cigarettes, which carry a single federal excise stamp regardless of where they’re sold, cannabis must be excised provincially. This means that every package of legal cannabis must bear a province-specific excise stamp, adding unnecessary layers of logistics, time, and cost.
What’s worse, obtaining these stamps isn’t a straightforward process. Businesses are required to submit monthly reports to the CRA, breaking down every detail of their operations:
Sales figures by province
Product categories such as dried flower, fresh flower, extracts, edibles, and topicals
Payments calculated for each specific segment
These reports are both time-intensive and error-prone, requiring significant resources to manage. For smaller businesses, this translates to hiring additional staff or outsourcing compliance—an expense many can’t afford.
Monthly Reporting: A Ticking Time Bomb
Submitting monthly reports might seem manageable at first glance, but the level of granularity required is staggering. Every sale, every product type, and every province must be accounted for in excruciating detail.
The administrative burden of these reports eats into time and resources that could otherwise be spent growing the business. Worse yet, the CRA ties the procurement of excise stamps to these reports and payments. Without compliance, businesses can’t legally sell their products—a system that disproportionately penalizes small and medium-sized enterprises that may already be struggling to keep up with regulatory demands.
Financial Strain: Death by a Thousand Cuts
Cannabis businesses are already grappling with tight margins due to licensing fees, regulatory compliance costs, and market competition. The excise tax program adds yet another layer of financial strain. Monthly payments to the CRA are often substantial, further squeezing already narrow profit margins.
Consider this: the legacy market operates without these fees and reports. While the legal market fights to stay afloat under the weight of government demands, the legacy market thrives, offering competitive pricing without the same overhead. The CRA’s approach not only stifles legal businesses but inadvertently makes the legacy market more appealing to both producers and consumers.
A Double Standard: Cannabis vs. Cigarettes
Why does the excise tax program for cannabis demand provincial stamps while cigarettes get by with a single federal stamp? It’s a glaring double standard that highlights the inconsistency in how the government treats cannabis compared to other taxable goods.
Cigarettes and alcohol, long-established in the market, have streamlined excise systems designed to maximize revenue without crippling businesses. The cannabis industry, on the other hand, is treated like a scapegoat—an industry to be milked for every dollar, regardless of the consequences.
The Consequences: A Thriving Legacy Market
The CRA’s overreach doesn’t just hurt legal businesses; it actively benefits the legacy market. By making compliance so costly and cumbersome, the excise program discourages small-scale producers from entering or staying in the legal market.
When legacy operators see the mountain of bureaucracy that comes with legalization, many decide it’s simply not worth the effort. The result? The legacy market continues to flourish, providing products without excise stamps, provincial breakdowns, or monthly reports.
The Path Forward: Simplify and Streamline
If the legal cannabis market is to succeed, the CRA must reconsider its approach to excise taxes. Here’s how:
Unified Federal Stamp: Adopt a single federal excise stamp for cannabis products, similar to tobacco, to reduce logistical complexity.
Quarterly Reporting: Shift from monthly to quarterly reporting, allowing businesses more breathing room to focus on operations.
Flat Tax Structures: Implement straightforward tax rates that don’t require exhaustive categorization of products by province and type.
Support Small Businesses: Introduce financial incentives or reduced tax rates for small and medium-sized businesses to level the playing field.
Conclusion
The CRA’s excise tax program is emblematic of the challenges facing Canada’s legal cannabis industry. With its excessive demands and fragmented structure, it’s no wonder the legal market struggles to compete with the legacy market.
For legalization to truly achieve its goals, the government must adopt a more business-friendly approach. Simplifying the excise tax system isn’t just a matter of convenience—it’s essential for the survival of the legal cannabis industry. Until then, the legacy market will remain a powerful competitor, thriving in the gaps left by bureaucratic overreach.
The Government’s Heavy Hand: Is Health Canada Hindering the Cannabis Industry?
It all begins with an idea.
The cannabis industry in Canada has come a long way since legalization. It promised legitimacy, safety, and an opportunity for small businesses to thrive in a regulated environment. But as a business owner in this space, I can’t help but feel that Health Canada’s heavy-handed interference often does more harm than good.
From invasive inspections to redundant reporting requirements, the regulatory burden feels less like oversight and more like overkill. It’s time to ask: Is this level of governmental interference actually driving innovation and growth in the legal market—or is it inadvertently fueling the legacy market?
Over-Regulation: A Stifling Reality
Running a cannabis business isn’t just about cultivating quality products and serving customers. It’s about surviving the labyrinth of governmental red tape that governs every aspect of our operations.
Take the daily inspections of temperature and relative humidity, for example. Do I, as a business owner, need a government official to verify that I’ve logged these metrics multiple times a day? Clearly, I have every incentive to maintain optimal conditions—my business depends on it. Yet, I’m expected to not only keep meticulous records but also prepare exhaustive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to explain the processes I already perform.
And then there are the invasive, surprise inspections. These aren’t just checks; they’re exercises in micromanagement, scrutinizing every nook and cranny of operations that could easily be left to my expertise as the business owner. After all, no entrepreneur in their right mind would jeopardize their business by cutting corners.
The Financial Toll of Compliance
The annual fees associated with cannabis licensing are another sore spot. For a small or medium-sized business, these fees can feel punitive. Add to that the costs of compliance—staffing for documentation, systems for tracking, and resources for inspections—and the financial strain becomes unbearable.
Instead of fostering an environment where small businesses can flourish, Health Canada’s approach feels like a gatekeeping mechanism that favors larger corporations with deeper pockets.
Legacy to Legal: A Battle of Incentives
The goal of legalization was to bring the legacy market into the fold. Yet, with the current level of interference, many in the legacy market see little incentive to go legal. Why would they?
The legacy market doesn’t contend with relentless inspections, crippling fees, or the stress of compliance for compliance’s sake. These entrepreneurs can focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality products to their customers. Meanwhile, the legal market is bogged down by bureaucracy, creating a regulatory disparity that actually encourages the legacy market to thrive.
The Path Forward: A Call for Reasonable Regulation
It’s time for Health Canada to take a step back and reassess its approach. Oversight is important, but it needs to be balanced with practicality and trust in the industry’s professionals.
Here are a few changes that could help:
Streamline Reporting: Mandate less frequent reporting and eliminate redundant requirements. Trust business owners to maintain operational standards without micromanagement.
Reduce Fees: Lower licensing fees to make legal operations more accessible, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.
Focus on Public Safety: Shift the focus to product quality and safety, rather than over-regulating day-to-day operations.
Support for Transition: Provide more incentives and resources to help legacy operators transition to the legal market.
Conclusion
The cannabis industry in Canada has enormous potential, but it’s being stifled by unnecessary governmental interference. Instead of fostering growth and innovation, current regulations feel like roadblocks designed to frustrate and overburden.
For legalization to truly succeed, we need a regulatory framework that empowers business owners, not one that treats them as adversaries. Until then, the legacy market will remain an attractive alternative—and that’s a failure we can’t afford.
How I Got Started on My Cannabis Journey: From Singapore to Small-Batch Recipes
It all begins with an idea.
Sometimes life takes you on the most unexpected journeys, and my cannabis story is no exception. It’s a tale that starts in one of the most anti-drug countries in the world, takes a sharp turn through a life-altering medical experience, and lands me here—sharing my recipes and cannabis expertise with you.
Growing Up in a "No-Drugs" Zone
I spent my formative years in Singapore, a place where the laws around "drugs" are as strict as they come. Growing up in an environment with zero tolerance for anything remotely cannabis-related, I never imagined that one day I’d be writing about it, let alone dedicating my life to it.
In Singapore, the word "cannabis" was taboo, conjuring images of forbidden substances and dire consequences. Little did I know, this once-foreign plant would eventually become my passion—and my mission.
A Life-Changing Surgery in 2018
Fast forward to 2018. A surgery left me grappling with knee-buckling phantom nerve pain, the kind that stops you in your tracks and makes even the simplest tasks feel insurmountable. Doctors offered me the usual solution: opioids. But I wanted no part of it.
I’ve always believed in natural approaches to health, and this time was no different. A chance encounter with cannabis changed everything. Within 15 minutes of trying it, the relief was undeniable. Not only was I amazed at its effectiveness, but I also felt a deep conviction: I needed to get involved in this industry and help others who, like me, were seeking a natural alternative.
Watching a friend deal with cancer pain, and none of the conventional options were helping - she tried some of my cannabis recipes, and the cannabis completely removed all the pain.
From Patient to Producer: Taking the Leap
Inspired, I decided to dive in headfirst. I prepared my application to become a licensed cultivator and processor in Canada—a process that was no small feat. But my motivation was strong, and I was determined to make a difference.
As someone who doesn’t smoke, I knew I’d have to get creative. I wanted to explore alternative methods of ingesting cannabis that captured its beneficial properties without relying on traditional smoking. And so began my journey of experimentation in the kitchen.
Kitchen Creations: The Birth of My Recipes
Cooking with cannabis opened a whole new world of possibilities. I started small, experimenting with oils, butters, and infusions. Over time, my kitchen became a laboratory of sorts, where I tested everything from edibles to tinctures, extracts and topicals, always tweaking and refining to find the perfect balance of flavor, potency, and practicality.
These recipes aren’t just for THC and CBD enthusiasts—they’re for anyone interested in exploring the many benefits of cannabis in a safe, approachable way. Designed for small-batch production, they’re perfect for DIYers looking to create at home.
From Kitchen to Commercial Scale (Almost)
While these recipes work beautifully in a home kitchen, making cannabis products commercially is a whole different ballgame. Scaling up production requires navigating a maze of regulations, equipment, and compliance standards that can feel overwhelming.
If you have aspirations of going commercial, I’d be happy to discuss what that process looks like. But please know that the recipes I share are tailored for small batches, meant to help you dip your toes into the world of cannabis-infused creations without the stress of industrial-scale production.
Why I’m Sharing My Journey
I believe in the power of cannabis to improve lives, and I want to help others discover it in a way that feels accessible and empowering. By sharing my recipes and experiences, I hope to provide a starting point for anyone curious about cannabis, whether you’re managing chronic pain, exploring natural remedies, or simply looking for a new creative outlet in the kitchen.
My journey from Singapore to the cannabis industry may be unconventional, but it’s a story I’m proud of—a story of resilience, creativity, and the determination to turn pain into purpose.