Episode 19: Cannabis: From Homegrown to Corporate Mergers. The Story of Legalization in B.C., with Philippe Lucas

Best Coast Political Podcast

Philippe Lucas, PhD has lived the history of cannabis. He started the first "compassion society" (for medical marijuana) in Victoria in 1999, and underwent some rough years before eventually selling it in 2009. (It was around, under different ownership, until 2019.) He was arrested, harassed, and spent years fighting a legal battle that he and his allies eventually won. Along the way, he became a drug researcher, receiving his PhD from Uvic, and more recently served as the V.P. of a major medical marijuana company. He has lived to see the decriminalization of a plant that he's spent his life defending, studying, and using, both recreationally and medicinally. In this insightful chat, Philippe discusses the successes and failures of legalization, the evolving cannabis culture in Victoria, and the growing corporate dominance of the industry. He also discusses the ways in which cannabis legalization has opened the doors to studying medicinal psychedelics. So join in and get all of your cannabis-related questions answered!