BC, for better or worse, is well known for the exemplar quality of its marijuana.  ‘BC Bud‘ isn’t just local slang, it’s a well known term within the lexicon of reefer smokers the world-over.

Why?  I don’t know, I’m no botanist.  What I do know however, is that the size of the marijuana industry in our fine province rivals (or even dwarfs) any other BC industry in both size and profitability.  Which leads me to the three points I want to make in this post about BC and our bud.

1) BC Bud is Huge

2) BC Bud Permeates the BC Economy

3) Illegal BC Bud is Bad for Tax Payers

4) California Might Ruin BC Bud

BC Bud is Huge

Make no mistake, BC Bud is big, really big.  With annual revenues estimated at $7 billion and employing anywhere from 90,000 to 150,000 persons as estimated by the Economist (the same publication that repeatedly votes Vancouver as top place to live) it’s a far bigger industry than most realize, or want to admit.  But you don’t have to take my word for it, the documentary The Union does a nice armchair job of looking at the economics of BC Bud while the Fraser Institute delves deeper into the numbers.  The fact remains, BC Bud is a huge economic deal in this province.

BC Bud Permeates the BC Economy

We’ve got a population or about 4 million in BC, which means that if the $7 billion revenue figure for pot is correct, marijuana is among the highest per capita source of revenue for this province.  But, being illegal, it’s a revenue source whose transactions are all completed ‘below board’.  But despite pot’s underground transactions, you can’t have a $7 billion injected into a population of 4 million without having it permeate a wide selection of people and prices.

Just how permeated is BC by the bud trade?  Soaked.  Aside the arrest of two prominent BC businessmen this week which highlights the fact that the marijuana industry in this province crosses all social classes and income levels, there is the sticky issue of its effect on real estate prices.  The resiliency of Vancouver real estate since 2008 is, in general, attributed to the desirability of living here and the restriction of available building area.  I want to stay as far away from any Vancouver real estate debate as possible here, but I will say that the Fraser Valley is still pretty damn big and Vancouver’s population is pretty damn small compared to area size, desirability be damned.  Ian Bell argues this point more succinctly than I.

Keeping BC Bud Illegal is Bad for BC Tax Payers

I know, everyone hates the HST.  But what British Columbians should really hate is the continual illegalization of our biggest cash crop.  It’s easy enough to see how the criminal organizations who control production and distribution of benefit from its current illegality, but what is less apparent is the burden marijuana’s illegality places upon the public purse.

Every dollar that is generated from the illegal sale of BC Bud goes untaxed.  Yes, some of those dollars are cycled back into the economy, but it is cycled back into industries like leisure & entertainment (restaurants, hotels), luxury items (cars, trucks, boats), or real estate.  Publicly funded services such as waterworks, law enforcement, education, health care, etc. etc. not only get left out, their costs actually increase as those profiting from the marijuana industry also use these publicly funded services.

Secondly, the lucrative prices placed on BC Bud because of its illegal status attract professional criminals to the industry, criminals who are as entrepreneurial as the next guy.  Simply put, these ‘professionals’ often don’t just stick with pot.  Criminal activity in other areas, such as the trade in hard drugs, prostitution, illegal gambling and the violence and health care and law enforcement costs that accompany such activities can also be attributed as results of the illegality of BC Bud.

Keeping marijuana illegal in BC is not only enriching the most unsavoury and non-contributing members of our province, it’s costing us money in lost tax revenue and increasing costs in health care and law enforcement.  Decriminalization and regulation of BC Bud addresses these problems beautifully as it would force criminals to compete with commercial producers (no contest) and provide the people of BC a source of tax revenue that could help everything from ailing teachers and artists to Sisyphean law enforcement efforts.

All that said, I doubt Victoria will ever legalize BC Bud.  That is a decision that would have to come from Ottawa, and with Harper, I wouldn’t bet on it anytime soon.  Which brings me to my final point…

California Might Ruin BC Bud

California is moving closer and closer to legalizing marijuana.  They led the United States in respect to the legalization of pot for medicinal use (with 13 states since following) and have since eased even that designation as those who do qualify for medicinal use can now also grow as much of it as they want.  Now a November ballot (AB 390) will determine if California will decriminalize marijuana wholesale.  This isn’t just Californian lip service either.  Aside from the fact that the state is flat broke and the legalizing of marijuana would create $1.3 Billion of sorely needed funds, the issue has attracted the support of mainstream politicians for very legitimate reasons.

While you can read all about California’s pot policy here (Economist) (LA Times) (Rolling Stone), I’m from Vancouver, not Oakland, so if California legalizes pot my concern is what the effects are here.  And from where I sit , I don’t think they’ll be pretty.

Marc Emery, BC’s very own Prince of Pot, highlights the fact that legalization in California will immediately undercut the price of BC Bud, doing serious damage to one of BC’s biggest industries.  It would (and likely will) give California a huge head start in organizing a production, regulatory and distribution framework for a product that would be inferior in quality to that produced in BC.  This lead time would not only give California a head start, but also attract private industry minds that could manage and market what would be a huge growth industry.  We would be forced to play second fiddle to a southern competitor in an industry that we could have dominated to the great benefit of British Columbians.

But worse than loosing an edge in an industry, there would (and likely will) be nastier consquences.  As happened in 2005, a sudden price hit to the most lucrative product in a market where several dozen gangs each vie for control of that product has very violent repercussions.  More rats scurrying for less cheese makes violent rats.  A second, a more systemic impact could be a serious blow to the local real estate market.  With a $7 Billion industry suddenly downsizing in a big way, a 700 sq. ft. condo no longer funnels $600,000 as it had during better days.  While it would be a healthy readjustment for sustainability in the housing market, the effects of such a downward move could be as painful in the short term as gangland violence, though not as bloody…hopefuly.

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I don’t often comment on sports here, and when I do it’s usually about football, which is my sport of choice.  That said, it is playoff time, and me being as Canadian as the next guy, I’m hardly immune.  But instead of talking up Halak and the Canadiens, I want to comment on Luongo, the ‘C’ and the Vancouver fans.

First things first, making a goalie the captain of a hockey team is probably one of the stupidest things you can do.  Don’t take my word for it, just ask Don.  How is a net-minder, who is usually a solitary character to begin with, supposed to lead a team?  The nature of goal tending is that even the best get pulled some nights, which makes putting the ‘C’ on that player a huge liability to any type of leadership.  The two ideas, captaincy and goaltending, just don’t mix, it’s a move that is unfair to the team, and unfair to the goalie.

But giving the ‘C’ to Luongo was a typical Vancouver move, rather, it was the typical Vancouver move since the team moved from East Van to almost-Yaletown.  The management (and fans) of this team seem to always be searching for some sort of saviour, and the minute a world-class player shows up, they make him a messiah which also dooms him to be crucified, which is what will likely happen to Lou now.

The Canucks don’t need a cure-all player, they need to find the heart they left behind in East Van at the Pacific Colisseum.   And if the missing heart is the disease, the fans are the symptom of that disease.  The post-Pacific Colisseum Canuck fans are a compelte joke.  I don’t really need to argue this after such displays as last year’s Canuck fans littering of the ice with debris, and this year’s Canuck fans challenging Chicago players to a fight.  These things never seemed to happend in East Van, which is why I love going to see the Giants play.

Second thing.  Yes, some of the goals Chicago stole were  ugly, which has inevitably drawn the typical Vancouver response.  And while I won’t defend poor play, I just want one question answered.  How does Luongo go from shutting down the best players in the world enroute to a Canadian gold medal, and then come up short against the three kids from Chicago (Toews, Kane, Byfuglien) in the same building?  Maybe, just maybe, a look at his support is in order.

In my mind, Bieksa and O’Brien are complete cowards.  Not once did either really challenge Byfuglien other than cheap cross-checks to the head.  And Bieksa, Vancouver’s supposed ‘tough guy’, revealed the panties he wears under his shorts any time Ben Eager even looked at him.

I’m not defending Luongo, he’ll have to do that himself, but I’m just highlighting the fact that an Olympic gold medal goalie doesn’t get smacked in the second round of the NHL play-offs without his surrounding support lending a big unhelping hand.

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I first read about Misha Kleider and his documentary several weeks ago in the paper.  I bookmarked the website on Firefox but didn’t really get around to watching it until this weekend.

In a nutshell, Misha (who is being filmed by his brother) decides to go gonzo and live for 30 days on the streets of Vancouver’s infamous DTES.  He lives in shelters, panhandles for money and, in general, casts a somewhat unfavourable light on the unemployed in that there is plenty of resources available to them to meet their basic needs.

But therein lies the catch.  The most basic need that ties every individual of the DTES together, is addiction.  Every charitable resource available to them, whether it be shelter, food or clothing, are only complimenting them in their core mission of getting their fix.

The movie ends (after Misha has tried both crack cocaine and heroin) with an interview with mayor Gregor Robinson, during which Misha makes it quite clear that he has his doubts about our mayor’s goals to ‘cure homelessness’.

Personally, the movie mostly confirms what I already believe, that it is the illicit drug-trade, not the availability of housing or the minimum wage, that is the greatest problem the city faces.  However, after seeing how complicit the workers at Insite are in helping to administer the life-crushing poison that is heroin to other human beings, my stomach turned.  I was on the fence regarding Insite before, but no more.  The place is administering suicide.

While the movie is an eye-opener, I can’t help but feel that it focusses on the snake’s tail, rather than the head.  If the core problem of the DTES is addiction, then the path to really solving the issue is to target the drug trade itself.   I’m not talking about punishing the junkie with a couple rocks of crack, I’m talking about the dedicated, mules, pushers and dealers, and work up from there.  If the pain of DTES is to be ever eliminated, city hall and Victoria must focus their attention and attacks on those responsible for the industry itself.  If it’s possible in New York, it’s more than possible in Vancouver.

STREETS OF PLENTY

Introduction - Part 1 of 7
Shelter - Part 2 of 7
Panhandling - Part 3 of 7
Street Living - Part 4 of 7
Smoking Crack - Part 5 of 7
Insite & Heroin - Part 6 of 7
Conclusion - Part 7 of 7

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When I returned to the west coast after my college & football days were over, one my first concerns of course was finding a place to live.  I was convinced that I was going to end up in Yaletown as it was the most convenient location for me to get to work everyday.  But a week before moving in, there was an unexpected problem with the building that prevented me from settling down.  Given the fact that I was starting work that Monday, I had five days to find somewhere to live.  I was left scrambling and as a last resort I ventured to Kitsilano (which I hadn’t even looked at until that point.)

Result - the best thing that could have happened.

I really love my neighbourhood, more than I would have ever expected. Kits, to me, is like a complete escape.  Once you cross the Burrard Street bridge and roll past the Welcome to Kitsilano sign, it’s like all the weight just lifts off my shoulders.  So here’s a Wednesday pictoral appreciation of my home hood of Kits.

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In my eternal struggle against work life dominating my personal life, I try to attend SFU’s Philospher’s Cafe’s around the city whenever possible.  You meet a lot of interesting and diverse people at these gatherings, not to mention the interesting topics that are covered.

Ultimately, they’re group therapy sessions for those of us who suffer from debilitating curiosity.

April 13 - Art & Power, Point Grey, 3939 West 16th Ave
Can art influence events and perceptions? Does art have any power in itself or is it purposely used as means to attain certain goals, political or otherwise? Guest Linda Naiman is the founder of Creativity at Work. She is recognized internationally for pioneering arts-based learning . Linda is an associate business coach at UBC and a life coach who helps clients sculpt their careers, compose their lives and design their futures.

April 16 - Grow up and save the planet, Oakridge, 949 West 49th Ave
Could global warming, peak oil, the dying of the oceans, our exploding numbers, be simply symptoms of a deeper dilemma? Could it be a psychological developmental problem indicating our individual and collective resistance to growing up and freeing ourselves of the adolescent impulses which drive our behavior and our thinking? Can we, as human beings, finally mature and take responsibility for ourselves, one another, and our world?

April 19 - Spiritual Experiences, Yaletown, 883 Hamilton
People have had various and numerous experiences in life that are deemed to be “spiritual.” What is it that makes an experience “spiritual”? What kinds/types of experiences are they, and what role do they play in your life? Come willing to share some of yours!

April 25 - What are the responsibilities of the rich?, Kitsilano, 1805 Larch
Governments are having trouble meeting the needs of citizens and society, do the rich and powerful have a responsibility to close the gap?

April 26 - Apres Olympics, Commercial Drive, 1260 Commercial Drive
In the lead up to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in our fine city, disparate perspectives informed the public consciousness and indeed attitudes towards “the Games”. Now that the show is over, let’s share our reflections.

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That’s it, I surrender.  The Olympics have officially ripped me limb from limb.  10 straight days of 4 AM bedtimes have made the entire Olympics a giant blur.  My body officially shut down two days ago, I’ve been going on pure willpower until now, but it’s time to turn tail.  The last of my friends have left town and I’m planning on doing nothing but relaxing and watching hockey the entire weekend.  Starting Monday, I’m surgically removing alcohol from my life for the next six months.

Here’s the reader’s digest version of my ‘Olympic Experience’.

BEST MOMENT

Being in the Molson Canadian Hockey House with my two best friends from Montreal during Canada’s 7-3 drubbing of Team Russia.

WORST MOMENT

Having to buy five American’s a round of shots after Canada’s loss to Team USA 5-3.

FUNNIEST MOMENT

Seeing my friend (who will remain unnamed) use the “I’m from Finland and Have Nowhere to Sleep” line actually work at Section 3 in Yaletown.

COOLEST MOMENT

Sitting in with my sister at Chill Winston’s watching Alexandre Bilodeau win Canada’s first gold medal.

MOST INTERNATIONAL MOMENT

Meeting two cousins, one from Austria, the other from Germany, argue about which country was cooler.  Laughed too hard when the Austrian accused the German of being a Nazi.

ALMOST GOT BEAT UP MOMENT

Seeing Jeremy Roenick at the Roxy and telling him that his haircut sucks.

RANDOMEST + CREEPIEST MOMENT

Somehow finding ourselves in a limo at 3AM with three girls from Yaletown and some 50 year old musician who takes us back to his Shangri-La loft, gets a bottle of Grey Goose delivered in a leather case, and cooks us eel which he imports from Japan.  Things got creepy when he started talking to the girls about his video cameras.  We (and the girls) pulled a very quick escape.

TIME TO CALL IT QUITS MOMENT

Having my girl get up at 4:30 AM to kick me in the head (I slept in the living room all week out of shame) to let me know that after the 9th straight night of partying, enough was enough.

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Ok, as the torch makes it way through my neighbourhood this evening, I’m letting myself get excited for the Olympics now.

My two best friends are flying out from Montreal the day after the games begin for 10 straight days of great games, great eats, and great nights…I’ve even made T-Shirts.

We’ve got our tickets for the Molson Canadian Hockey House for semi-final hockey, we’re set to see the Slovaks play the Russians at GM Place and we plan to actually heckle the English as our curlers embarras the brits (lots of beer will be involved for this one).  We’ll definitely also take in as much Live City and free concerts as possible.  We’ll probably check out the Just For Laughs event in Granville Island as well.

I’m also stoked to go and see DJ Heather and Mark Farina at Ginger 62, but whoever this Matt Coolen guy is that works there, he doesn’t answer his emails about tickets and VIP.

But what I find myself really looking forward to are the Provincial and International Pavilions.  In addition to the Irish House at Doolin’s Pub and the German Beer Garden in Gastown where my friends and I will be sure to log long hours, I’m thinking the Russian House should be cool to see as well as the Dutch House.  Also, not be outdone, the BC Pavilion looks pretty sweet as well.

I’m allowing myself to get swept away by the excitement because we’ve long past the point of no return about what this entire thing is going to cost us.  The 2010 Games to Vancouver is like AIG to the U.S. Taxpayer - you might not what to have them, but you do, so make the best of it.  I intend to.

(And on a completely sour note, I’m asking myself if it’s unethical to take a few crazy short positions on air line stocks in the unlikely event of a Vancouver terrorist attack…yes, I’m despicable)

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