A naturopath has been suspended from practice for providing medical consultations via Skype to help patients obtain medical marijuana from pot dispensaries.

The B.C. College of Naturopathic Physicians says Dr. Jonas Laforge of Langley is one of six naturopaths who have been investigated in connection with marijuana dispensaries.

Four of the cases didn't meet the bar for a public notification; one other is still under investigation.

The future of medical cannabis is an altogether complicated and exciting conversation and the outlook includes both plants and pills.

The future of medical cannabis research is an altogether complicated and exciting conversation. Will plants continue to rule the day? Are isolated molecules the best means of treating particular diseases? Do synthetic cannabinoid drugs hold the answer to efficacy and standardization? At this juncture, only one thing is certain: the outlook includes both plants and pills. 

The City of Victoria is considering rules for its illegal cannabis dispensaries that would be more permissive than Vancouver’s landmark bylaw, permitting the sale of controversial “edibles” and allowing pot shops to be located closer to schools.

Medical marijuana advocates in the provincial capital praised the draft rules for the city’s 32 existing dispensaries, which will be voted on by council later this week. The new proposal comes as officials in Vancouver began cracking down on dispensaries, handing out tickets to nearly two dozen shops over the weekend.

Vancouver medical marijuana businesses that are operating without a licence must close by Friday.

The city says inspectors will start enforcing regulations on compassion clubs and retail stores that have not complied with the rules but were allowed to remain open past a six-month grace period.

Regulation began last year when the shops started popping up across Vancouver, but the city refused to grant permits to 140 dispensaries because they didn’t comply with rules such as being too close to schools or community centres.

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A Vancouver pot shop entrepreneur says he’s in a real dilemma, as one of his locations is in the final stages of approval, while the other is facing closure.

Chuck Varabioff, owner of the BC Pain Society, says his Commercial Drive location was rejected because it’s within 300m of a school, but he’s vowing to stay open come Friday.

“If the city wants to come in, they want to come with a fine, I will be standing at the door with a post-dated cheque to pay my fines for an entire month if that’s what they want.”

“I’m not happy to pay the fines but I will pay the fines while I’m fighting and appealing for your right as well as my right as well as 15,000 other people’s rights who are members.”

A regulated medical cannabis industry needs to evolve to provide users with accurate biochemical information on all cannabis-containing products.

It’s an odd coincidence that I’m writing this article around 4:20 p.m. on 4/20 from Vancouver — 4/20 being common urban slang for marijuana consumption that has now morphed into a cultural trademark for those who wish to decriminalize it and draw political attention on April 20 each year.

For years, people from all over Vancouver have been gathering on Robson Street in front of the art gallery steps (and across from the courthouse) at 4:20 p.m. on April 20 to brazenly light up (or in some cases, eat) their marijuana in full sight of the police and close enough to the Provincial Court, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and the Court of Appeal that the annual celebration/protest/public relations exercise can’t go unnoticed by the judiciary — or the TV cameras.

The Cannabis Growers of Canada are as excited as ever by the approach of another April 20th, or 4/20. Many of our member dispensaries and cannabis farmers across Canada will be participating in their local 4/20 celebrations, and we look forward to seeing the community come out to support cannabis legalization.

As we move into a new era of openness for cannabis consumers and businesses, it is fitting that 4/20 Vancouver has moved to its new location at Sunset Beach. While we continue to fight for patients’ rights and a better future for small cannabis businesses, we are pleased to see the industry transitioning to a normalized and legal future that celebrates local craft producers.

Mayor and provincial minister of public safety talking tough. What about the feds?

Surrey has been the site of more than 30 shootings since January, and residents have demanded government at all levels take action.

Last week, Mayor Linda Hepner offered tough talk about those involved with the shootings — "I want to call them punks," she said — saying that tougher sentences and more enforcement was the solution.

B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Morris also trumpeted enforcement, quoted as saying, "We're going to put these guys in jail."

So what does the federal government have to offer?

So who is the best pitchman for the already-legendary B.C. bud? The Cannabis Growers of Canada (CGC) or Seth Rogen?

The CGC posted a public service ad on its web site that begins very much like a standard tourism commercial. "British Columbia, home to the most beautiful landscapes in the world," it begins, with shots of its picturesque mountains and waterways. And then it's on to vineyards, hot springs, skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking. "In B.C., we strike the right balance between nature and nurture," the narrator says.