The opaque window of pot rules. #Cannabis laws are stricter than those about #alcohol and #gambling in a number of ways. This is hypocritical and makes a mockery of good legislation: The Globe and Mail editorial theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editor…

Chatted with PAVEMENTS director Alex Ross Perry about making sense of an inscrutable band, the role of fiction in telling real stories, sudden texts from Stephen Malkmus, "praxis" and the Rehearsal: theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/arti…

Good morning Ottawa. Bonjour Ottawa.

Echoing André Picard recommendation to buy Benjamin Kaplan excellent new book exploring the history of the creation & development of the Canadian cannabis industry as the market has experienced a variety of opportunities & challenges, which I reviewed for Booksin5 below! 1/5

Considered one of the nation’s most informed columnists as his writing appears in numerous popular publications, the author is the leader of two widely-read magazines and he combines impressive research with narrative flair to describe the ups & downs of cannabis in Canada 2/5

Beginning with the progress & roadblocks that marijuana has faced in the country over the past century, the book reveals the economic, political, cultural & public safety factors that were considered by the public & policymakers until Trudeau legalized the substance in 2018 3/5

The hard-charging founders, lawyers & financiers were singularly focused on cornering the market but the line between smart investment & risky speculation was routinely blurred with the author using his access to the main characters to showcase their successes & failures 4/5

Whether it was the meddling of elected officials, the intense competition over resources & storefronts or the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the book highlights how the industry has experienced a roller-coaster ride of booms & busts over the past decade 5/5

I borrowed this great book from my favourite library Vancouver Public Library and you should definitely check it out as it covers such an important topic we should all know more about! #supportpubliclibraries dundurn.com/books_/t22117/…

For Cannabis Biz Times I wrote about what U.S. #cannabis producers can learn from 7 years of legalization in #Canada. Interviews with Benjamin Kaplan Trina Fraser Sam Gibbons of Village Farms International Inc. Paolo De Luca of Organigram Global cannabisbusinesstimes.com/top-stories/ne…

I've been posting daily to Twitter for almost 15 years -- a curated feed of health news from around the world. Now I'm done. Going forward, I will only post stories I write myself, with few exceptions. Thank you for having followed André Picard. 🇨🇦

.Benjamin Kaplan Kaplan has some ideas for getting your motor running, today, to put you in the proper headspace for owning the finish line this fall. On Pleasure, click here: irun.ca/at-the-races/h…

New: After nearly $10-million was stolen from FACTOR's Scotiabank account last year, I spent months sifting through court documents trying to figure out how it happened Here's the most complete picture yet of the biggest heist in Canadian music history: theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/art…

A must-read from Josh O'Kane on the biggest heist in the Canadian music industry since the Arkells at the Junos.

Recently learned that Cineplex, and many other exhibitors, are experimenting with "booth-less" cinemas. Which led me to recall my own experiences as a (terrible) teenage projectionist, and what happens when we lose such a long-romanticized space. theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/arti…

K-pop goes the world: How South Korea turned culture into a booming export (and what Canada can learn from it) theglobeandmail.com/arts/article-k…

I wrote an essay on Oasis, band merch, impending parenthood, and trying to be a less cynical person. theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/art…

Looking for sources for a dream new story in the The Globe and Mail about the Return of the High School Jam Band. If your kids are rocking in the garage, looking for a stage to play, please send them my way: a tribute to play, independence, and growing up making music to feel free.

On Nov. 25, Toronto has a new Family Day: Join me and Elamin Abdelmahmoud at Hot Docs Cinema for a ride-or-die evening full of Vin and vigor as we discuss my new book WELCOME TO THE FAMILY: THE EXPLOSIVE STORY BEHIND FAST & FURIOUS. Tickets are going, well, you know: hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films…

Pleased to share my reporting on love, fame, legacy, family, chaos and infidelity from the latest issue of Toronto Life torontolife.com/deep-dives/bat…