My Mail-Order Cannabis is Lost in the Mail .... Again.

We really need storefronts, even ones selling LP cannabis.

Soon I hope, it will be just another way to buy your plant.

My legal medicinal cannabis is sweating its trichs off as we speak,
jostling around in the back of the courier truck.

I ordered Saturday. I thought I had enough time.
I always think I have enough . . . . . .

This has to stop guys.

Hey, all you current and past antidepressant users:
imagine that you had to order your meds a few days in advance
and that you had to wait around all day for days afterwards just
to be sure you don't miss that delivery.

Imagine knowing that you're gonna get the dt's. That's a great
feeling, isn't it? Like waiting for the nightmare to begin.
Cuz we all know what happens when you miss a dose
or a day of doses of any medication.

Now, missing doses of cannabis doesn't really leave us with
dt's. But it's the moments without that show you how valuable
this plant's medicine is.

Stress and worry brings the negative bias out.
Stress and worry brings the stomach juices out.
Stress and worry brings the krakken out.

If Medreleaf had a storefront in town, I could walk over right now.

This is not safe access.

Non-Adherence to Employment Standards Harms the Economy

I'm a call-taker at a local taxi company.  I get 32 hours every weekend.  Last Friday, I woke to a spinning room and called in to see if anyone could cover that shift.  The acting office manager returned my call saying she covered that shift and covered my Saturday and Sunday shifts as well. Apparently, my employer feels that they have the right to do this, though employment standards disagrees.  I begged for those hours back, guaranteeing I would be able to come in, to no avail.

Because of this, my pay was short.  Because of that my rent was short.  Now I'm sure one late tenant will not bankrupt Homestead, but as you can see, an employer's non-adherence to the labor laws affects more than just the employees.

Ontario's Employment Standards operate on a complaint basis.  There is no oversight to ensure hard-working employees are treated fairly and lawfully.  Instead, adherence is only enforced if and when an employee files a complaint.  The complaint process is anything but simple and almost always ends with the employee being fired, though the law disagrees with that as well.

The problems are many, and like many other problems, they are due to lack of education.  Most employees don't know the standards, most managers don't know the standards, and most employers don't know that the standards apply to them.  Labor laws are what separate Canada from countries where employees have no rights, and yet they seem to be optional here.

One would assume that upon starting a business, a person would have to educate themselves on all things lawful in business.  But they don't.  It seems that anyone can be a manager these days.  It takes no training to manage others day in and day out?

So why is the employer more important to law-makers than the employee?  We are the many.  We are the front line of their business responsible for the day-to-day transactions with their loyal patrons. We're not important enough for oversight?

What happens is a lot like parenting.  As an employee you choose your battles.  I work 12 hour shifts and I should by law get two un-paid half hour breaks and two paid 15 minute breaks.  But I don't.  I get one paid half hour break and the ability to get up and go to the loo when I want.  And that's it.
I choose my battles because it could be worse elsewhere.  Isn't that a sad state of affairs?

So while many of us stretch paychecks to make ends meet, we're too often faced with less than we're due.  How many rent or mortgage payments are late or low because of broken employment standards?  How much credit card interest is tacked on because we can't make the full payment each month?  How many medications are rationed because we can't afford the whole month's pills?  How many purchases are not made because employers are breaking laws and effecting your income to build up their own?  The answer is, "far too many".  Far too many of us have employers who don't know the law and if they do know it, they don't follow it.  And the ministry has no idea.  The only way they'd know, is if I or YOU voice these facts.  The shunning of employment law is hindering our precious economy.  And we're letting it happen.

Is employment standards a worthlessly inefficient and ineffective ministry?  Yes in my opinion it is. The entire program relies on self-regulation, and we all know how well that works for the people.  In true blog form, I have no answers to give, I'm only hear to tell my tale.  But as I sit here and mentally prepare myself to go to into this hell-hole, I just keep thinking . . . . . . .

....this is Canada ... we are more than this!

Thoughts on Police Shootings

Melancholy flows through me today, leaking down my cheeks.

It's that feeling of defeat.
. . . . that feeling of helplessness.
 . . . . . . . . . . . that feeling of giving in.

Powerlessness is my kryptonite, the one thing that keeps me down.

From here, I feel impotent to act.
I can only post hashtags of #peace ... hashtags of #equality.

In full transparency, I feel it all.

I feel the rage that pulled those triggers,
I feel the angst that fueled that wrath.

But from here in Canada, I also feel like hiding, like ignoring, like waiting for it to be over.

And I could do that.  I still could.   But I can't.

My family watched "The Help" at Xmas with my 12 year old niece.

We paused it many times to explain this racism thing, explaining it in full and honest detail.

We felt we could be direct with her because racism is a part of our past.

We've once again proven that it's very much alive in 2016.

New hashtag . . . .  #PrayingForPeace

My Request to My MPP to Announce Bill 12: Protecting Employees' Tips Act

Attn Sophie Kiwala, MPP for Kingston and the Islands:

Hi there,

Below is a link to the announcement of a very important bill that effects servers and bartenders in our awesome city.  A friend of mine has worked at a very popular and long-standing restaurant on Princess street for many years.  According to my friend and others who have worked there, every single server agrees to pay 1% of total sales in cash to the owner each shift.  Cash means there's no record of that transaction.  My friend estimates she's given up thousands of dollars to her employer over the years.  The reason given is as insurance for possible dine & dash incidents and for breakage of plates and glasses.  This is a VERY common practice all over Kingston and all over Ontario and has been for years and years.

As of June 10th, this practice is illegal.  They can require you tip-out to co-workers, but they can
no longer take money from you for what is deemed as 'business expenses'.

But does anyone know this?  Have the servers been paying this every shift since June 10th?  Do the restaurant owners who do this, know that it's now illegal?  Or is the entire thing at the discretion of the employee to report any incidents to employment standards, risking their job status?

Here is an announcement from a group called "Restaurants Canada", but does anyone really
read those announcements let alone follow them?  Were business-owners notified by any governmental agencies about this huge change?

I think you should make an announcement Sophie.  Our city thrives because of our servers and bartenders ... the heart of our incredible and world-renowned food and beverage industry.  They
work incredibly hard serving the every whim of tourists and locals, solidifying Kingston's reputation as a great place to vacation on Lake O.  They deserve our support and they deserve every penny of gratuity that they receive.

In my opinion, it's shameful that servers and bartenders get paid less than minimum wage.  Being paid a fair wage should not be dependent on the customer.  So, the fact that some also have to give up a portion to pay for the "business needs" of their place of employment is asinine to me.

I hope you consider making an announcement to inform all of those involved.  In reality, informing the business-owners now will prevent the on-flux of employment standards claims we're surely going to see.

Thanks for hearing me out Sophie ... Kingston and area is lucky to have you!

TD Bank Funds Assault Rifle Manufacturers

Around the time of the Wall Street protests, there began a big push all over social media to leave your bank and join a credit union.  I was with TD at the time.  When I got to the counter and told the smiling clerk that I wanted to close my account, she just nodded and punched the keyboard.  I was so nervous.  I almost lost my courage to give her the shpeal, until an older man beside me asked to close his account as well.  I took that as a sign, and, with shaking voice I told the poor teller something like "I am closing down my account in protest of the poor practices and gross capitalism of TD."  I had rehearsed it as I walked across the field to the bank that day, feeling like maybe I could be a droplet in the ocean who's tiny waves push change.

The next day I joined a local credit union where a portion of my initial deposit purchased a certain number of stocks therein.  I now own a wee minuscule portion of my bank.  My fees are about a third what they were.  I was given overdraft of $500, and they helped me re-establish my credit rating.

I knew TD was evil like the others, pissing and moaning about potential losses and then suddenly posting massive profits.  I knew that they all profit from our need.  Our monthly shortfalls becoming their bread n' butter.  One transaction fee at a time.  But I had no idea that they were this evil.

I learned this today with my niece when we walked downtown.  There was one lone man educating people about this in front of the TD Bank.  (Brave~ you'd never do that in the U.S.)  My niece is a curious 13 and a nosey people watcher so she wanted to know what it was about too.  It seems that Toronto Dominion Bank led the pack in a June 2015 deal that gave up to $280 million in loans to the gun-maker Smith & Wesson.  These maniacs and feeders to the NRA, are the same gun maker that supplied far too many of the recent mass shootings.  And for those of you who believe some of those were staged, that matters none.  These rifles were used, means nothing to me who uses them.

And I'm not here to demand that any of you surrender your weapons.  I know there's a purpose for guns.  I grew up in a major hunting community.  My father owned guns, though he didn't use them much.  I had horses and believe you me, if any animal had threatened them I would not have hesitated to act.  I don't even have a problem with handguns when they're purchased properly.  But there is no purpose for any citizen to own or need an assault rifle in my opinion.  Their entire purpose is to annihilate their target.  These guns were made for war.  Regulation has to tighten in my opinion, and for my American readers, I know your 2nd Amendment is in your DNA and I respect that.  But even that mentions a "well regulated militia".

Here's the thing with me, you may be like this too.  There are very few things that I can control nowadays.  My word, my actions, and how I spend my money.  Our dollar is our voice.  For instance, I refuse to buy anything apple because of how they treat their employees.  I refuse to buy anything JoeFresh because of the poor Bangledeshi women who were crushed to death a few years ago, who's family got zero compensation.  I now refuse to drink Starbucks after they recently came out in full support of Mons*nto's fight against GMO labeling.  If I had time, I'd give you all links for these examples, but I don't have time.  My point is, where you bank is included in that little bit of power you have.  Use it.  Own stocks in your bank! Pay fewer frikken fees!  All credit unions offer similar products as banks and all report to credit bureaus so it's truly a win-win for you.  I just find that at my credit union, my detriment is their concern, not how they profit.

As the fellow activist I met today implied with his hand-made sign, TD is a BLOODBANK.
When I mentioned the possibility of blogging about this he looked skeptical.  Not all do this for fun I guess :-)  I gave him a card so he can check me out though and perhaps he would oblige us with even more info about this disgusting revelation in the comments below.

You put your hard earned money into a big bank and they use it for whatever purpose they see fit.  If
that matters to you, switch to a credit union.  Your dollar is your voice.

Be A Good Girl

If I ever had a daughter, I would never tell her to be a good girl.  We push this terminology on our girls as though it comes with an instruction manual or at the very least a list of what it is.  I used to date a man who told me to be a good girl.  I let it slide, because I interpreted it to mean he loved me. It did not.  It meant he wanted me to do what he wanted me to do.  That was being a good girl.  Being a good girl means doing what someone else wants you to do.

As children, the good girl sits smiles and says hello when spoken to.  The good girl repeats this performance like a dog doing a trick over and over.  She puts on the dresses that are laid out for her. She sits as her locks are pleated with braids.  The good girl is polite and well-behaved.

As prepubescent girls, the good girl smiles as her uncle gives her the wrap-around feel, cupping her tiny breast in his beastly hand.  The good girl respects her elders no matter what they do.

When puberty strikes, the good girl smiles as the teasing comes in.  Every part of her body feels foreign to her, as does the attention she keeps getting from others.  Kisses with tongues jammed in mouths are things the good girl simply deals with.  The good girl is now seen as the temptress.

In late teen years, this label hypnotically molds the good girl, her thoughts, how she sees herself. When the good girl finds herself in a situation with a boy, she let's it happen because she was never taught to defend herself or to speak out.  The good girl lets it all happen and deals with the memories later all alone.  Stoically, like a good girl does.

During dating years, the good girl is attracted to a certain kind of man.  Being told what to do and what to think is natural to her now, a part of the very essence of her being.  The good girl gets abused more often because her vulnerability attracts scum.  The good girl is very often a scum-magnet.

Good girls allow shit to happen to them because refusing or protesting feels wrong.  Sticking up for themselves feels wrong.  They were reminded innumerable times growing up to comply.  Compliance can develop into habit.  Habitually doing what other people want becomes second-nature to the good girl.  This is not what I would want for my daughter ... or for any of the daughters out there.

I want today's girls to speak up and speak out.  I want them to tell us what they think.  I don't want them to do what other people want them to do.  I want them to think for themselves, live for themselves, and love themselves by knowing who they are and what they believe in.

The label "good girl" is poisonous for some.

What Dispensary Popularity Tells Us

For as long as I, or many of my local friends can remember we've purchased our cannabis in parked cars, on park benches, and in basements amid smoke clouds and busy game-stations.  For as long as I've been choosing cannabis instead of alcohol for recreation, and instead of pharmaceuticals for mental health, I've been buying it in sandwich bags in a nervous and rushed fashion, trying to get in and get home unseen.

As glamorous as all of this sounds, it gets old fast.  And as normal as this feels for many of us, it's a risky situation that we have been forced to put ourselves into, just to purchase a bag of dried plant flowers.  If we were allowed to grow this safe plant, this whole point would be moot.  But that's a whole other post.

Toronto Police just raided 43 illegal cannabis dispensaries.  That's 43 units with rent ranging from $2000 to $4000 per month.  That's 43 businesses employing staff at a wage of minimum $11.25 per hour.  That's investment for set up, investment for product, investment for utilities and security. From what I've read, none of these 43 businesses were anywhere near bankruptcy though their monthly financial output is vast to say the least.  I guess the people like buying their cannabis in a store.  Who knew?

The head of the legalization task-force Bill Blair says that these stores and the people therein don't care about the law, don't care about regulations, don't care about kids, don't care about communities, don't care about the health of Canadians.  It is a surprisingly limited perspective that needs to be countered.

1).  Don't care about the law:  Perhaps some, but not all.  In fact many faces of cannabis dispensaries are the faces you've seen protesting the prohibition of this plant for dozens of years. Many know that law all too well, with it the sting and the stigma a criminal record leaves.  Many have written letters, started petitions, educated doctors in order to change this law.

2.)  Don't care about regulations:  Perhaps some, but not all.  Most have asked for regulation. Please legitimize our choice!  34 business in Toronto alone have been treating this consumer-driven product as if it's already regulated.  All you had to do is show them the regulations, tell them where to sign up, where do they pay for the license to legitimize their stores?

3.)  Don't care about kids:  Perhaps some, but not all.  The premise is laughable to be honest.  These store-owners are providing a safe place for adults to buy their medicine and/or recreation, in turn starving the capitalist dealers on the street, and helping law enforcement in doing so.  It's basic economics, when you take away the need, the industry fizzles.  Cannabis is bulky and smelly.  The criminal mentality will turn to selling other things when cannabis sales sink, streamlining things for law enforcement to crack down on the substances that really do pose a risk.

4).  Don't care about communities:  Perhaps some, but not all.  Most of them are tired of seeing the cannabis users in the community put themselves at risk.  They know that fewer points of sale on the street means safer communities.

5).  Don't care about the health of Canadians:  Perhaps some, but not all.  Most of these dispensaries have health at the forefront of their businesses, showing consumers how to use this medicine in safe and effective ways.  Many are patients themselves.  Many have seen this plant perform miracles for friends and loved ones.  Not to mention, these are people who don't want to see consumers buy product of questionable quality or content.  Storefronts offer safety.

I firmly support the regulation of cannabis.  Regulation comes in many forms and if you do it right, taking into consideration safety, science, and market need you create something great.  This could be Canada.  The popularity of cannabis dispensaries all over Canada tells us very clearly what the people want.

In other news, the Ontario Government just made the decision to allow Ontario Ciders to be sold at some grocery stores.  This decision came after sales figures showed how popular this apple-alcohol beverage is.  The people like their Cider.  Well, the people also like their cannabis.  Regulate it already.