Or, excavation round two. Call it whatever you want, but things are really moving at Black Fin! With the walls now up, our facility was really starting to come together – next thing to do was to get ready for our second portable to arrive.
Filling in a ditch is one thing, taking out a stump – yeah, that’s a whole other challenge. We did it though, and once we had it out, then it was back to the filling in a ditch thing.
Once everything was filled in, and our helper Zola got out of the way….
We were able to finally get in all the gravel and “set the scene” for our portable delivery, which… was quite an adventure.
With the stump out, the ditches filled and the land leveled, the Black Fin Extracts facility looks more and more like our dream come true.
They always say it’s “one step at a time,” and while in almost every case, one step can have a few sub steps included in it. Not when you are building a new room. It is one wall at a time – literally.
And not just one wall, but one section. And then the next. And then – oh wait, yup… another section and wouldya look at that? ONLY HALFWAY THERE. It’s a lot of measuring twice and cutting once (or only sometimes as our contractor says… jokingly)
And a lot of, “Hey Steve, you stand there and hold this up and I will nail it into place. Arms a little tired buddy? Too bad.” Also a few moments of “I don’t think this is the right way, gotta flip it.”
But in the end, section after section came together, to create the Black Fin entrance and packaging room.
Now to get our next portable delivered – ’cause building one room, wall by wall, was enough.
Our dream big attitude has never been a hurdle for us, in fact, it’s a lot of the reason we are where we are. That doesn’t mean we haven’t faced our fair share of hurdles, like having a property that was a little overgrown and a little uneven for our facility…
With a little help from our friends, [😉] we were able to turn this:
Into this:
After removing quite a few trees from the property, trees that we will be replanting when our final footprint is in – don’t worry, filling in surrounding ditches, removing hills and generally leveling the land with LOADS of gravel, we were able to remove our storage bin and wait for our second portable to arrive.
Of course, setting up shop in the Cowichan Valley and building over the fall/winter months always means that there is the chance of snow… stopping everything for a few weeks.
But you know what, our dream big attitude got us through all these challenges and we were able to turn a small, seemingly challenging piece of land into the future of Black Fin Extracts.
It feels like forever ago that our three original founders sat around a table brainstorming ideas for what they envisioned Black Fin to be. And a lifetime ago that we submitted our initial application to Health Canada. Didn’t the land survey happen a decade ago? And the drone photos, when did that happen? Our journey up to this point has been a blur, so what better way to spend Thursday than with a little throwback?
Before we even got our hands dirty, we had to bring in a land surveyor to appease Health Canada, and get a general blueprint of the land and the borders. Then we had our drone guy come in and take some aerial shots. And this was all before we had really even pressed go…
It’s weird to think that before we even broke any sort of ground, we thought that the land survey and drone photos, combined with our completed facility sketches and the dejunking of old and unnecessary walls and items, felt like getting through the process. Oh how far we have come.
For Black Fin Extracts, 2019 felt like our warm up year. It was the year we got all our ducks in a row and made a game plan. It was the year we got organized and prepped for the future. And now that that year has come to a close and we are geared up, we are ready for what’s instore for 2020. So what exactly does being “geared up” for 2020 look like? Well, it looks a hell of a lot like this:
It looks like preparing to submit our evidence package to Health Canada, which means that we are in the final stages of the application process and are building our facility and our lab. In other words – we’re in the final stretch!
We’re midway through our construction at BFE. We’ve got our mechanical room all set up for the pumps and compressors for the lab, we have the concrete for the cold storage room poured, our Class A fire rated wall coverings have been ordered, and the walls and floors of one packaging room are complete. From what it was
To what it is
We sure have come a long way. And yes, we still have a long way to go, but each finished task makes us one step closer to being your go to company for that craft cannabis concentrate you have been waiting for.
With all the talk about the 4/20 celebrations happening post-legalization, we thought we would take a walk down stoner lane and look at the origin of 4/20.
For a lot of people 4/20 is a holiday of sorts, for those who aren’t 24/7 stoners it’s a day to indulge. For those who do partake daily it’s a day to celebrate a wonderful plant that has brought so much joy and relief to our lives. But where did it all start? How did it all begin?
Legend says that it all started because of a rumor that the code for a marijuana bust was 420. Over the radio, police would call in “code 420. Reports of marijuana use in progress.” So stoners decided to defy this code by using 4/20 as a national day to do exactly what the cops were trying to stop; smoke weed openly, freely and in public. However, once you look into it, you will find that this is not the case. In fact, if you dig a little deeper, to date there is actually no police code associated with 420. The only government association with 420 is a California Senate Bill, Bill 420, which pertains to medical marijuana but wasn’t introduced until the early 2000s. So if these are just rumors, where does the true story stem from? Why do we even come together on this day to celebrate?
It’s time to take you back, all the way to the ‘70s to be exact. When a group of five high school students started what would become today’s biggest marijuana movement. It’s time to welcome The Waldos.
It’s fall 1971 in Marin County, California. Five San Rafael High School kids are hanging out against the schools wall. Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffery Noel and Mark Gravich, or ‘the Waldos’ as they referred to themselves as, are looking to follow a treasure map to search for an abandoned cannabis crop on the Point Reyes Peninsula. A friend of the Waldos who had a brother in the U.S. coast guard and was growing pot at the time gave the had given the map to Steve. The coast guardsman, being paranoid that he was going to get busted, granted permission for The Waldos to harvest his crop – if they could find it.
To make sure that their search didn’t interfere with their schooling, The Waldos decided to meet at the statue of chemist Louis Pasteur that was on the campus of San Rafael High at 4:20, a term they later coined “420 Louis.” Despite the portrayal of stoners in today’s pop culture, the Waldos were motivated, creative, active, driven, involved, aware, intellectual, fit and educated. Which meant that this wild goose chase they were about to endure on would entice all their skills. After indulging in some of California’s finest, the boys would set out to search for the pot patch.
In the following days the boys would remind each other of their after school quest with “420 Louie,” eventually after several failed attempts at finding the golden ticket the “Louie” was dropped and the boys referred to their hunt as just “420”. What started out as just a secret slang used between friends, a private joke of sorts, grew like wildfire and was soon picked up by others and spread across the country and down from generation to generation as the perfect pot smoking time.
The Waldos had no idea that they were creating history, at the time they were just goofing around with friends. But what they started impacted the world of weed and created a marijuana movement that we still celebrate to this day. Of course, since it’s beginning, it has morphed into so much more than just the perfect time to smoke up, now it has become a stand to legalize pot, and an event that brings together stoners from all walks of life. Wherever The Waldos are now, we thank you for starting what has become such an impactful event for the cannabis culture.
As the sky starts to get darker, the days start to get colder and the trees turn from green to red to brown, it seems as though curling up under a blanket on the couch with a nice hot drink is at the top of everyone’s todo list. And we don’t blame you — the season to get cozy has arrived! Something about Fall turning to Winter reminds us of switching on the fireplace, hopping on the couch and enjoying hot apple cider while watching a holiday movie and getting excited for Christmas. So we thought why not make some delicious homemade apple cider with an added spice of Kayabliss Tincture and get REAL cozy this Fall. Besides, it’s not like apple cider is a hard recipe, and who doesn’t want their house to be engulfed in the smell of cinnamon, sugar and apple?
What you’ll need
10 apples, quartered (you can leave the peels on or you can peel them, it’s up to you on that)
¾ Cups of sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground allspice
6 teaspoons of Kayabliss CBD Tincture (or more, depending on your preference)
Cinnamon Sticks for garnish (optional)
What to do Place apples in a large pot and add enough water to cover the apple by at least 2 inches.
Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and allspice.
Bring to a boil and leave uncovered boiling for 1 hour. Don’t stray too far from the kitchen while this is boiling! You don’t want it to over boil and leave a mess. This would be a good time to spark up a joint or hit the bong while you wait.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer, leave for 2 hours.
If you want you can strain the apple mixture through a fine mesh sieve or use a cheesecloth, or you can add in the tincture, serve hot and enjoy!
If you do choose to strain the mixture add the tincture in after you have done so.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick — mostly for presentation, but also adds an extra cinnamon kick to your cup.
You can also wait and add in the tincture to each person’s individual cup if there are guests that want plain apple cider, or if your guests want to add more to their own they can as well. The great thing about this recipe is because you are adding in a tincture you can make this specific to the company you have!
The other day we took a look at the west coast of Canada, but what about over on the east coast? What is there plan for legalization. Let’s look and see.
The province of Ontario is currently only selling cannabis through a government run online channel but plans to have retail stores open for April 1st 2019. The stores will be regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and will have a private retail model that the Ontario Cannabis Store will be the exclusive wholesaler to. You are legally allowed to purchase cannabis at the age of 19 but only allowed to smoke on private residences. Each household is allowed to grow up to 4 plants, however landlords and councils can ban both smoking and growing on their properties. Citizens of Ontario are allowed up to 30 grams on their person in public. You are allowed to smoke in quite a few places in Ontario such as your private residence, outdoor places that allow tobacco smoke, certain rooms in hotels and certain areas of hospices and retirement homes. You are not allowed to smoke in apartments, University dorms, schools or places children gather or outdoor areas that prohibit smoking of any kind. Municipalities in Ontario will have a one time window in which they are allowed to ban cannabis store-fronts from opening.
All cannabis sales will be through a subsidiary of the provincially run liquor board called the Société québécoise du cannabis, they will also control online sales. Unless authorized by the government, growing cannabis is prohibited for personal or commercial use. There are currently six companies providing the government with 62,000kg of cannabis for the first year for the province. At the age of 18 you are legally allowed to possess cannabis and you are allowed 30 grams on your person in public and 150 grams in your possession at home. You are prohibited from possessing cannabis on school grounds, University and College campuses and on the grounds of daycare and childcare. Smoking will be permitted anywhere that tobacco is allowed to be smoked with exceptions to college-level institutions and universities and health and social service institutions.
In New Brunswick the legal age of consumption and possession is 19 and each person is permitted to have up to 30 grams on their person. Consumers can buy their product at one of 20 stores that are a subsidiary of the provinces liquor commission or product can be purchased online. Once the product is at home it must be locked away. You are not allowed to consume cannabis in any public place. You are allowed to grow 4 plants in your private residence, provided they are not visible. Any plant that is growing outdoors must be behind an enclosed fence that is 1.52 meters high.
Legal age to possess cannabis in Prince Edward Island is 19 and it will be sold in stand alone outlets run separately by the liquor commission. Consumption of cannabis will be restricted to your private homes and some designated public areas. Online sales of cannabis will be done through the government or one of four current government run store fronts in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague and West Prince. Residents are allowed to grow up to four plants in their home, however these plants must not be accessible to minors. Cannabis production and processing will be regulated through federal licensing.
Cannabis will be sold by the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation alongside alcohol in 9 provincial liquor stores as well as online and can be purchased by anyone 19 and over. You can smoke cannabis anywhere you can smoke cigarettes as well as your private residence, if you live in a rented space your landlord can restrict use. Adults are allowed to grow up to four plants per residence, however certain bylaws may restrict this. In Nova Scotia you are allowed to produce edibles at home for personal use, but they are still restricted by federal law. In your car cannabis must remain out of reach of anyone in the car and must be in a closed, sealed package.
Cannabis will be sold in private stores to anyone 19 years and over. The crown owned Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation will oversee the distribution of cannabis and smoking will be restricted to private residences. Not much information around laws is available.
And there we have it, a brief overview of how cannabis is being legalized and what the regulations are in each province. It’s a mixed bag of emotions for us, while there are certain regulations we agree with, there are more that we don’t. It will be an interesting year to see how this all plays out and how it changes. Some of these restrictions are crazy (mostly how many stores and producers are allowed) and will need to be taken back to the drawing board for sure. We promise to keep you up to date about what changes are happening and how to smoke safely in your province.
What about you? What are your thoughts on the regulations?
It’s no secret that when dealing with the Government of Canada headaches are a sure fire thing. The hours it takes waiting on the phone and going through the automated service until you are finally put on hold before getting through to a real person, the number of hands you get passed to, managers you talk to, departments you go through until you are told that the person you needed to talk to was actually Joe – the first guy you spoke to, and the cycle starts again, is a painful and hair pulling process we have all had to unfortunately endure. If you ask most Canadians they all agree that dealing with the government is the equivalent to being put in a maze that’s constantly changing; almost impossible and completely frustrating. So why we thought the process of going through legalization was going to be any different is a mystery.
Simply put: it’s a nightmare. But, we want to play in the game, so we are going to play by their rules.
Not so simply put, the process to legalization is convoluted, not even fully released and, in many cases, contradictory. Despite the lack of clarity, though, one thing is abundantly clear – as of October 17, 2018, we are required to “cease and desist all activities until such a time as our application is approved by the Federal Ministry of Health”. So, unfortunately, in order for us to participate in the new legal framework we need to stop production, put in our application, and then wait and prepare for Health Canada’s approval. Two steps forward, one step back…Oh joy!
So what exactly does that process look like for us? First things first is making sure that our warehouse is in an area that can be rezoned. (Check) Next we will have to meet with the city and provide them with the blueprints of our operation, as well as an outline of our security measures for our warehouse. This of course is going to cost a fee that has not yet been determined by the Government. ($) Once we send our blueprints off to the city, we will then have to get an inspection of our production facility done. Fire, building, electrical, you name it, we have to do it. And if the difference in costs for a cannabis business license and a regular business license is any indication (cannabis business licenses run higher than any other), you can safely assume those inspections will cost more for us than, say, a craft brewery that wanted to open. ($$) Once we’ve managed to jump through all these hoops we then have to apply for our security clearances. Yes, clearanceS — multiple. For every staff member. Because apparently this is some sort of Mission Impossible operation. They want to collect our fingerprints, file our marital statuses, get our home addresses, know what your mother’s maiden name is, your first pet, your favorite high school teacher, what you had for breakfast. Wonderful… And you can safely assume that these security clearances are going to come with a fee. ($$$) Once this is all complete then we can finally file our application and wait with our fingers crossed for approval. Did we mention that there is a fee to even just submit an application for legalization? We didn’t, well, there is that (yup) undetermined fee as well. ($$$$)
If the legalization process was a restaurant on Google it would be categorized as very fine dining and would include four dollar signs beside it – you know, to make sure you know just how expensive this is going to be.
The worst part of all of this isn’t even the number of hoops they are making us jump through, hell most of us have been dealing with the Canadian Government for over ten years now, we know the hoops are endless. But what really rattles us is that they haven’t even opened the doors to allow the process to begin. All they have said is that we have to close down production and that “sometime after the 17th” the application process can begin.
We hope you’ll wait patiently with us while we find our place in the game. We promise to keep you in the loop about where we are in the legalization stages.
Like most of the strong beautiful forests growing on Vancouver island, birthed from a nursery of old deceased trees of a previous life, Black Fin Extracts grew from the remains of something that once was. No one said running your own company would be easy, let alone a cannabis company in the new world of legalization, yet soon enough this crew of island born and raised misfits would realize just what it would take to build from the ground up.
With nothing left but each other, a combination of unusual skills and a sense of hope, the remaining team members sat in a kitchen (like most good parties) planning their next move. Knowing that the craft cannabis community was one they were willing to fight in the legal market, they began to ponder what they wanted their customers to think about when they came to them. What did they want their business to reflect. Of course being from BC was a major factor to reflect on. How can you have a cannabis company without highlighting what the west coast is known for — BC Bud. More specifically when thinking about the company, the team wanted people to think strong, resilient and elegant . And what better way to bring all that together than with the Orca.
“Killer whales (Orcas) are considered a particular symbol of power and strength, and catching sight of one is considered a momentous omen.“
Much like the orcas, the BFE team all grew up within 10kms of the ocean and call the south of Vancouver island home. They have a strength in each of them that, when brought together, lift and empower each other to overcome whatever obstacle they come across. They knew that what they could bring to the legal cannabis world would be something to be watched, a momentous omen.
These remaining misfits decided that this was the perfect way to describe their new company. That the power and renown symbol of the Orca was what they wanted to strive for in their company, and the resilience they have to persevere was parallel to how the team felt about going into a legal market as a craft grower. The Black Fin was exactly what they wanted to use to showcase who they were. Strong, reliant, beautiful, and born from the West Coast.