The People’s Alliance of Cannabis in Canada (PACC) Files for Non-Profit Status in Canada, Continues Important Dialogues

Published: March 1, 2021

The People’s Alliance of Cannabis in Canada (PACC) Files for Non-Profit Status in Canada, Continues Important Dialogues

The People’s Alliance of Cannabis in Canada (“PACC”) announced that it will be filing as an official non-profit organization in Canada, with a goal to represent professionals and consumers across the growing cannabis industry across Canada.

“Incorporating as a non-profit will bring the legitimacy and credibility we intended for PACC since it started,” said co-founder and PACC President Anne-Marie Fischer, “This organization has been set up to provide the necessary support to people working in cannabis that has been unheard of until now, and we’re ready to take the next step in making this organization on that will have national impact.”

Part of PACC’s focus is creating a Membership Program that will provide a suite of medical, dental, and mental health benefits to individuals who work in cannabis or receive some of their income through the industry.

“It’s become apparent to us how many people in cannabis are living without adequate benefits,” said Michele Parotta, co-founder and PACC Community Liaison, “We’ve been connecting with insurers and group benefits administrators to create a tailored package of benefits that fit the needs of those in cannabis,” said Parrotta, “We expect this membership program to roll out this year, but it requires a lot of work to get off the ground.”

“This is why it’s important we register for non-profit status,” added Stacy Bobak, co- founder and PACC Secretary, “The work of PACC has proven to be a lot larger than we anticipated. Now that we will become a non-profit, we can apply for grants and receive donations from businesses in cannabis to support the operations of this organization,” said Bobak.

PACC has been busy since its official launch in October 2020. Made up of five founding members, and 20 advisory team members spanning five focus areas, the organization seeks to help elevate the voices of all people and organizations in Canada working towards a better cannabis industry. PACC’s five focus areas include medical cannabis, retail/recreational, BIPOC inclusion, hemp and sustainability, and cannabis advocacy. One crucial activity that PACC has been involved in is Town Halls, which are held every month and are themed towards PACC’s five focus areas.

In January, “Promoting Education and Safety in Cannabis Retail” was an eye-opening dialogue about the education gap in recreational cannabis and the need for people in Canada to access reliable education to have a positive and safe cannabis experience. February’s Town Hall “BIPOC Inclusion in Cannabis” featured a panel of eight successful BIPOC business owners who discussed both the challenges and triumphs of being an entrepreneur, business owner, and worker within the growing cannabis industry.“

These Town Halls are an opportunity to have crucial dialogues about important aspects of cannabis that aren’t being talked about,” said Khadisha Thornhill, co-founder and Treasurer, “We see these conversations as important data that the decision-makers in cannabis need to hear.” PACC plans to create a full report following the five Town Hall events that will be sent to Health Canada and the provincial bodies that govern cannabis across Canada. The next Town Hall will be held on Tuesday, March 16 at 4pmEST. Registration can be found here.

What’s next for PACC? “We have some really exciting partnerships that we will be announcing soon,” said co-founder and PACC Vice President Reverend Kelly Addison, “Since PACC is about elevating the voices of ALL in cannabis across Canada, we’ve been tapping into other advocacy groups to see how we can partner. So far, we’ve made three really critical partnerships that will help us mutually elevate each other’s goals to create a better industry for this country.”

To learn more about The People’s Alliance of Cannabis in Canada, visit www.peoplescannabis.ca, or follow the organization on Instagram at @peoplescannabiscanada or Facebook at www.facebook.com/peoplescannacanada

The People’s Alliance of Cannabis in Canada is an organization representing the interests of professionals and consumers within the growing cannabis space across the nation. We provide support through crucial programming, develop professional standards for the industry to emulate, encourage the unification of all cannabis markets, and create a standard for education across cannabis in our country. We operate and advocate for legislative change so that we create a cannabis industry where cannabis is always safely accessed, and provided by cultivators and producers who meet a set of defined professional standards. The People’s Alliance of Cannabis in Canada envisions a future where our legal cannabis industry honours and recognizes all contributions to cannabis made by our six focus areas (medical, recreational/retail, legacy market, agriculture & hemp, the BIPOC community, and advocacy). We see a future where every group, individual, corporation, and cannabis community is abiding by a high set of standards that promote inclusivity, equity, integrity, education, advocacy, and a united front within the Canadian cannabis space at large. For more information, visit www.peoplescannabis.ca