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Edmonton medical cannabis company expanding to Denmark

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From Atlas Biotechnologies Inc.

Atlas Biotechnologies announces a major expansion into the European market.

Atlas Biotechnologies Inc. is pleased to announce its expansion into Europe with Atlas Growers Denmark. Atlas Biotechnologies is proud to be the first Canadian grower to execute a large-scale indoor medicinal cannabis production facility in Europe.

Sheldon Croome, Atlas President & CEO notes: “We have been seeking to expand our production base outside of Canada for some time and are pleased to have secured this high-impact opportunity. The rapidly emerging European medical cannabis market is primed for tremendous growth and our Denmark expansion will provide Atlas a solid foundation to further serve our ever-growing client base of European buyers. We are excited to be planning one of the largest, most sophisticated indoor cultivation and GMP processing facilities in Europe, the next major frontier for medical cannabis legalization.”

Atlas Growers Denmark is structured using a finance lease of the assets of Egehøj Champignon; Atlas retains the right to purchase the assets at a fixed price at any time for twenty years. The assets consist of a 170,000 sq. ft. facility located on Funen, Denmark and will serve as Atlas’ European base of operations for the development and production of medical cannabis-based products. The property features 36 individual climate-controlled rooms, allowing for in-house cultivation of pharmaceutical grade cannabis flowers, as well as production of pure, extracted medical inputs, & GMP manufacturing of down-stream finished goods. The microclimates can be tailored to the unique environmental demands of each specific medical cannabis cultivar, or plant variety.

Kent Stenvang, CEO and Owner of Egehøj Champignon will lead the Atlas team as Denmark Head of Operations​.

Kent Stenvang added: “I am thrilled to become an integral member of the Atlas team and am consistently impressed by their biotech and pharmaceutical research focus in medical cannabis. This cultivation and processing expansion is a boost for the area by creating 50 local jobs with over 100 hires expected by late 2020.”

Drawing of Denmark facility.

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Working with Novo Nordisk Engineering, Atlas has engineered a new 20,000 sq. ft. processing laboratory, which will meet European Union Good Manufacturing Practices (EU GMP) standards, the certification necessary for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Atlas Denmark has submitted a cultivation license. Approval is pending and is expected in the next few months with planting to begin soon after. The first harvest is scheduled for early 2020 with an expected eventual product yield of 20,000 kg each year.

About Atlas Biotechnologies Inc. (“Atlas”) and Atlas Growers Ltd.

Atlas is based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and its wholly owned subsidiary, Atlas Growers Ltd. is federally licensed for cultivation and processing of cannabis products, with a focus on medical use markets. Atlas currently operates a purpose-built 38,000 square foot facility and laboratory, which has in-house capabilities to refine cannabis into distilled and isolated cannabinoid concentrates as well as specialized medical formulations in large volumes. Atlas’ proprietary controlled environment cultivation system is designed to maximize production of the highest consistency and quality of cannabis products for medical use applications. Atlas is heavily focused on research and development and continues to solidify collaboration with some of the world’s most prestigious post-secondary institutions, including Harvard Medical School. Atlas continues towards its vision of improving lives by creating The World’s Most Trusted Cannabis ProductsTM.

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Alberta

Alberta court upholds conviction of Pastor Artur Pawlowski for preaching at Freedom Convoy protest

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

Lawyers argued that Pastor Artur Pawlowski’s sermon was intended to encourage protesters to find a peaceful solution to the blockade, but the statement was characterized as a call for mischief.

An Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that Calgary Pastor Artur Pawlowski is guilty of mischief for his sermon at the Freedom Convoy-related border protest blockade in February 2022 in Coutts, Alberta.

On October 29, Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Gordon Krinke sentenced the pro-freedom pastor to 60 days in jail for “counselling mischief” by encouraging protesters to continue blocking Highway 4 to protest COVID mandates.

“A reasonable person would understand the appellant’s speech to be an active inducement of the illegal activity that was ongoing and that the appellant intended for his speech to be so understood,” the decision reads.

Pawlowski addressed a group of truckers and protesters blocking entrance into the U.S. state of Montana on February 3, the fifth day of the Freedom Convoy-styled protest. He encouraged the protesters to “hold the line” after they had reportedly made a deal with Royal Canadian Mounted Police to leave the border crossing and travel to Edmonton.

“The eyes of the world are fixed right here on you guys. You are the heroes,” Pawlowski said. “Don’t you dare go breaking the line.”

After Pawlowski’s sermon, the protesters remained at the border crossing for two additional weeks. While his lawyers argued that his speech was made to encourage protesters to find a peaceful solution to the blockade, the statement is being characterized as a call for mischief.

Days later, on February 8, Pawlowski was arrested – for the fifth time – by an undercover SWAT team just before he was slated to speak again to the Coutts protesters.

He was subsequently jailed for nearly three months for what he said was for speaking out against COVID mandates, the subject of all the Freedom Convoy-related protests.

In Krinke’s decision, he argued that Pawlowski’s sermon incited the continuation of the protest, saying, “The Charter does not provide justification to anybody who incites a third party to commit such crimes.”

“While the appellant is correct that peaceful, lawful and nonviolent communication is entitled to protection, blockading a highway is an inherently aggressive and potentially violent form of conduct, designed to intimidate and impede the movement of third parties,” he wrote.

Pawlowski was released after the verdict. He has already spent 78 days in jail before the trial.

Pawlowski is the first Albertan to be charged for violating the province’s Critical Infrastructure Defence Act (CIDA), which was put in place in 2020 under then-Premier Jason Kenney.

The CIDA, however, was not put in place due to COVID mandates but rather after anti-pipeline protesters blockaded key infrastructure points such as railway lines in Alberta a few years ago.

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Alberta

New Sheriffs unit to enhance public safety in Red Deer and Central Alberta

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A new team of Alberta Sheriffs will work alongside police to keep crime out of central Alberta communities by targeting problem properties.

Since 2023, Alberta’s government has invested more than $27 million to help fight crime throughout the province. Building on these efforts, the government is now expanding the Alberta Sheriffs’ Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit with the creation of a new team of investigators in Red Deer. The creation of the Red Deer SCAN team is the latest in a series of measures aimed at enhancing public safety and increasing the Alberta Sheriffs’ ability to support police throughout the province.

The move puts more resources on the ground with a team of qualified experts who will investigate properties where illegal activity has been reported and shut them down through court orders when needed. The Red Deer SCAN team – made up of four Alberta Sheriffs – joins existing SCAN teams in Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge, which have proven immensely effective in working alongside local police to shutter problem properties throughout the province.

“Alberta’s government will always maintain a zero-tolerance stance toward crime of any kind, and the expansion of the Alberta Sheriffs’ SCAN unit reflects that. With the creation of a new SCAN team in Red Deer, we’re expanding the unit’s coverage even further and putting more boots on the ground where they’re needed. Let this be a message to all criminals: you are not welcome here. Communities in the Red Deer area have a right not to be plagued by drug and other criminal activity that create dangerous environments, and Alberta’s government will do whatever it takes to keep people safe.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

The Sheriffs’ SCAN unit operates under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, which uses legal sanctions and court orders to hold owners accountable for illegal activity happening on their property, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and child exploitation. SCAN augments and supports local police to both investigate and close properties where evidence of criminal activity has been confirmed.

“Ensuring safety for law-abiding Albertans is of utmost importance for Alberta’s government and requires a comprehensive approach to effectively combat and prevent criminal activity. This involves enhancing law-enforcement resources, fostering community engagement, implementing crime prevention programs, and promoting collaboration between Alberta Sheriffs and local police. This SCAN team is a game-changer in central Alberta and puts criminals on notice that they are not welcome here.”

Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-South

“The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act holds property owners accountable for activities on their property that threaten public safety. Alberta’s SCAN teams support policing efforts by addressing illegal activities on these properties. This additional team will enhance RCMP community safety programs.”

Assistant Commissioner Trevor Daroux, criminal operations officer, Alberta RCMP

When a community member reports a problem property to SCAN, the unit begins an investigation. Once the investigation confirms the activity, investigators contact the property owner to try and resolve the issue informally. If informal efforts are unsuccessful, SCAN can apply to the courts for a community safety order to impose restrictions and conditions on the property and its owner, which could include closing the property for up to 90 days. Any criminal activity uncovered when dealing with these properties is turned over to the police to investigate.

“Over the years, SCAN’s impact on community safety has been profound. More often than not, we see individuals in these problem properties carrying out drug operations and other criminal activities beside homes, schools, playgrounds and other places where Albertans’ safety should never be in question. Crime has no place in any Alberta neighbourhood, and we look forward to working with our policing partners in the Red Deer area to help keep central Alberta communities safe.”

Mike Letourneau, superintendent, Alberta Sheriffs

SCAN continues to see tremendous success, having closed problem properties in Lethbridge, Calgary, Spruce Grove and Medicine Hat in the last six months alone. Since May 2024, Alberta’s government has publicly announced the closure of seven problem properties by SCAN, including three in Calgary, two in Lethbridge, and one each in Spruce Grove and Medicine Hat.

“Creating a safer environment for our citizens improves the overall quality of our community in Red Deer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alberta’s government, SCAN and all our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe. This is great news for the City of Red Deer, and together, we can make our community safer. I encourage residents to report any suspicious activity to the SCAN unit.”

Ken Johnston, mayor, City of Red Deer

The Red Deer SCAN team’s operational boundaries encompass the city of Red Deer and its surrounding communities and rural areas, providing coverage to the central area spanning Ponoka to the north and Olds to the south.

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