*By Carlo Versano*
As Canada celebrates its status as the first G7 nation to allow recreational use of cannabis nationwide, the mission of marijuana advocates is now likely to focus on shifting public perception of marijuana use ... and marijuana users.
Derek Riedle, the publisher of Civilized, a high-end cannabis lifestyle and media brand, spoke to Cheddar on "Day 1" in Montreal, Québec. Riedle, who has long fought for legalization, isn't wasting any time in pivoting to what he believes to be the next issue at hand ー dismantling the stigma around recreational pot use. Cannabis culture is "fundamentally different" from the stereotypes in modern media, he said.
"People enjoy cannabis for all kinds of reasons," he added. But given the pervasive "stoner culture" perceptions, more than half of users remain in what Riedle has termed the "cannabis closet." As a member of the media that shapes those impressions, he sees it as his job to help those users come out.
Canada's legalization efforts, years in the making, culminated on Wednesday as longtime cannabis users and curious first-timers lined up at retail locations across the vast country to be part of what amounts to one of the biggest experiments yet in global drug policy.
"This is something that has never been done before," Riedle said.
He predicted Canada will become a testing ground for the fledgling industry and ground zero for an entirely new industry of innovative companies looking to capture a piece of the market. While public safety and sales issues are sure to come up, "the sky hasn't fallen," as Riedle put it.
"Canada is going to be a shining example."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/canadians-brace-for-cultural-changes-as-cannabis-becomes-legal).
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
At the core of the ongoing government shutdown is a fight over the decision to end subsidies that let some 12 million Americans get health coverage.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
