Book / case history
Legalizing Cannabis Extracts: A Journey to the Supreme Court of Canada
This is Owen's first-person story of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club, medical cannabis patients, his arrest, and the court case that followed.
Cannabis policy, strategy & public trust
Helping the cannabis industry grow ethically.
Owen Smith helps cannabis businesses and advocates build public trust through responsible practice, public education, and policy that serves people. His approach starts from a clear conviction: lasting growth depends on showing how cannabis can benefit patients, communities, and society.
Respondent in R. v. Smith, 2015 SCC 34 Author of Legalizing Cannabis Extracts
Podcasts & interviews
Conversations beyond the page.
Selected conversations about cannabis, access, advocacy, and the people behind policy change.
The Case That Changed Cannabis Forever
A conversation with Montel about Owen’s cannabis advocacy and the court case at the centre of his story.
Medical Cannabis Activist, Author & Advocate
Owen discusses his book and the experiences behind his work on medical cannabis access.
Elbows Up with Owen Smith
A return conversation about the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club, medical access, and supporting Canada’s cannabis sector.
Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club
Care came before the market.
Before legal cannabis became an industry, the VCBC brought patients, caregivers, advocates, and medicine makers together.
The VCBC grew around safe access, affordable medicine, shared knowledge, and respect for patients.
Owen's years at the club showed him what policy means in daily life. The work involved people, recipes, courtrooms, long talks, and care. Rules can protect that care, or push it aside.
Cannabis Digest is the club's newsletter and public journal. It holds patient stories, education, activism, legal history, and the changing life of the community.
Ways to work together
Put ethical growth into practice.
Business strategy, public communication, and policy research grounded in the people affected.
Business leaders and teams
Build a viable cannabis business whose products, practices, and partnerships earn public trust.
- Business plans and routes to market
- Clear content and communication
- Impact reviews and values in practice
Governments and public bodies
Clear evidence and real experience, brought together to show how a rule may affect people's lives.
- Policy and rule review
- Options, submissions, and briefings
- Research and public education
First Nations and community groups
Support that begins with local authority, local knowledge, and the relationships that hold the work together.
- Policy support led by the Nation
- Consultation and position planning
- Research and group conversations
Not sure where your question fits? The advisory page explains simple ways to begin.
About Owen
Experience close to the people affected.
For more than twenty years, Owen has worked across cannabis advocacy, medical access, law reform, business, writing, and public education. This range helps him see how a decision can look very different from the community, the office, and the market.
About Owen and the Work
Start a conversation
What would you like help with?
A short message is enough. Share the question, decision, or opportunity. Owen will let you know if a conversation may help.
Please do not include private, medical, cultural, legal, or other protected information in this first message.