Deepak Anand is a man on a mission. Vice president of business development and government relations with Cannabis Compliance Inc., Deepak wants to make sure companies and individuals have access to cannabis the right way—because the truth is, not everyone will post October 17.

For many, there’s limited affordability, for others, there are geographical hurdles, and heavy import and export restrictions. Consumers aren’t the only ones feeling (or rather, not feeling) the burn; with Health Canada’s tight requirements for licensure, the doors don’t open easily for many would-be cultivators either.

Having helped more than 100 companies, organizations, and even the Federal Government help normalize legal cannabis, Deepak says, “It’s about understanding what people want, what the government has the capacity to do, and trying to marry those up.” For Deepak and his team, that could mean anything from telling growers what pesticides they can use to helping re-configure national life insurance policies.

Cannabis expertise

Anand was recently appointed as VP of business development and government relations with Cannabis Compliance Inc., one of Canada’s full-service cannabis consulting firm. Prior to this, Deepak was the Executive Director for the Canadian National Medical Marijuana Association and adjunct professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

“I’ve got a dialogue with Health Canada, so we’ve got a number of things going for us,” he says, adding that the company has also become an international go-to consultancy on the matter of legal cannabis. As a stakeholder, Deepak frequently offers feedback on the legality of all cannabis-related matters. His new position is one more notch on the belt for his longstanding relationship with Health Canada—one going back almost 15 years, well before cannabis caught his eye.

“I started in the pharmaceutical industry, where I was working in the e-commerce side. When Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations was developed, Health Canada asked me if I’d be interested in the program.”

The government was concerned there wouldn’t be enough dependable cultivators for patients to choose from, and Deepak was initially tapped to boost the numbers. Intrigued by its medicinal potential, he began engaging in patient advocacy and policy development with the Canadian National Medical Marijuana Association, from which he stepped away last April to focus on more advisory roles.

Patient advocacy

Since then, he’s been brought onto Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana’s (CFAMM) board of directors to tackle affordability issues. The proposed excise tax means that the already pricey product will be taxed up to 15 percent as a “sin tax”; the same tariff applied to alcohol and cigarettes. Deepak has been a major voice in CFAMM’s ‘Don’t Tax Medicine’ initiative for that reason: “We need to eliminate taxation on medical cannabis,” he affirms. “Why should we be taxing this when we aren’t taxing any other medicine?” He says the longstanding stigma against cannabis has been the primary vehicle for its suppression in both recreational and medical capacities.

A global perspective

Deepak’s proficiency in dealing with the fine print has also made him a point man internationally. “We’re working in South America, South Africa, and within the European Union,” he says, listing governments who have reached out to help bring the flower to their homelands in a legal manner. “We’ve got international governments coming to us for advice. There are changes to things like life insurance, so they need to know what recourse they have.”

On a personal level, however, he says a few taboos have followed him throughout his career. “One of the biggest things is diversity in this space,” says Deepak, admitting that many boardrooms aren’t exactly a cultural mosaic—he’s often one of few, if not the only non-white participant in the conversation. “It’s still a white male industry. But I’ve learned to deal with it, but also be vocal about it.”

Challenges aside, his involvement in the industry’s growth has been constant. “I’ve spoken on the task force, submitted white papers, and been at roundtables. I’ve got a close insight into where the government’s going with this,” he says. “And the next few years are going to be very important.”