/channels/taxonomy/term/7499/all en /channels/channels/news/cannabis-legalization-six-months-later-296343 <p>Desautels Faculty Lecturer <a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester"><strong>Ken Lester</strong></a> joins <i>Breakfast Television</i> to explore how the legalization of marijuana has taken hold over the past six months and what the next chapter holds, including the rise of edibles and the further streamlining of distribution.</p> <p><a href="https://www.btmontreal.ca/videos/legal-cannabis-six-months-later/" target="_blank">Read more</a></p> Tue, 16 Apr 2019 18:40:40 +0000 webfull 148494 at /channels /channels/channels/news/quebec-trails-cannabis-industry-290657 <p>As the legalization of cannabis approaches, <i>La Presse </i>reports that Quebec is trailing other Canadian provinces where the industry has flourished comparatively faster.</p> <p>Professor <a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester"><strong>Ken Lester</strong></a> comments on some of the obstacles that might be at play, mentioning Quebec’s religious heritage as contributing factor.</p> <p><a href="http://http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/723bb231-0e9c-44a2-8727-614240bbbfa4__7C___0.html" target="_blank">Read more in <em>La Presse</em></a></p> Mon, 15 Oct 2018 20:05:58 +0000 webfull 142032 at /channels /channels/channels/news/quebecs-upcoming-election-and-legalized-marijuana-290012 <p>Much has been debated over the course of Quebec’s electoral campaign, including the minimum age for legalized marijuana consumption.</p> <p>Professor <a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester"><strong>Ken Lester</strong></a> argues that the CAQ’s stance is far from responsible, alleging that a 21-year-old minimum age will not prevent usage among those below the cut-off.</p> <p><a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/it-will-not-look-good-quebec-s-legal-pot-age-at-play-in-election-1.1141974" target="_blank">Read more</a></p> Tue, 25 Sep 2018 19:06:03 +0000 webfull 141316 at /channels /channels/channels/news/will-quebecs-black-market-stymie-marijuana-business-ventures-287425 <p>A vote on the federal government’s cannabis bill, C-45, is scheduled in the Senate for June 7 — bringing the country closer to legalization.</p> <p>In the midst of this, experts such as Professor <a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester"><strong>Ken Lester</strong></a> are weighing in about whether legalized marijuana can thrive in Quebec where the black market is known to be pervasive.  </p> <p>“Quebec has some of the biggest smokers in the world and yet, unlike in Ontario or B.C., you barely see any dispensaries or shops,” says Professor Lester.</p> Wed, 30 May 2018 16:45:48 +0000 webfull 138268 at /channels /channels/channels/news/duped-promise-riches-investors-are-left-cold-287413 <p>Graphite Energy Corp (GRXXF), a Vancouver company with a mining operation in the Laurentians, was believed to be the next big thing among investors.</p> <p>With news that their stock has crashed, Professor <strong><a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester">Ken Lester</a></strong> shares his commentary on the turn of events. </p> <p>The so-called pump and dump phenomenon is not unusual, according to Prof. Lester, especially in emerging industries like marijuana and cryptocurrencies.</p> Tue, 29 May 2018 20:01:21 +0000 webfull 138256 at /channels /channels/channels/news/does-marijuana-legalization-open-door-organized-crime-284517 <p>Following the revelation that many Canadian marijuana producers benefit from offshore financing, Desautels Professor and President of Lester Asset Management, <strong><a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester">Ken Lester</a></strong>, shares his perspective on marijuana legalization and organized crime, stating that the union of the two is entirely possible.</p> <p><a href="https://www.wort.lu/fr/economie/article-de-presse-l-argent-du-cannabis-passe-par-le-luxembourg-5a7577b8c1097cee25b7cdf2" target="_blank">Read more</a></p> Tue, 06 Feb 2018 15:42:33 +0000 webfull 134813 at /channels /channels/channels/news/banking-system-turns-its-back-emerging-marijuana-business-284100 <p>Many banks in Canada are refusing to offer any banking services to companies engaged in the production and distribution of marijuana. Desautels Finance Professor and Investment Management Specialist, <a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester"><strong>Ken Lester</strong></a> comments on the hypocrisy of this situation.</p> <p>“If you call your broker at one of the major Canadian banks to buy the shares of an authorized [marijuana] producer, he will not refuse.”</p> Tue, 23 Jan 2018 17:39:12 +0000 webfull 134348 at /channels /channels/channels/news/citron-hits-shopify-short-attack-professor-lester-weighs-275552 <p>Shopify recently came out in defense of its business model following an attack on the company by short seller Andrew Left of Citron. According to Desautels professor<strong> <a href="http://node/64985">Kenneth Lester</a></strong>, short sellers actually do an investigative service by exposing information about companies that might have otherwise been strategically concealed; though he remains wary of the insider trading sometimes tied to shorts.</p> Wed, 11 Oct 2017 15:30:50 +0000 webfull 131850 at /channels /channels/channels/news/ottawas-pot-pricing-plan-likely-be-affected-low-rates-quebec-268764 <p>Ottawa is going to have to find a way to keep legalized cannabis on the affordable side, thanks to the already low prices in Quebec. A new Public Safety Canada report states that, for comparable quality marijuana, Quebec pot consumers pay about $5.33 per gram, while non-Quebecers average $7.04. Émilie Dansereau, of the <em>Association pour la santé publique du Québec</em>, suggests that Ottawa should pay attention to how the government of Uruguay killed off its black market with a low tax rate.</p> Wed, 28 Jun 2017 14:34:07 +0000 webfull 128998 at /channels /channels/channels/news/cannabis-legalization-and-private-enterprise-quebec-268688 <p>This summer, the Quebec government will be running consultations into how legalized cannabis will be sold in Quebec. For Ottawa, the aim is that the provinces will regulate sales, hopefully with public health as the ultimate goal.</p> Tue, 20 Jun 2017 14:08:30 +0000 webfull 128907 at /channels /channels/news/unwanted-life-insurance-can-be-valuable-asset-seniors%E2%80%99-retirement-240370 <p><span>Seniors looking for an additional source of income should think twice about letting unwanted life insurance lapse, because these policies may be sold for substantial value to help fund a better quality of life in their retirement.</span></p> <p><span>... <span><strong>Ken Lester</strong>, a professor at ƽ���岻��’s Desautels Faculty of Management and CEO of Lester Asset Management Inc. in Montreal, says life settlements are a bit like reverse mortgages, which allow homeowners to take out a loan against the equity in their home to receive cash payments. </span></span></p> Mon, 24 Nov 2014 19:27:33 +0000 webfull 106723 at /channels /channels/news/feds-unveil-pot-legalization-plans-producers%E2%80%99-shares-slip-267744 <p>Ottawa has released its plan to legalize marijuana, and the hit on big cannabis shares has been heavy. Concerns about how fast the government is moving to squeeze out illegal producers, a law-enforcement-heavy public announcement and a feeling that the government is stepping back from its plans for an industrial-scale market are leaving investors with questions.</p> Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:40:40 +0000 webfull 127159 at /channels /channels/news/les-touristes-evitent-la-france-261760 <p>L’attaque de Nice a eu un effet immédiat sur les touristes, qui ont été nombreux vendredi à annuler leur voyage en France.</p> <p>Des événements tragiques comme celui survenu sur la Côte d'Azur donnent toujours un dur coup au tourisme pendant quelques mois.</p> <p>«On se rend compte qu’avec ce nouvel événement, la France est devenue une cible. C’est donc évident que, s’ils ont à choisir, les touristes iront à un endroit plus sécuritaire à leurs yeux», mentionne Ken Lester, professeur à l’Université ƽ���岻��.</p> Mon, 18 Jul 2016 16:13:21 +0000 webfull 119947 at /channels /channels/news/when-it-comes-short-selling-flair-dramatic-growing-importance-256502 <p>“To me it treads on that fine line because, in a way, you create your own insider information,” said <strong>Kenneth Lester</strong>, a finance professor at ƽ���岻�� in Montreal and CEO of Lester Asset Management.</p> <p>Read full article: <a href="http://business.financialpost.com/news/fp-street/when-it-comes-to-short-selling-sometimes-sizzle-is-as-important-as-the-steak" target="_blank">Financial Post</a>, November 2, 2015</p> Tue, 03 Nov 2015 16:06:06 +0000 webfull 113711 at /channels /channels/news/short-seller%E2%80%99s-morning-tweet-seems-sink-shares-two-canadian-companies-268480 <p>After of a sell-off of shares in two Canadian companies was apparently triggered by a short seller’s morning tweet, Desautels professor <strong><a href="//www.mcgill.ca/desautels/kenneth-lester">Ken Lester</a></strong> derided the tweet, saying that “There’s no recourse. People can just put out whatever they want on the Internet.”</p> <p>He goes on to say that there is a general uncertainty about Canadian financial firms, thanks in large part to the legal problems faced by Home Capital Group.</p> Fri, 02 Jun 2017 15:27:50 +0000 webfull 128667 at /channels