Canada legalization chief: Let black-market MJ growers join

/in , , , , , /by

The chair of the Canadian government’s marijuana legalization task force believes black-market growers should be allowed to participate in the country’s new recreational cannabis industry.

Such as move could affect business opportunities. The federal government’s proposal stipulated that newer, smaller cultivators would be given an opportunity to participate in the nation’s new rec industry, although existing licensed medical marijuana producers would get first dibs on the new…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian medical marijuana grower Aphria lands CA$100M

/in , , , , , , /by

Aphria, one of Canada’s largest licensed medical marijuana producers, announced it has secured 100 million Canadian dollars ($74 million) in financing.

The financing will be used mostly to expand Aphria’s production capacity, which “is expected to supply more than 75,000 (kilograms) of high-quality cannabis at one of the lowest costs in the industry,” CEO Vic Neufield said in the release.

According to the release, CA$75 million of the total funding comes from equity financing, while the remaining CA$25…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada Lawmakers Introduce Marijuana Regulation Measures

/in , , , , , , /by

NORML | April 19, 2017

OTTAWA, ON — Liberal Party members introduced legislation late last week to legalize and regulate the possession, use, and sale of cannabis by those age 18 and older.

The legislation follows through on a 2015 campaign pledge by the Party, which has promised to regulate the marijuana market by mid-2018.

The proposed measures establish a legal framework for the commercial production and retail sale of herbal cannabis, germinating seeds, immature plants, and cannabis-infused…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada provincial leaders concerned over rec MJ timeline

/in , , , , , /by

Canadian provincial leaders are raising questions over whether they will be ready when Canada’s recreational marijuana market is set to go online in July 2018.

That could slow the adult-use industry’s rollout across Canada, making it more difficult for entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on the federal government’s legalization program.

Under legalization legislation introduced Thursday, the federal government would be responsible for regulating rec cultivation while the provinces would…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Digging into the details of Canada’s new law legalizing marijuana nationwide

/in , , , , , , , /by

Canada on Thursday released a plan to legalize recreational marijuana use across the country by July 2018. With a solid Liberal majority in government the plan is widely expected to become law, but it would leave the details of implementation, including commercial regulations, to individual provinces.

The bill’s backers framed it as an effort to reduce adolescent drug use and take profits out of the black market. “Criminal prohibition has failed to protect our kids and our communities,” said…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Week in Review: 4 takeaways from Canada’s recreational marijuana plan

/in , , , , , , , /by

By Omar Sacirbey

The biggest marijuana business development this week – and quite possibly this year – originated north of the border.

On Thursday, the Canadian government introduced landmark legislation to legalize recreational marijuana, giving entrepreneurs worldwide a look at how the country could regulate the first adult-use cannabis market in a G-7 nation.

Among the four notable business highlights:

  • The government hopes to fast-track the program and have it up and running by the middle of…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian government introduces bill legalizing rec marijuana

/in , , , , , /by

Canada’s government on Thursday introduced highly anticipated legislation in the House of Commons to legalize recreational marijuana, proposing that existing licensed medical cannabis producers get the first crack at business licenses.

The legislation sets July 1, 2018, as the target date for legalization, The Globe and Mail reported.

At that time, adults 18 or older would be able to possess up to 30 grams – a little more than an ounce – of cannabis in public and grow a maximum of…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada unveils official marijuana legalization plan

/in , , , , , /by

Canada is advancing plans to become the first Group of Seven nation to legalize recreational marijuana nationally, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is keeping key details hazy and allowing arrests to continue while parliament debates his plan.

Trudeau’s justice minister introduced proposed laws Thursday in the Ottawa legislature that set a minimum consumption age of 18, with individual provinces allowed to raise it as they see fit. Rules on retail sales will also be left to the provinces,…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Cannabis companies flock to Canada as US laws keep them off stock exchange

/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

When Hadley Ford created a company for investing in the fast-growing business of legal marijuana, the former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. investment banker left New York and headed north of the border.

While more than half of U.S. states allow marijuana for medical or recreational use, the drug is still outlawed by the federal government, starving pot entrepreneurs of institutional capital. Major stock exchanges won’t accept listings for businesses that Washington deems illegal, and banks and…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

“Godfather of Grass” John Robert Boone deported from Canada

/in , , , , , , /by

A runza (also called a bierock, fleischkuche, or kraut pirok) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, pork, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings.[2][3][4] They are baked in various shapes such as a half-moon, rectangle, round (bun), square, or triangle. In Nebraska, the Runza is usually baked in a rectangular shape. The bierocks of Kansas, on the other hand, are generally baked in the shape of a bun.

History[edit]

The Runza sandwich originated in Russia…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian marijuana grower strikes deal to enter U.S. market

/in , , , , , , , , /by

Aphria – one of Canada’s largest medical marijuana producers – kicked off a U.S. expansion plan with an investment of 25 million Canadian dollars ($18.63 million) that will lead to the purchase of a licensed CBD business in Florida.

When the complex deal is done, Aphria will have established a foothold in Florida with the goal of eventually extending its reach to other medical marijuana markets in the United States, according to a news release.

Aphria plans to put the CA$25 million into private holding company…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian pharmacy chain to cover employees’ medical cannabis

/in , , , , , /by

The biggest pharmacy chain in Canada will begin covering medical cannabis for certain conditions under its employee health insurance plan.

Loblaw Companies Limited and its Shoppers Drug Mart unit made the announcement through a staff memo, The Toronto Star reported.

The move coincides with Shoppers’ application last October to become a licensed MMJ producer in order to sell MMJ through its 1,300 brick-and-mortar storefronts.

Shoppers, which is awaiting a decision on its application, does…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian medical marijuana producer to open online store

/in , , , , /by

Canopy Growth Corp., Canada’s biggest publicly traded medical marijuana producer, plans to launch an online store that will offer patients one-stop shopping for the company’s various brands.

The move sheds light on how Canadian cannabis companies could increasingly turn to the internet as a new approach to peddling their products, particularly as the country rolls out its new recreational market.

Consumers of Canopy’s three brands – Bedrocan, Mettrum and Tweed – currently must shop…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada: Trudeau Administration Looks to Legalize Marijuana By July 2018

/in , , , , , , , /by

Erik Altieri | March 28, 2017

OTTAWA, ON — Legislation is anticipated from the Trudeau administration in early April to regulate the use, production, and sale of marijuana.

In 2015, the Liberal Party pledged to “legalize and regulate” marijuana if Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister.

The forthcoming legislation will likely be modeled after recommendations issued in 2016 by a federal task force. Members of the task force called on Parliament to permit those over 18 to possess and grow…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian producer invests $3M in Arizona medical marijuana grower

/in , , , , , , /by

Aphria, a federally licensed Canadian medical marijuana producer, increased its investment in an Arizona MMJ grower by $3 million.

Aphria now owns 5% of Copperstate Farms LLC through its subsidiary, Aphria (Arizona), and Copperstate Farms Investors controls the remaining 95%, according to a news release.


Mirth ProvisionsAphria, based in Leamington, Ontario, on March 22 became the third Canadian MMJ company to publicly trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Copperstate owns about 1.7 million square feet of…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Report: Canada to legalize marijuana by July 2018

/in , , , , , , , /by

The frenzy surrounding Canada’s marijuana market intensified Monday after a report the government will unveil plans to legalize sales for recreational use in April.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government will introduce legislation the week of April 10 to legalize marijuana by July 1, 2018, according to a report from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. David Taylor, a spokesman for Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, declined to comment on the reported timelines. He reiterated a…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Report: Canada’s legal rec MJ program to start by July 2018

/in , , , , , , , /by

Recreational marijuana will become legal in Canada by July 1, 2018, CBC News reported Monday.

The disclosure of the launch date for Canada’s rec sales is expected to piggyback on the liberal government’s announcement next month about the nation’s cannabis legislation, according to the national broadcaster.

Under the proposed legislation, which could be unveiled as soon as the week of April 10, Canada’s federal government will be responsible for licensing and monitoring cultivators,…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian marijuana cultivators are raking in capital

/in , , , , /by

Canada’s federally licensed medical marijuana cultivation companies have raised roughly 700 million Canadian dollars ($524 million) in the past six months, according to canna-centric analysis firm Canaccord Genuity.

The investment frenzy started in the third quarter of 2016 when investors injected more than CA$150 million ($112 million) into publicly traded and privately held Canadian MMJ growers, the Canaccord report said, according to the Calgary Herald. But that amount more than doubled…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Marijuana CEO calls for strict product testing in Canada

/in , , , , /by

The CEO of one of Canada’s biggest medical marijuana cultivators wants to see the country’s public health department implement a strict system of product testing for cannabis companies after recent pesticide-related recalls.


Spring 2017 MJBizConMarijuana companies should foot the bill for the increased inspections and tests, said Vic Neufeld, CEO of Aphria Inc., adding that such systems are common in pharmaceutical sector, according to The Globe and Mail.

Neufeld’s call comes after two Canadian marijuana…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada MMJ grower can’t trace pesticide source, offers refund

/in , , , , , , /by

Organigram, a federally licensed medical marijuana cultivator in Canada that recalled contaminated product last year, said it conducted an “extensive investigation” but was unable to find the source for the tainted cannabis.

The company also said it had reversed an earlier decision and now will refund money to patients who bought the contaminated cannabis.

The total cost of the refund will be about 2.3 million Canadian dollars ($1.7 million), Organigram estimated, and will essentially equal the company’s sales for its most recent…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian judge: Cities can forbid illegal dispensaries

/in , , , , , /by

A British Columbia Supreme Court judge issued a blow to Canada’s most notable owner of illegal medical cannabis dispensaries, ruling that municipalities have the right to ban MMJ businesses.

Don Briere, who owns a chain of medical cannabis stores in the western Canadian province, filed a lawsuit alleging Abbotsford city officials violated Canada’s constitution by denying him a dispensary license.


Spring 2017 MJBizConBriere’s lawyer argued that local authorities don’t have authority to deny licenses to businesses because cannabis laws are decided by the…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Contaminated medical cannabis leads to random testing in Canada

/in , , , , /by

Health Canada said it will begin random testing of medical marijuana after two of the nation’s licensed producers recalled MMJ that was contaminated with unapproved pesticides.

The government health agency implemented the testing plan in response to the MMJ recall late last year by OrganiGram of Moncton, New Brunswick, and Mettrum of Toronto. Both used chemicals that are not among the nation’s 13 approved pesticides.

The growers’ recall of cannabis tainted with myclobutanil, bifenazate and pyrethrins affected roughly 25,000 medical…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Breaking down borders: The rise of U.S.-Canada cannabis partnerships

/in , , , , , , , /by

The Green Solution, a large retail marijuana chain in Colorado, wanted a foothold in Canada’s expected recreational cannabis market. OrganiGram, among the growing number of federally licensed Canadian growers, needed know-how and a name.

And so was born a partnership indicative of the growing synergy between the U.S. and Canadian cannabis industries.

It reflects what’s expected to be a growing trend. Another U.S. cannabis brand, Snoop Dogg’s Leafs by Snoop, inked a partnership with Canadian medical cannabis cultivator Canopy Growth…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

MMJ cultivator Aphria gets initial OK to join Toronto Stock Exchange

/in , , , , /by

Aphria, one of the largest federally licensed medical marijuana cultivation companies in Canada, on Monday received conditional approval to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange and announced a deal to raise 50 million Canadian dollars ($38.25 million).


Spring 2017 MJBizConThe TSX will grant final approval to Aphria if meets certain conditions the company described as “standard and customary” by May 3, according to a news release. Aphria currently trades on the TSX Venture Exchange.

If the Leamington, Ontario, company does receive the final OK, it would…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Marijuana company’s new stock symbol: WEED

/in , , , , , , /by

Investors can now buy and sell WEED on the Toronto Stock Exchange after Canopy Growth Corp., a major federally licensed cannabis cultivator in Smith Falls, Ontario, changed its ticker symbol to the new, slangy version.

The move comes after the company made history last summer when it became the first marijuana cultivator to list on a major North American exchange.

Canopy announced its switchover from ticker symbol CGC on Wednesday and rang in its new era that morning by opening the TSX’s daily trading session.


Spring 2017 MJBizConBruce Linton, the company’s…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian MMJ grower nearly triples production capacity with purchase

/in , , , , , /by

One of Canada’s largest medical marijuana producers, Canopy Growth Corp., has increased a subsidiary’s production and processing capacity by almost threefold through the purchase of a former candy factory and the 42-acre site it sits on for 6.6 million Canadian dollars ($5.1 million).

In a news release, Canopy Growth said the entire facility, in Smith Falls, Ontario, is “by far the largest indoor cannabis production facility in Canada and likely the world.”

The company, which is headquartered in the building, had been renting…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

North Americans Spend Almost as Much on Weed as They Do on Wine

/in , , , , , , , , /by

Move over, Napa Valley, there’s a new kid on the block. When it comes to spending on mind-altering substances, Americans and Canadians are shelling out just about as much for marijuana as they do for wine.

In its executive summary of a yet-to-be-released report, Arcview Marijuana Research pegs the size of the North American marijuana market — legal and illegal — at $53.3 billion, which puts it roughly even with the market in wine. According to Statista, US retail wines sales sit at $55.8 billion, and Canadian government figures put…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian consumer-oriented marijuana firm raises CA$3 million

/in , , , , , /by

A Toronto-based cannabis, coffee and clothing business, Tokyo Smoke, secured 3 million in Canadian dollars ($2.25 million) from investors, claiming it’s the first marijuana-related consumer brand in Canada to raise capital.

The company, which describes itself as a premium cannabis-oriented lifestyle brand, said in a news release that the first-round raise was oversubscribed and that the amount was more than 50% above its initial target.


Precision Extraction SolutionsInvestors hail from Canada, the United States and South America and include Chuck Rifici, co-founder of…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada: Federal Task Force Advocates Legalizing Retail Marijuana Sales

/in , , , , , , , /by

NORML | December 15, 2016

OTTAWA, ON — Marijuana should be legal for those Canadians age 18 and older, according to the recommendations of a federally commissioned task force. The expert panel was tasked by the Trudeau administration to create a legal framework for cannabis that is consistent with the government’s commitment to “legalize, regulate, and restrict access.”

The report proposes that lawmakers amend federal law to allow for those over the age of 18 to legally possess and grow personal use…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada Marijuana Legalization Task Force Releases Recommendations

/in , , , , , , , , /by

Erik Altieri | December 13, 2016

This morning in Ottawa, a government task force assigned to study legalizing and regulating the adult use of marijuana in Canada released their recommendations. The Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation recommended that sales should be restricted to those over the age of 18 with a personal possession limit of 30 grams.

Their recommended model of legalization would put heavy restrictions on most types of cannabis advertising and tax the product based on…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian prime minister seeks crackdown on illegal dispensaries

/in , , , , , /by

Though the Canadian government is on track to legalize recreational cannabis in 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s frustrated with illegal medicinal marijuana storefronts and wants police to enforce the law.

Trudeau wants to put an end to dispensaries that say they are federally licensed but are not among the nation’s licensed producers, the Toronto Star reported Saturday. Many of these illegal storefronts have sprouted up in Canada, particularly in Toronto.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryMedical cannabis currently is legal in Canada with a doctor’s…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

A major marijuana merger in Canada

/in , , , , , , /by

Canada’s biggest medical marijuana company, Canopy Growth Corp., just got bigger by acquiring competitor Mettrum Health Corp. for 430 million Canadian dollars ($323 million).

More mergers are likely, analyst Mason Brown of M Partners in Toronto, told Bloomberg News. Canada currently has 36 federally licensed MMJ producers. But as more mergers occur, he predicted, five to eight companies will control most of the market.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryCanopy Growth hopes to expand production as Canada’s government moves forward with plans to legalize adult-use cannabis,…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Report: MMJ producers would also supply Canada’s rec program

/in , , , , , , , , /by

Canada’s 36 federally licensed medical marijuana producers would become the initial cultivators for the country’s proposed legalized recreational program under a plan delivered to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sources told the Globe and Mail newspaper.

A task force responsible for recommending how the country’s proposed marijuana legalization system will be regulated delivered its report to Trudeau’s government Wednesday. But the proposals won’t be made public for several weeks, the newspaper reported.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryThe report recommended a…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Report: Canada rec cannabis industry could top $26 billion

/in , , , , , , , , /by

Canada’s widely anticipated recreational marijuana market could become a more than $22.6 billion industry once it’s legalized, according to a new report by Deloitte.

The accounting and consulting firm’s report, scheduled for release soon, concludes that adult-use marijuana will be a huge jump-start for the Canadian economy, the Toronto Star reported. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to introduce legislation to legalize rec marijuana next spring.


Conference Deadline ApproachingThe report estimates the base retail market could be worth $4.9 billion-$8.7…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian college to offer marijuana cultivation classes

/in , , , , /by

A college in the Canadian province of New Brunswick plans to launch a program on cannabis cultivation to prepare students to work at local marijuana companies.

The French-language College Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick is the latest North American higher education institution to offer cannabis business-related courses, a move intended to help prepare the future ranks of marijuana entrepreneurs and employees.

Medical marijuana is already legal at the federal level in Canada, and the government plans to introduce legislation next year to…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian Medical Marijuana Cultivator Offers Mobile App

/in , , , , , /by

A federally licensed Canadian medical marijuana producer has rolled out a mobile phone app to make it easier for patients to research products and place orders for delivery while on the go.

Cam Battley, of Aurora Cannabis, told the Canadian Press the company wanted to give customers the type of service offered by Amazon and other online retailers.

“As far as we know, it is the first legal app for Android and Apple for federally-approved legal medical cannabis,” Battley told the news agency.

The app lists different strains with descriptions…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Two Canadian Banks Say No to Marijuana-Related Accounts

/in , , , , , /by

Two of Canada’s biggest banks – Scotiabank and the Royal Bank of Canada – say they aren’t providing accounts to plant-touching or ancillary marijuana businesses, forcing some owners to find new financial institutions that will take their money.

Nathan MacLellan, the owner of Hemp County in Woodstock, Ontario, a store that sells accessories including pipes and bongs but not actual cannabis, received a letter from Scotiabank late last month telling him his account was being cancelled, according to the Canadian Press. MacLellan had had…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Experts Predict Increase in Canadian Cannabis M&A

/in , , , , , /by

Canada’s cannabis industry is poised for a period of increased mergers and acquisitions, according to financial market observers in the country.

M&A activity has already accelerated, Jacob Cawker, an attorney with Norton Rose Fulbright in Toronto, said in an article published on the online site Mondaq.

Cawker cited data from Virdian Capital and Research, a cannabis-focused index that showed 33 acquisitions conducted in 2014, with even more M&A activity predicted for the future.

MJBizCrashCourseSome analysts predict Canada’s cannabis industry will…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian MMJ Producer Planning Enormous Grow

/in , , , , , , /by

One of Canada’s 35 licensed medical marijuana producers has big plans for the future – plans the size of 10 football fields.

That’s how big an automated greenhouse in Alberta will be once Vancouver-based Aurora Cannabis is finished building it out, the Calgary Sun reported. The grow will be roughly 600,000 square feet, with the capacity to produce more than 154,000 pounds of MMJ.

The facility is slated to be up and running in the summer of 2018, and could become the largest such operation in the country – although competitor Aphria…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada Calling Cannabis Entrepreneur Whoopi Goldberg

/in , , , , , /by

Comedian Whoopi Goldberg is eyeing Canada as a potential market for her cannabis-infused menstrual pain products, underscoring marijuana entrepreneurs’ interest in the county’s market ahead of the federal government’s plans to legalize adult-use MJ.

Whoopi & Maya, as Goldberg’s cannabis products are known, is currently available only in California. But Goldberg said in an interview this week she would like to make the therapy available to Canadian women, according to the Canadian Press.

Part of Canada’s attraction as a market,…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian MJ Grower to List on Major Stock Exchange

/in , , , , , , /by

In what could be a first in both the cannabis industry and stock market history, a large marijuana cultivation company will list on a major North American stock exchange.

Canopy Growth Corp., one of Canada’s biggest licensed medical marijuana companies, started trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TMX) Tuesday under the ticker symbol CGC, according to Bloomberg.

“The addition of Canopy Growth helps signal that the world’s view of cannabis has finally shifted, starting right here in Canada,” said Canopy CEO Bruce Linton in a…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

German MMJ Company Taps Canadian Grower for Imports

/in , , , , , , , /by

The Canopy Growth Corporation in Ontario announced Monday that the Canadian and German governments have given the thumbs up to its wholly owned subsidiary Tweed Inc. to begin exporting medical cannabis for sale to German patients, according to a press release.

Tweed will export its medical cannabis to MedCann GmbH Pharma and Nutraceuticals, a privately held pharmaceutical importer and manufacturer.

The approvals mark the first time a major G7 country will be allowed to import medical marijuana from Canada.

Germans are legally allowed to…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada Creates Marijuana Legalization Task Force

/in , , , , , , /by

Canada’s Department of Justice has created a task force to advise the federal government on in its plans to legalize recreational marijuana.

Anne McLellan, a deputy prime minister under former Prime Minister Paul Martin, will chair the nine-member panel, the CBC reported. McLellan also served as a health and justice minister.

“The task force will use what it has heard to advise the government on the design of the legislation and the regulatory framework that will include a new system of strict marijuana sales and distribution,” Justice…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian MMJ Producer Awarded Colombian Business License

/in , , , , , , /by

Canadian medical cannabis producer Pharmacielo has secured a license to manufacture MMJ products in Colombia, the first of what will likely be many companies to win a permit in the Latin American country.

In fact, Colombia could prove a fertile business opportunity for many expansion-minded cannabis companies from around the globe.

“There is no limit on the number of licenses we plan to hand out,” Colombian Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria said during a press conference, Fusion reported. “Any firm that meets our requirements will get…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian PM Promotes Legalization at Economic Conference

/in , , , , /by
pm_trudeau_230x306_v3
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has publicly supported ending prohibition in that country, is becoming something of a trailblazer when it comes to world leaders’ positions on marijuana policy.

Washington Post reports:

Speaking Wednesday at an economic conference, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made one of the more buttoned-down, straight-edged arguments for marijuana legalization I’ve heard in recent years. It’s worth quoting at length so I’ve done that below:

Look, our approach on…

Click Here to Continue Reading…

Canadian Medical Cannabis Producer Exports to Croatia

/in , , , , /by

A Canadian medical marijuana producer is wagering on overseas markets, having received the green light from the nation’s health department to export products to Croatia.

The Eastern European nation legalized MMJ last October.

Tilray, which is owned by the canna-centric private equity firm Privateer in Seattle, hopes the venture is the first of many export deals as it hopes to capture a nascent international market – especially at a time when the Canadian market is stagnating.

The company…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canada’s Veterans are Using More Marijuana, Less Opiods

/in , , , , , , , , /by
Canada’s Veterans are Using More Marijuana, Less Opiods

In Canada, a Rising Popularity of Medical Cannabis Among Veterans is Associated with Declining Opioid Use

Rising rates of medical cannabis use among Canadian military veterans is associated with a parallel decline in the use of prescription opiates and benzodiazepenes, according to federal data recently provided to The Globe and Mail.

According to records provided by Veterans Affairs Canada, the number of veterans prescribed benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax, Ativan, and Valium) fell nearly 30 percent between 2012 and 2016, while veterans’ use of…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Canadian MMJ Producer Announces $5M Equity Deal

/in , , , , , /by

One of Canada’s few licensed medical marijuana producers, Aurora Cannabis, said it has secured a $5 million equity investment from a New York-based investment firm, Alumina Partners

The deal calls for Alumina to purchase $5 million in shares and warrants from Aurora, a publicly traded company on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol ACB.

In a news release, Aurora said the deal will give it “financial flexibility and unilateral control over the financing of its working…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Vancouver Filing Injunctions Against Cannabis Dispensaries

/in , , , , /by

Vancouver announced it’s filing injunctions in the British Columbia Supreme Court against unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries, initially targeting 17 of 55 unlicensed outlets in the Canadian port city.

According to broadcaster CBC, the city said the initial batch of injunctions single out dispensaries that have:

  • Located near other shops with valid permits
  • Been the subject of community complaint
  • Responded negatively to earlier efforts to shut them down

Chief licensing inspector Andreea…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …

Dozens of Toronto Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Raided

/in , , , , , , /by

Dozens of medical marijuana dispensaries were raided on Thursday in Toronto, as local authorities carried out their threat to crack down on what is technically an illegal industry under Canadian federal law.

The Star reported that local police were mum on the details. But a city spokesperson said law enforcement hit 45 storefronts.

The city has previously estimated there are 78 dispensaries in Toronto, but an industry attorney said last week there are far more than that.

Although MMJ is…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article …