With Canada's legalization of cannabis consumption quickly creeping up on the calendar, the nation's Armed Forces decided that it might be high time to figure out where and when those with access to small arms, artillery and combat aircraft should be allowed to take a toke.

Soldiers will be banned from smoking or otherwise consuming the drug up to eight hours before reporting for duty.

The ban on usage will kick in 28 days before any deployment for personnel serving on submarines, planes or helicopters, or for those piloting drones, conducting high-altitude parachute drops or engaging in air traffic control.

B.C. government employees who work in provincially-run legal cannabis stores could find themselves barred from entering the United States. 

Mike Farnworth said Monday he’s aware of a threat by U.S. border officials to deny entry to anyone involved in Canada’s marijuana industry, which will become legal Oct. 17.

That’s raised the risk that hundreds of B.C. government employees could find themselves unable to travel to the United States because they staff the new public cannabis retail stores and distribution branch, including front-line workers, managers and even ministry officials. The first B.C. government store, in Kamloops, will open on the day of federal legalization.

Let the countdown begin: The end of pot prohibition – which has been in place since 1923 – is less than one month away.

Come Oct. 17, adults will be able to legally possess 30 grams of dried cannabis, or the equivalent in oil. But many details need to be worked out before then.

Like many other things in Canada (access to health care, for example), access to recreational cannabis will very much be a postal-code lottery.

In Ontario, for example, there will be no bricks-and-mortar cannabis stores until April, 2019, after the new Conservative government scrapped plans for 150 government-run stores in favour of private retailers.

You’re out of luck—at least for now.

In January, the Trudeau government squashed hopes for exploring amnesty on possession charges until after the federal government’s legalization framework is instituted. A few months later, an NDP motion to pardon all cannabis offences that won’t be against the law post-legalization failed when the Liberals voted against it.

“That’s not an item that’s on the agenda at the moment,” said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale in May.

In 2016, 58 per cent of all police-reported charges related to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (about 55,000) were related to cannabis, and of those offences, roughly three-quarters were for possession. As of 2014, at least 500,000 Canadians had been charged with possession.

“You know, it's very disappointing,” Mennillo said. “And I do feel that it will have an impact on our sales.”

Under Quebec law, logos, designs and images cannot be used on cannabis-related objects unless they are government approved.

Mylany David, a Montreal-based commercial and real estate lawyer who heads her law firm’s cannabis practice group, says this aspect of Quebec’s cannabis law is confusing. Federal legislation, she says, is very different, focusing instead on advertising restrictions for cannabis companies, much like the restrictions on tobacco advertising.

“You cannot use your branding or your name into a public event or a stadium or building or to be associated with any sort of activity in the public life,” David explained.

On the morning of Oct. 17, British Columbians shouldn’t expect to wake up and see marijuana stores opening their doors.

At least that’s the message from the province’s minister of public safety and solicitor general, Mike Farnworth.

In a news release issued Sunday, Farnworth said the government’s first and only BC Cannabis Store will open in Kamloops and more retail locations are “anticipated” in the following months, with over 100 paid applications in various stages of entry.

The government is also hoping to launch an online sales platform to ensure British Columbians can purchase non-medical cannabis regardless of where they live, he said.

If the newly published cannabis regulations for the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) are any indication of what things will look like for other police agencies across Canada, then off-duty officers will be allowed to consume cannabis just like they can enjoy an alcoholic beverage in their spare time once recreational marijuana becomes legal on October 17. 

Which stock wins in a matchup between a U.S. marijuana retailer and a Canadian cannabis grower?

Marijuana stocks aren't all alike. MedMen Enterprises Inc.(NASDAQOTH:MMNFF) and CannTrust Holdings Inc. (NASDAQOTH:CNTTF) prove the point. Their business models are very different. MedMen is a U.S.-based company, while CannTrust is headquartered in Canada.

So far this year, CannTrust has turned in a better stock performance than MedMen has. But which of these two marijuana stocks is the better pick for investors now? Here's how MedMen and CannTrust stack up against each other.

A favourite of do-it-yourself stock pickers, Canadian cannabis firms are trying to bolster their institutional investor base by boosting efforts to woo European funds as countries across the region approve marijuana for medical use.

For some time, companies including Canopy Growth Corp., Aurora Cannabis Inc. and Tilray Inc. have been signing export deals with European governments, buying local companies and opening production facilities in the region.

This year, they have also stepped up pitching their businesses to European funds at conferences and road shows, betting their size and first-mover advantage will help replace fickle retail investors with more stable institutions.

Brace for 'scary down days' in cannabis stocks, marijuana fund manager warns.

The manager of the first Canadian mutual fund focused exclusively on marijuana has some advice for investors: Get ready for some more “scary down days.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a steep, sharp pullback, which will scare all the people that got in late, have a little bit of consolidation and then we start the next phase up,” said Bruce Campbell, founder of StoneCastle Investment Management Inc., which has about $150 million (US$115 million) in assets.