British Columbians are seeing the beginnings of a debate emerge in our province about the merits of cannabis cultivation on B.C.’s Agricultural Land Reserve, and a call to amend the current laws to bar cannabis producers from using the ALR.

The ALR was created to preserve arable farm land in B.C., and in 2015, the provincial government amended the ALR regulation to allow licensed medical-cannabis cultivation.

This was done after the Agricultural Land Commission concluded in 2014 that the production of licensed medical cannabis is consistent with the definition of “farm use” in the act. That means government thinks that cannabis farming is, in fact, farming and therefore just as suitable to cultivate the ALR as other farming operations.

Concerns about access voiced Saturday at 12th Global Marijuana Rally in Halifax.

A rally and march held in Halifax Saturday highlighted lingering questions for medical cannabis users once marijuana is legalized in Canada July 1, 2018.

Dozens of people attended the 12th Global Marijuana Rally and March at Victoria Park. It was organized by the Maritimers Unite for Medical Marijuana Society, a registered not-for-profit organization that advocates for patients who use cannabis for medication.

Perfect 'weed breathalyzer' may never come.

When it comes to drivers impaired by marijuana, there are still a lot of unanswered questions in B.C. — even with legalization still expected to take place this summer.

The tools, training and method of determining whether a driver is impaired by marijuana are still not certain.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said last week the province is still waiting for information from the federal government on those details, including what devices will be used as breathalyser equivalents during roadside stops.

"It's something we believe needs to be communicated to the provinces, like, ASAP," Farnworth said. "The feds have told us there is technology they are confident in, but we are yet to know exactly what it is."

As marijuana legalization draws near and questions linger about what Canadians can expect at the U.S. border, the federal point-man on pot, Bill Blair, has some advice: Don’t lie.

This week, the Senate National Security and Defence Committee issued its report on the federal marijuana legalization legislation, Bill C-45. It offered several recommendations to the federal government relating to addressing Canada-U.S. border issues, including:

The Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty launched at the Global Marijuana March at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Saturday.

A group of Toronto lawyers, activists and entrepreneurs launched a petition Friday calling on the federal government to grant amnesty to people convicted of simple cannabis possession charges.

"If the federal government is going to legalize cannabis, then it doesn't make any sense for these convictions to stay on people's records," said criminal defence lawyer Annamaria Enenajor, the director of the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty.

The federal Liberal government has underlined its intention to make recreational adult-use cannabis legal within a few months, despite concerns that the process is moving too fast.

But however long the lead-up period ends up being, legalization will mean one less black market item and one more industry brought into Canada’s formal economy, and that’s good for all Canadians, says former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge.

MLA Shane Thompson says communities want more distribution options.

MLAs made their final stop in a string of public consultations on draft cannabis legislation Thursday in Yellowknife, and some residents echoed concerns that have been brought up on previous stops over the last two weeks.

"This is a chance for business development," said Caroline Wawzonek, a lawyer and director with the N.W.T. Chamber of Commerce. She said the chamber doesn't want distribution to be limited to liquor stores.

Chief planner recommends province choose where pot shops can go, but city says windows must be opaque.

The City of Winnipeg has decided not to create any new rules to govern where cannabis can be sold — but clear glass windows won't be allowed at weed stores.

A city working group on cannabis legalization has concluded provincial officials should approve where cannabis retailers can set up within Winnipeg when recreational cannabis use becomes legal, as it is expected to later this year.

In a report to council's property committee, City of Winnipeg chief planner Braden Smith said no new land-use rules are needed to govern where cannabis retailers can and cannot operate within the city.

The irony of pleading his case on April 20 — 420 — was not lost on Canadian Rockies Agriculture’s chief executive when he appeared in front of Strathcona County’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

But Aaron Barr wouldn’t dare crack a joke at this point in what’s been a contentious debate in Josephburg.

As it stands, May 14 is the next date circled on Barr’s calendar, as his lawyers will continue to face off with Josephburg residents opposing the development of the approved medical marijuana production facility in rural Strathcona County.

The event will mark the final appeals hearing before the board, in a lengthy battle for Barr’s 74-acre facility.

A lot of fuss has been made about the forthcoming legalization of recreational cannabis by the government of Canada. The way Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government pursued the substance’s legalization allows all three levels of government to make some decisions about legalization processes in their jurisdictions — and that’s to say nothing about institutions like the University of Calgary, which is working to implement its own regulations regarding on-campus cannabis use.