A California proposal that would prohibit pot-branded merchandise used to advertise the products of marijuana growers, producers and dispensaries has caused concern in the cannabis industry.

Senate Bill 162 by state Sen. Ben Allen of Santa Monica would "prohibit medical cannabis and nonmedical marijuana licensees from advertising [or] using branded merchandise," according to the bill. "A licensee shall not advertise medical cannabis or medical cannabis products through the use of branded merchandise, including, but not limited to, clothing, hats, or other merchandise with the name or logo of the product."

Medical use of cannabis is officially accepted -- and is helping to limit opioid abuse.

Drug abuse is devastating American society. Opioid overdose alone killed more than 33,000 people in 2015. But rather than address this public-health crisis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has declared a new war on drugs. He has re-introduced mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes and has asked Congress to let him spend money to prosecute people and businesses behaving in accordance with their states' medical marijuana laws.

Clearly, Sessions is out of step with the scientific consensus regarding the medical effectiveness of cannabis.

Two U.S. studies published last week came to different conclusions after analyzing collisions in states such as Colorado and Washington.

With marijuana legalization on the horizon, Canada may be looking south of the border for clues as to how cannabis impacts vehicle collision rates. But a pair of American studies released last week came came to seemingly opposite conclusions on whether rising marijuana use is causing an increase in car crashes in states that have legalized the drug.

One of the most interesting, relevant and perhaps shocking places to study cannabis is Italy. Mostly known for other crops like tomato and olive, Italy was actually one of the world’s top cannabis producers in the first half of the 1900’s. Cannabis has served many roles through Italy’s recent history: as a centerpiece of a thriving industry, as an illegally trafficked narcotic, and as a consumable product used both medically and recreationally. Cannabis was widely grown as an industrial crop used in everything from ropes and rigging, to sails for ships, clothing, bedding, and other commercial applications.

Former provincial chief of staff makes predictions on the legal recreational marijuana industry.

Omar Khan sat down with Matt Galloway on Metro Morning to discuss big questions that have yet to be answered in the federal government's push to develop a legal framework for recreational marijuana sales by July 2018.

Khan is former chief of staff to the Ontario health minister and he now works with the marijuana industry as vice president, public affairs of Hill + Knowlton strategies.

Questions and answers have been condensed.

Matt Galloway: How prepared is this country for legal weed?

There is now more Congressional support for cannabis-related issues than ever before.

According to a recent analysis, co-sponsorships for marijuana measures, specifically those seeking to provide banking solutions for the cannabis industry, have already surpassed the level of support they received throughout previous sessions.

How do you minimize the health impacts of marijuana in a country where it is legal to smoke – or otherwise consume – the drug?

As Canada approaches full legalization on July 1, 2018, a blue-ribbon panel of experts has provided an evidence-based answer to that thorny question and, on Friday, they will release a set of “lower-risk cannabis-use guidelines.”

The research, published in the American Journal of Public Health, is essentially a list of practical tips for current and potential marijuana smokers.

The guidelines begin with the statement that the health risks of cannabis – including impairment, pulmonary damage and neurological impacts – are most easily avoided by abstaining.

Oils with a high CBD (cannabidiol) content have enjoyed a rise in popularity in the European market lately. As long as the THC content is no higher than 0.2% in most (but sadly, not all) European member states, CBD oil is perfectly legal.

Consumers are more aware of the medicinal properties of CBD and its non-psychotropic effect when ingested or inhaled.

This surge in awareness and demand has created a large – and unregulated – industry. Thanks to Europe’s free market, consumers are able to buy from another EU state with ease.

Governor Rick Scott officially signed the medical marijuana bill into law Friday. The bill is an amendment 71 percent of Florida voters approved in November of last year.

The bill, also referred to as amendment two, served to surpass Florida’s preexisting medical marijuana law designated for those who are deemed terminally ill and includes a broader range of debilitating medical conditions.

Among those conditions are epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

In accordance with the new law, eligible patients with a doctor’s approval will have access to vaporizer pens, oils, cannabis-based pills and edibles with higher strains of THC; however, smoking marijuana remains prohibited.

The Cannabis Business Alliance (CBA)  has released a statement in response to a recent insurance study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) linking the legalization of recreational marijuana with an increase in car crashes reported to insurers.