It’s now up to a Quebec judge to decide if the provincial ban on selling products ranging from T-shirts to books simply because they include a cannabis image is too broad and restrictive, as one Montreal headshop co-owner argues it is.

Michael Chevalier, a lawyer for the shop owner, argued the all-encompassing ban on all images of weed leaves and drug-related slogans inhibits legitimate freedom of expression, according to a report by The Canadian Press.

Prohibiting marijuana hurts the legitimacy and credibility of the criminal justice system. Such prohibitions are undemocratic, racially discriminative, costly, ineffective and a blatant waste of resources.

Cannabis users and enthusiasts always want to focus solely on the medicinal and recreational benefits of the plant, which is excellent, but there is more to understand about marijuana.

For example, you cannot separate marijuana usage from the policy-making process, including legalization and the criminal justice system. These governmental aspects are fundamental because they affect how we all use cannabis.

Throughout history, professional athletes have been punished by teams, leagues and the law for cannabis consumption. Several high-profile examples are listed below, showcasing just how serious such actions were viewed within the world of professional sports.

New York recently became the 15th U.S. state to legalize cannabis for recreational use.

It’s no secret the cannabis industry has enjoyed unprecedented growth these past few years — from a market perspective and a political one.

Consider the political and policy changes we’ve seen in recent months. The House of Representatives recently passed historic legalization legislation (the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act).

Thirty-six states now have programs for recreational use, medical use or both. With these changes and a new, cannabis-friendly administration, we’re on track to see federal legalization within the next few years and continued leaps forward in this industry.

Three years ago we celebrated legalization in Canada with the first legal 420. Huddled under tarps, tokers lined up in the rain to sample the wares on offer from the first legal cannabis retailers in Ontario. Still, it felt like two steps forward, one step back, as lounges and cannabis events remained illegal, and cannabis edibles wouldn’t be available for another year. In the green rush to scale quickly, Licensed Producers unfortunately also forgot about quality.

Dr Philippa Hawley tells Health Europa Quarterly about the effects of recreational legalisation on medical cannabis users

The growth in demand for cannabis health and wellness, personal care, and non-smokable products is a positive sign, validating the commercial promise of legalization of adult-use cannabis. Yet, when we look at the legal offerings available, Canadians face a modest array of products. While the initial cannabis beverage offerings are impressive, limited selections of edibles and topicals speak to the challenges of developing new cannabis products.