Cannabis has become increasingly common since a Canadian Senate committee first recommended legalizing the substance in 2002. They argued that prohibiting it didn’t reduce the use of cannabis products and that legalization was a better move.

The goals of legalization were “to keep profits out of the pockets of criminals” and “to protect public health and safety by allowing adults access to legal cannabis.” In October 2018, the first sales of legal, adult-use cannabis — including CBD, or cannabidiol, products — occurred.

Our research investigates how businesses strategize in the emerging cannabis industry that is still in its early stages of formation.

36-year-old man faces almost a dozen charges

A Nova Scotia man faces cannabis and prohibited weapons charges after the two were discovered in both his car and home late last month.

At about 2 p.m. on Apr. 23, a Nissan Altima car driven by the 36-year-old man was stopped as part of a vehicle enforcement checkpoint, notes a statement issued this week by Eskasoni RCMP.

Upon approaching the vehicle, officers “detected a strong odour of cannabis” and could plainly see that drugs inside the car were within reach of the driver.

Other provinces rightly understood they could regulate home cannabis production, but not prohibit: applicant

A lawyer for the Manitoba government says the province is well within its rights to ban the production of homegrown cannabis, even though federal legislation permits it.

Michael Conner said laws which are tougher provincially than federally already exist in some areas, such as imposing penalties for impaired driving beginning with a reading of .05, rather than the .08 prescribed by Ottawa. 

As such, Conner told Manitoba's Court of Queen's Bench on Monday, "it shouldn't come as a surprise that some provinces might have chosen to move more cautiously" around a drug that until recently was illegal.

Could Guernsey be the first place in the British Isles where you can grow and buy cannabis legally? Licensed use of medicinal cannabis was agreed in 2020 with licences for growing and production following in 2021 and 2022. But does that mean the island is ready to legalise what is currently a Class B drug?

Leamington's mayor wants the federal government to step in with stricter laws

Farm workers in southwestern Ontario may unknowingly be participating in illegal cannabis operations that are requiring significant police resources to shut them down, according to provincial police.

In the last three years, nine large-scale police operations in Leamington have targeted the illegal production of cannabis, with about $10 million in illicit drugs seized in the process, OPP said. 

"While millions of dollars of illegally grown cannabis has been seized within the town of Leamington, we see the strengthening, unfortunately, of organized crime entities throughout the area," Insp. Glenn Miller said during a presentation given to Leamington council Tuesday.

In a recent report by the New York Times, the most populace city in Canada, Toronto, was described as the wild west of marijuana shops. According to the report, Ontario's provincial government permitted the shops, by emergency order, to keep operating during the COVID 19 pandemic, even during lockdowns.

During this period, to the investors' delight, shares and stocks of licensed medical marijuana growers in Canada have multiplied in price.

However, the marijuana business was already expected to flourish even before the pandemic started in 2019, right after Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to fulfill a campaign promise, introduced legislation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Canada.

There is an oceanic gulf between what cannabis retailers must pay to the City of Kamloops for a business licence ($5,000 annually) compared to what liquor operators must pony up ($196 annually)

A May 3 public hearing on a bid to move a liquor store 400 metres down the road in North Kamloops might prove to be contentious, as some neighbours fight the proposal.

Beyond the application to move the liquor store, however, is the fact the hearing has reminded us that Kamloops council and staff can make decisions that prompt many heads to be scratched in bewilderment.

The Yukon Party official Opposition seems to have embraced cannabis retail sales as a cause du jour.

The Yukon Party official Opposition seems to have embraced cannabis retail sales as a cause du jour.

Last week, party leader Currie Dixon addressed the legislature on behalf of cannabis retailers looking to tap into online sales.

It has been 3 1/2 years since recreational cannabis was legalized for adult use in Canada, he pointed out.

Across the country, this new industry has thrived, becoming a major source of employment and economic activity,” Dixon told the legislature.

“Despite the success seen in just about every other part of the country, businesses in the Yukon’s cannabis sector have struggled,” he said.

Canada’s successes with cannabis legalization should serve as a guide to foster the legalization of all drugs. The days of prohibition are numbered.

As a criminologist, I evaluate the success or failure of our experiment with cannabis legalization by the impact of this policy shift on criminal justice outcomes. From this perspective, legalization has been a resounding success.

Detectives also seized $15,000 in cash believed to be acquired through the proceeds of crime

Two men have been charged following an investigation into the distribution of illegal drugs within the City of Niagara Falls.

Earlier this week, detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) raided a residence, arresting one man inside the home, and another man at a nearby intersection, after seizing varying amounts of fentanyl, crystal meth and cannabis.

According to a news release, the investigation resulted in the seizure of 10.3 grams of fentanyl, 3.2 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 1,660 grams of cannabis.