ntario has an opportunity to be a global leader in cannabis, an opportunity that comes with thousands of jobs and considerable economic growth. With province recently putting an end to the retail lottery system for stores and the arrival of legal edibles, extracts and topicals, the province is at an exciting crossroads. If the government continues along a path of reform and develops a strategic policy and regulatory regime now, we could do more to thwart the illicit market and give Ontario a competitive advantage.

Che' LeBlanc started growing marijuana before he sat at a desk in high school. He learned the craft at the foot of his father, who was also a pot grower.

"One of my first memories are in fact crawling up the rows of plants with the bright lights hanging above," said LeBlanc.

LeBlanc lives south of Nelson, B.C., near the U.S. border, and growing pot has been a passion for him his entire adult life.

He's not the only person in this mountainous region of B.C. who is skilled at growing marijuana. "The Kootenays have some of the best growers I've ever seen," he said.

"There is a reason B.C. bud is recognized internationally. Part of it is the climate and the rest is the community."

Operators of pot shops in Vancouver and Squamish have found themselves in the crosshairs of civil forfeiture proceedings by the B.C. government.

In claims filed this month in B.C. Supreme Court, the province’s Civil Forfeiture Office seeks to seize a pair of mortgaged properties in the Squamish and Pemberton areas valued at $1.93 million and more than $830,000 in cash seized at marijuana shops in Squamish and Vancouver.

The civil forfeiture claims allege the marijuana shops are illegal as they are not licensed to distribute or sell marijuana or cannabis to any person or entity.

While many Canadians have focused on the supply problems and overly optimistic business projections that have marred Ottawa's marijuana legalization project, it's also left behind some international loose ends that still haven't been tied up.

Not all other countries have accepted Canada's right to forge a new path on cannabis law. And the ending of Canada's 95-year ban on cannabis appears to have accelerated the demise of a worldwide consensus and treaty regime that, for decades, underpinned the global war on drugs.

Canada was the first major economy in the world to legalize cannabis in 2018, giving it a headstart in establishing a competitive cannabis business marketplace.

But now some are saying the winds are shifting and the U.S. is catching up and becoming a more attractive place to build a cannabis business.

Part of this change has to do with criticism of investment practices in Canada.

A number of prominent cannabis retail chains including Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. and High Tide Inc. are in the process of taking ownership control of Ontario cannabis retail stores held by the winners of the first lottery round, thanks to a clause in the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)’s rules that allows for those stores to be sold after one year.

The first 25 lottery winners were officially allowed to start shopping for buyers on Dec. 13, one year to the date after the province first announced a temporary cap of 25 stores. But many already had agreements containing takeover options with cannabis companies seeking to enter Ontario’s retail market.

The provincial government says people should be prepared as marijuana edibles, extracts and topicals become available for purchase this week.

While these products have been approved by Health Canada, experts said edibles work differently in people's bodies than smoked marijuana.

"Consumers should be starting low and going slow," said Geoff Conn, owner of Saskatoon's The Pot Shack. "Your body's got to get used to it."

Conn said edibles often have a longer onset period between eating the pot and feeling its effects. As a result, people need to be careful not to ingest too much if they think the edible isn't working.

The Canadian government may have legalized cannabis, but its efforts to destigmatize the drug could use some work.

A statement from federal Minister of Health Patty Hajdu Thursday regarding the impending arrival of edibles is raising eyebrows for the language being used to describe cannabis compared to alcohol.

“The best way for Canadians to protect their health is not to consume cannabis, and adults who choose to use cannabis should avoid products from illegal or unknown sources,” Hajdu said.

The Mounties, in cooperation with Canada Post, said they have seized $1 million worth of drugs — and almost the same cash value of alcohol — en route to Nunavik, the Northern area of Quebec, according to Leafly.

In coordination with local police, the operation intercepted crack, cocaine, meth, hashish, cannabis flower and shatter after the drugs were ordered from the abundance of illicit mail-order websites littering the internet. The ability to use Canada Post to deliver drugs has been a game-changer for residents of the fly-in region that generally only receive supplies via expensive air transport.

Two Canadian companies have been approved as the first suppliers to the recently launched medical cannabis program in Ireland.

The Irish Government signed off on the launch of its five-year pilot in June, and now Aurora and MGC Pharmaceuticals have been selected to provide its first cannabis medicine.