A Vancouver-bound Air Canada flight forced to land at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport due to mechanical issues has sparked a discussion about what domestic air passengers should know if they happen to land on U.S. soil without advance warning.

What was supposed to be a five-hour domestic flight from Toronto to Vancouver last Sunday turned into a 13-hour international ordeal for passengers.

But once the plane landed in Seattle, one passenger wondered aloud about the consequences for anyone carrying cannabis products.

This is the first year Tom has not felt the need to booby-trap his backyard.

An inveterate pot grower, the North York man says new laws allowing Canadians to raise up to four of the plants per household set his mind at ease for the first time in more than half a century of cannabis cultivation.

“For all the years gone by I used to MacGyver the place,” says Tom, who did not want his last name used. “I would put fishing lines along the ground with tin cans so it would make noise if anybody went back there at nighttime. This year I didn’t worry about any of that, I just let it grow.”

Drake is reportedly making a sizable investment in the Canadian cannabis industry, along with other celebrities such as Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg and Alex Rogan.

When Canada legalized marijuana, U.S. customs and immigration officials stated they could refuse entry not only to any person who uses or has used marijuana, but also to anyone who has invested or holds shares in a cannabis company.

It will be interesting to see how much difficulty these celebrities have returning to the U.S. after an engagement or doing business in Canada. I’m guessing none.

Sluggish cannabis retail in Canada’s largest province has been a sore point for everyday pot consumers and billion-dollar licenced producers alike since recreational legalization over a year ago. 

Provinces charted their own course in establishing legal alternatives to the black market, resulting in a patchwork of public and private channels for online and brick-and-mortar sales. No two markets are as often compared as Ontario and Alberta. 

One key difference is the fact that Ontario has opened just 24 physical cannabis stores versus about 300 in Alberta, a province with roughly 10 million fewer residents.

The cannabis industry has been growing significantly in recent years as legalization has progressed in many states, with 11 having passed legislation for recreational use and more states likely following suit. In addition, the farm bill was passed nearly a year ago which allowed cannabidiol (CBD) to be permitted federally so long as it was derived from hemp. While these are all good developments, they've taken place even though the country may not have been ready for them.

Marketing legal cannabis in Canada has not been easy. Strict marketing regulations in the Cannabis Act (which basically add up to you can’t) have made it hard for cannabis companies in Canada to create recognizable and trustworthy brands.

Basically, there is a ban on the “promotion” of cannabis, cannabis accessories or services, which includes communicating price, using people, characters, animals or testimonials. Even certain colours or designs are a no-go depending on their likelihood of appealing to a young person or associating with a lifestyle. It’s … complicated.

Few sectors in Ontario have invested as much or created as many jobs as the legal cannabis industry. Today, 45 per cent of Canada’s licensed cannabis producers are located in Ontario. At the end of 2018, the sector directly employed approximately 5,700 across the province and cannabis companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the Ontario economy.

The Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I. has finished the first review of its medical cannabis policy, one year after implementing it.

Under the policy, clients can be approved for use of cannabis to treat nausea with chemotherapy, end-of-life care, spasms caused by a spinal injury, or chronic shooting or burning pain.

The current policy covers reasonable costs for a vaporizer, and the board is looking to drop that benefit in light of a recent Health Canada warning.

"We wanted to ensure that our policy didn't inadvertently promote vaping as a route for cannabis treatment and so we proposed an interim step that we wouldn't cover the cost of a vaporizer," said Kate Marshall, director of workplace services.

Justice officials has pledged to crack down on the spike in Liquormart thefts the province has seen over the last several months, said the province’s Justice Minister.

“In my perspective as Minister of Justice, we’re going to continue to work with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries as we go forward,” said Cliff Cullen. “We in Justice want to make sure we are working with police as well in terms of apprehension of these individuals and getting those people off the street. We’re working closely with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries as well in terms of processes to get these individuals apprehended.”

The Saskatchewan government is planning to treat e-cigarettes and vaporizers much like tobacco, limiting where they’re sold and how they’re advertised while setting the age limit at 18.

Health Minister Jim Reiter introduced amendments to the Tobacco Control Act on Tuesday. If passed, the new rules will come into effect in the spring, but Reiter said they’re only a first step.

Notably, the bill won’t explicitly ban flavoured vaping products. It would allow the government to restrict them through regulation. Reiter said that will come after a consultation period.