A couple of entrepreneurs in Oliver have filled the gap for medical marijuana users in town.

Canna Cabana, a new medical marijuana dispensary located beside C & C Food Mart on Highway 97 just south of town, is open for business.

Although the dispensary has only been open for two weeks, plans for it have been in the works for over three years when Rick Stagg, one of the shop’s owners, started researching dispensaries.

“I just really wanted to wait and see how legislation was going to fall into place and I wanted to learn a little more.”

This café is lit!

If there is one thing, just one, that Montreal does right, I'd have to say its the coffee game. 

I'd bet that most of you would probably agree, right? If not, that's cool too, your loss! 

Montreal's café game is on point. Seriously, there are a good 6 independent café's within walking distance from my place, alone. It's usually not a question of there being a café nearby, but rather which café to go to.

Well, regardless of which Montreal borough you reside in, I have an answer that I'm sure you will find as intriguing as I do. Or maybe this one is a little more niche, but none the less - it is absolutely worth your consideration! 

I grow many different things on our farm, but one of my favorites is cannabis. A little under two years ago, I purchased my first plants and haven't looked back. Since my first harvest, I have not used any NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen for any reason. I much prefer skipping all of the possible side effects of pharmaceuticals and rely on the medicinal uses of cannabis instead. My favorite way to harness the healing powers of the cannabis plant is in tincture or salve form. Topical applications will not cause a psychoactive response.

While the majority of the city’s pot community was engulfed in smoke at Sunset Beach Park, a former Master Chef contestant was cooking up weed-infused meals for 132 strangers.

The MP for the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding is not overly optimistic heading into Wednesday’s vote on her private member’s bill concerning landlords and medicinal marijuana home grows, but she hopes it’s the start of a conversation.

“I’m not anticipating support in terms of the vote from the Liberals,” Cathy McLeod told KTW. “But if they’re not willing to support this, then I think they need to be held accountable.”

McLeod’s bill would give rights to landlords who currently have little to no say on whether Health Canada-approved medicinal marijuana users grow pot plants in their homes.

Entrepreneurs who want to sell supplies to help consumers grow cannabis at home are waiting anxiously for June 7, when Canadian senators are expected to vote on, and potentially amend, the Cannabis Act.

One amendment that may pass is a ban on Canadians’ ability to grow cannabis for recreational purposes at their homes.

The likelihood of that amendment passing in a vote of the entire Senate dimmed a bit May 28, when a Senate committee voted by a 6-5 margin against the proposal. That committee vote result, however, is not binding, and does not limit the full Senate from accepting an amendment in the Cannabis Act to have a nationwide ban on grow-your-own cannabis in a June 7 vote.

Pot stores can't set up within a block of daycares, schools, places where minors congregate.

Regina's city council has decided that the city's future pot shops cannot within one block of daycares, schools or other places youths are known to frequent — unless it's downtown.

The one block buffer zone will not apply in downtown Regina. Instead each shop's approval in the area will be at the discretion of city council.

Likewise, if a pot shop is set up first, a daycare, school or any other place with children cannot set up within one block. The final bylaw will be put to a vote on at next month's city council meeting.

The Canadian Senate has proposed several amendments to the government’s plan to legalise recreational cannabis use this year.

An amendment to entirely ban the possibility of growing marijuana at home was proposed was put forward. The Senate social affairs committee rejected that, but did vote in favour of another amendment which leaves the door open for provinces and territories to propose their own ban on the growing of “pot” at home.

Currently the proposed federal law C-45 would allow for the growing of up to five plants in a single dwelling.

Both Manitoba and Quebec have announced that they will prohibit any home grown marijuana.

Buffer zones around youth oriented facilities have been given initial approval as Moose Jaw City Council prepares for the eventual legalization of cannabis in Canada.

No cannabis shop will be allowed within 166m of any school and must stay at least 83m away from parks, daycares, the library or public recreation facilities but there is a small exemption for around Crescent Park where the buffer would be 60m in order to allow a portion of Main Street to be potentially used for a shop.

"We looked at the sensitive types of uses like schools, daycares, parks and libraries, areas where youth are congregating," explained Director of Planning Michelle Sanson. "We want to make sure that we are putting in some separation distances to accommodate those types of places."

If you can’t beat ’em, tax ’em

45

Total number of tax increases on beer in Canada since 2010

47 per cent

The average portion of the cost of a case of beer that goes to taxes

50,000

Canadians who have signed on to Beer Canada’s ‘Axe the Beer Tax’ campaign

10 per cent

The per-capita decline in beer sales over the past decade

Those impressive statistics are brought to you by Canada’s brewers. It’s no surprise, then, that they’re fretting over the pending legalization of marijuana, and urging the federal government to make us pay more in taxes.