Liquor distribution boards across Canada have been tasked with a lofty mandate when it comes to cannabis—capture market share from one of the most entrenched unregulated cannabis markets on the planet, and do it fast. Their collective first instinct follows understandable logic: buy cannabis for a low wholesale price, and sell it for a retail price that the vast network of illicit growers across this nation cannot compete with. This strategy will substantially benefit high volume producers of commodity grade crops, while crippling the competitiveness of small scale growers.

Due to impending marijuana legalization in Canada, an amendment update to Cochrane’s smoking bylaw was a hot topic at the last regular session of town council. Jaylene Knight, the town's manager of legislative services, gave a non-decisive, information-only presentation to council on behalf of administration. “Legislative Services is working with Communications to develop a public engagement plan and communications strategy to ensure the public is consulted and feedback incorporated before the bylaw amendments are finalized,” said Knight in her presentation to council.

“This project will be added to the Let’s Talk Cochrane website and all public engagement opportunities will be advertised.”

While the Town of Cochrane is busy discussing marijuana on a regulatory level, conversations are flowing on a personal level as well. Yesterday, Cochrane Family & Community Support Services hosted a lunch program entitled “Cannabis Legalization and Our Community” at the Seniors on the Bow Centre. "We knew that cannabis legalization was an issue that most communities across Canada were talking about,” said Annemarie Tocher, resource center coordinator for the town.

"When we did our initial meetings in January, Seniors on the Bow expressed an interest in making a conversation available at their location."

The free event evoked an open dialogue between various members of Cochrane’s senior community and mental health & addiction professionals.

SAQ head Alain Brunet says clients will be able to buy behind-the-counter pot from extensively trained workers.

The head of Quebec's liquor board says even though there's still no official date for the legalization of cannabis, the SAQ will be ready to serve Quebecers in stores and online.

SAQ president and CEO Alain Brunet says the agency is in the process of figuring out where stores will be located —they can't be within 250 metres of an elementary or high school — and will soon be recruiting employees.

The SAQ will oversee the sale and distribution of marijuana, but the sales will be carried out by a separate entity: the Société Québécoise du Cannabis.

Think AHLOT Corporation ("AHLOT"), a leading cannabis experience and innovation company, is pleased to announce it will launch the world's first cannabis sample pack showcasing multiple strains and producers from across Canada. Debuting in Canada's recreational and medical cannabis markets, the sample packs will contain five (5) one-gram samples of the finest cannabis available from multiple Licensed Producers. The sample packs will introduce consumers to the unique strains and stories being cultivated by the world's best growers, starting in Canada.

Ontario’s chiefs of police are again sounding alarm bells about the impending legalization of recreational cannabis, saying federal funding for police operations may not go far enough to cover increased costs.

At a news conference held by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police in Toronto on Tuesday, Ontario Provincial Police Chief Supt. Chuck Cox said it’s fair to assume based on other jurisdictions’ experiences that drug-impaired driving will go up once recreational pot is legal, and police will need to train more officers to detect drug impairment.

That, Cox said, can be costly.

City planners in Prince Albert say it is “crunch time” for local legislation as the legalization of cannabis in Canada grinds closer.

The city's next steps were rolled out in front of city’s council's executive committee Monday night. Craig Guidinger, director of planning and development, said legalization will use a top-down approach largely dictated by the federal and provincial governments, but there are still a few items municipalities will have the ability to tweak. Guidinger said city planners are still conducting research and reviewing best practices using information from the provincial cannabis survey to prepare draft regulations, but nothing has yet been set in stone.

Moncton-based medicinal cannabis producer Organigram announced three new brands for the adult recreational market on Tuesday.

Organigram’s recreational portfolio will be officially launched once adult use recreational cannabis is legal in Canada and includes the launch of The Edison Cannabis Company, ANKR Organics and Trailer Park Buds.

“Our recreational brand strategy incorporates the best of what we know about our current and potential customers, the industry and opportunities for growth, and the production of our premium products,” said Greg Engel, CEO of Organigram in a release. “The addition of each of these brands is the result of more than 18 months of research, development and teamwork to better understand our products and consumers.”

Thomas George of investment forum Grizzle says that when it comes to the “green rush” of success that the marijuana industry is expecting in Canada, interested parties should be a little more circumspect about getting the same reception south of the border. In fact, the U.S. is far more divided over legalizing cannabis than we are in Canada, says George.

Creso Pharma’s cannabis production facility is currently under construction in Windsor, Nova Scotia. According to documents from the Australia-based company’s website, the site is approximately 20,000 square feet and could produce between 2,000 and 4,000 kilograms of cannabis annually. (COLIN CHISHOLM / Hants Journal)

WINDSOR, N.S. — An Australian company will become a tenant in Windsor’s industrial park just in time for marijuana use to become legalized.

Creso Pharma, a publicly traded company based in Australia, is hoping that the impending legalization of marijuana in Canada will be a boon for its growing cannabis industry, which includes supplying recreational and medical marijuana products.