A lot of fuss has been made about the forthcoming legalization of recreational cannabis by the government of Canada. The way Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government pursued the substance’s legalization allows all three levels of government to make some decisions about legalization processes in their jurisdictions — and that’s to say nothing about institutions like the University of Calgary, which is working to implement its own regulations regarding on-campus cannabis use.

MLAs completed whirlwind tour of 17 communities in 11 days Thursday.

Northwest Territories MLAs have made it a priority to speak with students on their whirlwind cannabis consultation tour around the territory, though only a couple of students took them up on the offer during their stop in Inuvik.

Just two students from East Three Secondary School took the chance to discuss cannabis legalization with leaders Thursday morning. The legislative committee, consisting of a group of regular MLAs, are visiting 17 communities in 11 days as they take stock of the territory's ideas and attitudes toward impending cannabis legalization.

Nuhami Gabeyehu, 15, was one of the students.

Toronto is fortunate to have two large cannabis events (420 & Global Marijuana March) each year that are free and open to the public. Over the years, each event became better known even though they have both faced opposition over the years.

The Ontario government has contributed $300,000 to help a Toronto company work with Loyalist College in Belleville to develop what it says will be the world’s first beer brewed from cannabis.

The joint project will create a beer that is “highly intoxicating” but safer and healthier than alcohol, says Province Brands of Canada. The company chipped in $300,000 in cash and in-kind services.

Province Brands joins cannabis industry giant Canopy Growth Corp. in Smiths Falls in betting that drinks will become a dominant way that Canadians consume their marijuana when it’s legal. 

ho*ser

n.

Canadian slang

A clumsy, boorish person, especially an uncouth, beer-drinking man.

— The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

Bob and Doug McKenzie might consider this downright un-Canadian, but marijuana producers are poised to give the alcohol industry even more of a run for its money.

As this chart from AltaCorp Capital shows, tokers are already spending more than hosers on a per-capita basis.

Marijuana is beginning to account for a noticeable share of “Ontario’s Garden.”

During his state-of-the-county address this week, Mayor Charlie Luke said it is full steam ahead for industrial marijuana production in Norfolk County.

New capacity is being added all the time. Some is devoted to the medicinal market while others are preparing to produce recreational marijuana once it becomes legal in Canada this summer.

Mayor Luke delivered the annual state-of-the-county address during a breakfast meeting Wednesday at the Greens at Renton. The event was sponsored by the Simcoe & District Chamber of Commerce.

In his speech, Luke shared progress reports on three operations representing millions of dollars in investment.

Marijuana may not be fully legalized until July at the earliest, but tens of thousands of Canadians are already telling Statistics Canada how much they pay for the drug.

The federal agency’s crowdsourced StatsCannabis platform tracks the price per dried gram across various regions. The currently indicated nationwide price for medical and non-medical purposes is $6.80 per gram. Quebec has the lowest pot price at $5.86. The territories are paying top dollar at $9.51.

As the death knell tolls for prohibition, the rapid proliferation of data supporting the therapeutic benefits of cannabis draws an increasing number of Canadians toward the plant to alleviate common ailments such as insomnia, anxiety, and pain. Inconsistencies in standardized dosing guidelines, however, leave most to fend for themselves as they navigate the murky waters of self-medication.

The event was part of an effort by the chamber of commerce to educate members about impacts of legal marijuana.

Employers from the Charlottetown business community came together Wednesday to talk about pot — and what it could mean for businesses once it's legal.

A panel of experts told business owners they had to educate themselves about cannabis laws now,  before legal marijuana makes it's way into the workplace. That includes consulting with legal professionals and physicians to establish policies that protect employees and employers and follow the law.

"You can't deal with a problem if you don't understand it so you need education about it," said Karen Campbell, a partner at Cox & Palmer who sat on the panel.

Mind-numbing, mind-blowing or mind-bending, take your pick, but news that 450 different cannabis products will be available when it’s legal elicits or promises all three responses, maybe more.

And that’s only for starters. So-called edibles and drinkables won’t even be on the market at first but once they are, in about a year, the mind boggles with the ingestion potential.

Cannabis is bigger business than many would have guessed, and when recreational use becomes legal sometime this year, provincial governments take over the lion’s share.