Hundreds of activists and weed users gathered at Nathan Phillips Square for the 420 rally. We asked a few of them what they thought about marijuana legalization.

Last Friday marked the final 420 rally before cannabis legalization in Canada, and Toronto stoners made sure things went out with a bang. Pot enthusiasts of all ages filled Nathan Phillips Square with their energy and with smoke — a bold choice considering event organizers were unable to obtain a permit this year. Security guards and bicycle-mounted police officers dotted the square as well.

MLA Kieron Testart says N.W.T. government dropped the ball in consulting, preparing communities.

About 25 people from Fort McPherson, N.W.T., showed up Monday night for a meeting on the upcoming cannabis legislation — the first of many consultations during MLA's whirlwind tour across the territory.

Fort McPherson and Fort Resolution kicked off the community pot consultation tour that will visit 16 communities in 11 days.

The Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act, or Bill 6, is currently under review by the standing committees on social development and government operations.

It's the first day to file applications to run retail marijuana shops in Calgary.

The crowds didn't materialize, at least not in person, as the city opened the application process for would-be purveyors of recreational pot in Calgary. 

Most applied online, but there were about two dozen who stood in line at City Hall on Tuesday morning to submit building permit, development permit and business licence applications.

"I think they've been prepping for this and expecting maybe an onrush this morning that they didn't get," said Jeff Mooij, who submitted applications for 11 locations for his company, 420 Premium Market. 

"So things went a lot smoother than anticipated for sure."

Booming. Evolving. Complicated. Three words that aptly describe the Canadian cannabis market.

Redfund Capital is positioning itself to jump headfirst into that market, and beyond. 

The goal? To help solve one of the most significant obstacles faced by cannabis related businesses: accessing much-needed funds to succeed in a rapidly changing market.

The merchant bank, which will focus on the funding of companies operating in the cannabis sector, reversed into Parana Copper Corp, with the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE) approving the company’s proposed change of business.

The Ontario Provincial Police are preparing for this summer's anticipated legalization of marijuana by the federal Liberal government.

Recreational marijuana use was scheduled to be legalized across Canada by July 1. The way was clearned in March with the Senate voting for approval in principle of the federal government’s enabling legislation. However, the final Senate vote is currently scheduled for June 7. The provincial and territorial governments in charge of distribution will likely require an additional eight to 12 weeks to complete preparations to sell the drug. Provincially, Queen's Park passed a bill in December creating a provincial agency that will distribute and retail pot through storefronts and online.

The aromatic compounds found in cannabis, called terpenes, have an increasingly appreciated role in the plant’s medicinal benefits. These terpenes fall into a different class than cannabinoids (e.g., THC, CBD), and perhaps for that reason, have received substantially less research attention.

Additional layer of consultation raises questions of whether stores open in time.

When the first four cannabis store locations for Ontario were announced earlier this month, the single Toronto site caused a ruckus because it was walking distance from an elementary school, ensconced in a strip mall that houses a McDonald's and Tim Hortons the students frequent at lunch time.

Both the Toronto School Board and Premier Kathleen Wynne appeared caught off guard by the store's proximity to the school, about 450 metres away. Wynne subsequently ordered school boards be consulted before any more locations are announced.

That might sound reasonable, but there's only one problem: some Ottawa school boards have no idea what "consultation" means.

Local cannabis advocate: 'To me it's absolutely asinine to waste our time which is basically what this is'.

As people across Canada prepare for recreational cannabis to become legal later this year the regional tourism agency for Windsor-Essex says it has no strategy until operational guidelines are set. 

Recreational marijuana could be legalized sometime this summer as the Cannabis Act works its way through Parliament, while Windsor has been approved for a store. 

But Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEP) said in a statement to CBC News that it's holding back on a plan until national and local governments iron out the plans. 

About two years ago, Chris Snellen was diagnosed with cancer of the tonsils as a result of the human papillomavirus.

When he broached the subject of a referral to the Canabo Medical Clinic in Churchill Square, his medical team balked at the idea.
“They said, ‘If you do everything we say, we have a scientific number of 80 per cent odds that you’re going to come out of this cancer-free. If you take marijuana during or before, then we don’t know what that’s going to do to your odds,’” Snellen says.

The City of Vancouver says part of Sunset Beach Park will be closed for at least six weeks as crews work to "rehabilitate" the lawn after Friday's 4/20 rally.

"Park Board and City staff worked together all night after 4/20 to clean event debris on the field, but there were still objects such as glass and discarded edibles on the field that posed a danger to the public," the board said in a statement.

According to the release, the field has been fenced off to ensure public safety, especially for children and dogs.

Crews will have to let the lawn dry and make sure all debris, including cigarette butts, metal and glass are removed. Then, they’ll aerate the field before spreading fresh soil and seeds.