After two years of legalization, Ontario continues to eat away at the illicit cannabis market. 
 
Data provided by the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) shows that the province secured roughly 40 per cent of the legal market by the end of last year. That's more than double what the legal market controlled a year earlier, but still lags behind the 52 per cent of the national legal share of recreational cannabis sales, as COVID-19 lockdowns weighed on retailers. 

Despite more Americans supporting federal legalization of cannabis, many people still don’t know about the industry’s potential to harm the environment.

Just like other agricultural commodities, there are environmental impacts involved when growing cannabis. But many consumers don’t know, or simply don’t care how their cannabis was grown or even if it was sprayed with harmful chemical pesticides.

Tons of carbon is emitted into the atmosphere too just to grow a single cannabis plant. However, there is a growing number of people who do care how their cannabis was grown, and if they are produced with care to reduce its impact on the environment.

Sales of cannabis in Canada more than doubled in 2020 as the nation, like the rest of the world, spent a lot of time quarantined. The total sales amount reached $2.8 billion in Canadian dollars, a 120 percent increase from 2019.

What’s more, a new report from the Canadian government shows that legal cannabis sales outstripped sales of illegal cannabis for the first time. Combatting the cannabis black market is something officials have faced everywhere marijuana is legal.

In 2018, Canada made a historical decision by legalizing medicinal and recreational marijuana. It is also the first G7 nation to allow marijuana use. Even after two years, the demand for marijuana keeps on rising in Canada.

If you’re a cannabis connoisseur, read on to learn amazing facts about cannabis in Canada.

Cannabis Legalization in Canada

After prohibiting cannabis for almost 80 years, the Canadian government launched the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) program in 2001. This policy allowed legal access to marijuana for Canadians who couldn’t find relief through regular medication.

The MMAR ultimately transformed into the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) in 2013, having a more liberal approach.

More than two years after legalization, it’s almost hard to imagine what life was like before.

With many cannabis retailers across the Ottawa area, there’s no shortage of choice for consumers, but certain stores stand out from the pack. Here are 10 of the area’s premier locations, prized for their knowledge, customer service and selection

Big River Cannabis

The average retail price for smokable recreational marijuana products in four Western states continued to increase throughout the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to record demand. Retail flower prices in California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington state collectively grew 17 percent, with the price of pre-rolls also increasing 15 percent.

The retail data, provided by Seattle-based cannabis analytics company Headset, reflects the average item price for the past 90 days compared to the same period last year. The rise in prices is good news for cannabis retailers, because wholesale flower prices continue to increase because of robust consumer demand.

A West Shore mother is making waves on the internet after sharing a social media posting asking why cannabis use is met with considerable stigma, while other substances – like alcohol – are seen in a different light.

Jannine MacKinnon, who runs the popular "eeasymomroutines" Instagram page, expressed her views on responsible cannabis use to her more than 21,000 followers in February.

The post quickly became one of her most popular, resonating with almost 400,000 people.

"I actually sat on it for about a month before posting it," she said. "I was very nervous with how it was going to come across. I hadn't talked about cannabis at all on my account."

It’s not surprising that people have started to turn to CBD for sleep. That’s because, after decades of hearing advice on how to sleep well, changing diets to improve sleep, and using innovative tech to help people track sleep, people still have a big problem falling asleep when the lights go out.

How big is the problem? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in three adults in the U.S. does not get enough sleep. And that number came before the coronavirus pandemic and the seemingly endless stream of upsetting news events and natural disasters in recent years.  

Usually it is taught that Indica is a nighttime strain of weed because of its sedative properties, while the Sativa strain of cannabis has the opposite effects (provides us with a burst of energy rather than sedation).

So, the question arises - which one is a better option for anxiety? Sativa, Indica or Hybrid? Let’s take a closer look at them.

Indica

It is basically a cannabis subspecies and originates from South Asia and East India.  The plant of Indica marijuana is short and has broad leaves that grow in dark hues of green, with shades of pink and purple. It is known for its calming effects and pungent smell.

There is still much research to be done examining individual medications and how the use of marijuana could change how they work in the body.

It isn’t too common to experience severe side effects with the use of marijuana, according to the Department of Health. But that isn’t to say there aren’t some annoying reactions associated with the plant, such as  red eyes, dry mouth, sedation, and anxiety.