Contrary to popular perception, British Columbians are not the heaviest users of recreational marijuana, according to new figures from Statistics Canada.

That high-standing belongs to residents of Nova Scotia, where almost 22 per cent of the population (21.6 per cent) aged 15 years and up reported using cannabis during the last three months of 2018. That share amounts to about 170,400 people of the provincial population.

Recruitment for the 48-day trial in 150 patients will begin soon after the expected Health Canada and ethics approval is obtained. Patients in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Prince George, Victoria, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto will be enrolled in the trial investigating whether cannabis properties reduce cancer-related symptoms including pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety and nausea.

More than two dozen illegal cannabis dispensaries in Vancouver will have to close their doors, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.

The decision announced Thursday applies to all dispensaries named in a suit brought by the City of Vancouver.

So far, 53 injunctions have been filed against marijuana-related businesses operating outside the city's regulations. The city said in a statement that some closed prior to the case being heard in court, but the remaining 28 will now have to cease operations.

Owners who do not close down can face court-ordered fines, jail time or both, the city said.

If your province or territory nabbing the best deal?!

It's officially day two of cannabis officially being legal in Canada. While we are all probably coming off the high of such a big milestone for the country (pun absolutely intended), Canadians are shocked to see how different the legal purchasing experience is from province to province. 

Not only do some provinces get to buy in store rather than online, but areas of the country are also seeing some extreme price differences for legal cannabis. Meaning you might want to consider a road trip to snag the best bang for your buck. Here are the current prices per gram of legal marijuana in every part of Canada, so you can see how your province stacks up. All prices listed are in CAD.

Some tech glitches, a few sold out products and a quest to find that first legal toke.

Well, it’s here. From province to province, government portals started selling cannabis, many at the stroke of midnight. So has the entire county gone up in puff of smoke? Read on-the-ground stories and analysis from across the Postmedia chain.

Popular marijuana stocks fell across the board Wednesday, paring extreme gains so far this year, as investors cashed in a bit of their bet as Canada became the largest country to legalize the recreational use of cannabis.

After months of political haggling and legal debate, Canada joined the U.S. states of California, Massachusetts, Maine, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, Nevada, Vermont and Oregon as the first Group of Seven country to OK adult use of pot. The major cannabis stocks ran up in anticipation of this day and offered investors on Wednesday a reminder of just how volatile some of the young pot companies have become amid a flurry of news and speculation.

Ian Power and Nikki Rose among first Canadians to buy legal recreational cannabis. The first legal recreational cannabis has officially been sold in Canada.

In Newfoundland and parts of Labrador, midnight comes earlier than anywhere else in the country, and people were ready and waiting for marijuana to be sold to them over the counter.

At the Tweed retail location on Water Street in downtown St. John's, the first sales went to Ian Power and Nikki Rose, who lined up outside hours before. 

The lineup at the Tweed store started at around 8 p.m. NT, and steadily grew as the time ticked down to 12 a.m. Ian Power said he came early so he could "make history."

With October 17, 2018, just around the corner, many Canadians are counting down the days to legalization. It won't be long before we will be able to purchase legal, recreational cannabis for the first time.

But many of us are still asking some important, practical questions about how exactly that will happen.

This blog will attempt to address those burning questions and provide a little bit of clarity about what you can expect in British Columbia — and how you can purchase legal cannabis — on October 17, 2018.

Where will I be able to purchase legal, recreational cannabis?

Don't expect new cannabis stores to pop up overnight... or even within the year.

With just over a week to go until legalization, the BC government has said that “new and amended regulations” are now in place “to support British Columbia’s legal cannabis regime and prioritize the health and safety of British Columbians.”

B.C. government employees who work in provincially-run legal cannabis stores could find themselves barred from entering the United States. 

Mike Farnworth said Monday he’s aware of a threat by U.S. border officials to deny entry to anyone involved in Canada’s marijuana industry, which will become legal Oct. 17.

That’s raised the risk that hundreds of B.C. government employees could find themselves unable to travel to the United States because they staff the new public cannabis retail stores and distribution branch, including front-line workers, managers and even ministry officials. The first B.C. government store, in Kamloops, will open on the day of federal legalization.