Located on Main Street, Compass Cannabis Clinic officially opened its doors to the public on Friday (April 20), inviting them to learn about medical marijuana and how it might help them with various health issues from anxiety to chronic pain.

The clinic will have a doctor on site every two weeks starting April 27, however no marijuana will be sold on site until after it becomes legal and the company is licensed to sell the product by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC).

“Basically we provide people a service where they can come see our doctor to get educated about medical cannabis,” said Brad Murphy, who co-owns the business with his partner Michelle Craig located at 713 Main St.

With the federal government aiming to legalize marijuana possession, insurers are looking for some assurances that the Cannabis Law will not lead to increased claims frequency and liability; this, in turn, relates to the ability of police to search vehicles and arrest people suspected of violating drug and alcohol laws.

So insurers may be interested to know that the Supreme Court of Canada recently refused to hear a case that would have narrowed the basis upon which police could search for and seize marijuana during a traffic stop. Canada’s highest court announced April 19 that it will not hear an appeal from Tarek Lotfy, who was convicted of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Incoming marijuana legislation heralds momentous change for the approach to pot, but British Columbia Premier John Horgan questions if everyone will buy into the new legal system this summer.

Legislation regulating recreational marijuana in B.C. is expected to be introduced Thursday. The province is one of the last in Canada to table its marijuana rules as the country adapts to legalized pot.

Horgan said he expects the country to go through an extensive marijuana learning curve that will see some embracing the ability to purchase pot legally at private or government stores while others may stick to illegal suppliers.

Organic produce has come a long way from farmers in hemp clothes peddling ugly vegetables to the big business it is today, available in nearly every grocery store in North America.

It’s easy to see how it got that far. Consumers liked it and demanded it. And successful conventional produce grower-shippers found a way to grow and deliver high quality organic fruits and vegetables.

Even before the mainstreaming of organic produce, greenhouse produce went through a similar lifecycle. The North American consumer could get exotic greenhouse tomatoes or peppers from Holland grown under glass. It was high-quality and different than domestic field grown.

Minister responsible says last year's election main reason why B.C. is behind other provinces.

Expect some long-awaited details from the province this week on how marijuana will be regulated when it becomes legal in July. 

Just not how much things will cost or where public stores will be. 

Majority of pot shops continue to operate outside the rules.

It's been nearly two years since the City of Vancouver ordered unlicensed dispensaries to shut down or face legal consequences and, while some have paid the $30,000 licensing fee, many more continue to operate outside the rules.

According to the city, there are just over 100 marijuana shops in Vancouver as of April 10.

Of those, roughly a third are not subject to enforcement — including 15 that have paid the licensing fee, as well as stores that have been issued a development permit but are still waiting for their licence.

The 77 others are operating outside city regulations and are subject to enforcement.

Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce is hoping to shed new light on weed and cryptocurrencies as part of its Economic Summit 2018 at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam. Blockchain and the legalization of cannabis have been popular topics in the business community over the last year. Now, the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce is hoping to shed new light on the subjects as part of its Economic Summit 2018 next month at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver. “We want to really educate the local business community,” said Michael Hind, CEO of the chamber.

Sandoz Canada, Tilray partnership underscores market legitimacy of medical marijuana.

Walls between the previously separate worlds of biotechnology and medical cannabis appear to be coming down.

Sandoz Canada Inc. recently established a partnership with B.C. medical cannabis company Tilray to produce and distribute medical marijuana products. Sandoz Canada is a division of Switzerland’s Novartis (VTX:NOVN), one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

Toronto’s Tilray has its processing plant and facilities in Nanaimo, B.C., and in Enniskillen and London, Ontario. The company employs more than 240 people in four Canadian provinces and seven countries and serves patients all over the world.

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 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.