A Manitoba man plans a constitutional challenge that says the province needs to catch up with the rest of Canada and legalize at-home cannabis production.

Canadians are clearly in love with cannabis, but not all provinces were created equal when it comes to permitting pot. While the historic Cannabis Act applies to all provinces, the rules around distribution and consumption fall to the provinces — and municipalities have some say on it, too.

That’s why for Canada Day, The GrowthOp takes a look at the growing industry from coast-to-coast — crunching the data on price, consumption habits, number of stores, public consumption options and the ability to grow at home — to find out which provinces are rolling out the red carpet for weed and which are still warming up to the country’s second favourite leaf.

Here are our findings.

Pure Sunfarms, the joint venture between veteran vegetable grower Village Farms International Inc. (TSX and NASDAQ: VFF) and medical cannabis company Emerald Health Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: EMH), began shipping its products to Saskatchewan Wednesday.

The Manitoba government is moving forward on its plan for an open and competitive cannabis retail market, Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced Friday.

“We are pleased to open the market further by allowing more retailers to apply for retail licences,” said Wharton in a press release. “This move will enable local entrepreneurs to create jobs and support Manitoba’s economy, which is a critical step as we work toward rebuilding Manitoba in the wake of COVID-19.”

Indiva Limited (TSXV:NDVA) (OTCQX:NDVAF) is pleased to announce that it has secured distribution rights to ship its premium cannabis products to New Brunswick and Manitoba. These two new agreements extend Indiva’s distribution network to eight provinces. Indiva’s first shipments to Manitoba include INDIVA™ pre-rolls and THC capsules, and Bhang® Chocolate. Indiva expects that INDIVA™ and Bhang® products will be available in Manitoba stores within the next two weeks.

Cannabis retailers in Manitoba are not taking their "essential service" status for granted during the virus-induced crisis and are redesigning their services to maximize social distancing.

It has likely encouraged the industry to roll out some e-commerce technology earlier than might otherwise have been the case.

Some offer home delivery and most cannabis retailers in Manitoba are now providing a "click and collect" service, allowing customers to order online and then pick up and pay at the store.

Winnipeg-based Delta 9, which has four stores in the province, now offers a touchless service, where payment is made online and staff deliver the product to the customer’s car.

Approximately 4,000 times these past two weeks, I’ve thanked my lucky stars cannabis was legalized before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe and sent us all cowering in our bong dens.

Canopy Growth Corp. is temporarily shutting down its corporate-owned cannabis stores across the country Tuesday due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the company said in a statement. 

Canopy, which owns 23 legal cannabis stores in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, will close its stores for an undetermined period of time at 5 p.m. local.  It is also closing its visitors centre located at its headquarters in Smiths Falls, Ont. 

“We have a responsibility to our employees, their families, and our communities to do our part to ‘flatten the curve’ by limiting social interactions. For us, that means shifting our focus from retail to e-commerce," said David Klein, chief executive officer of Canopy Growth, in a statement. 

Dear Herb: How am I supposed to legally transport weed in my car? — Road Tripper

Dear Road Tripper: As with so many issues surrounding legalization in Canada, it depends on where you live — the federal Cannabis Act doesn’t address the issue of transporting cannabis in a vehicle, so it’s up to provincial and territorial governments. The overarching theme across those different legal jurisdictions is this: Like alcohol, cannabis should never be in reach of a vehicle’s driver or passengers. Some provinces and territories allow cannabis to be within reach if it’s still sealed in the original container.

Since many of us are struggling through those winter blues, looks like we could all use a little green!

Whether you’re looking to plan a fun night out or learn something new, here are some cannabis-centric events taking place in Manitoba in February.

Van der Pop: Give Yourself Flowers: Potpourri Edition

An education session by Van der Pop includes a free potpourri-making workshop. Getty Images