Leamington’s biggest private employer loses its name on Wednesday but will remain the controlling power behind a blockbuster merger of two Canadian pot giants in what becomes the world’s largest cannabis company.

Tilray Inc. shareholders on Friday followed suit with those of Aphria Inc. weeks earlier and voted to approve the merger which includes adopting Tilray as the shared name for the business combination. Tilray, headquartered in Nanaimo, B.C., will continue to be listed on the American Nasdaq exchange but will also commence trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on May 5.

The week in cannabis was full of change, including the Tilray-Aphria merger that makes it one of the world’s biggest weed companies, the decision to drop the “snortable” cannabis powder Canna Bumps, Mars Wrigley serves notice to cannabis providers over unauthorized packaging and the head of Organigram steps down.

Tilray and Aphria combo to be big on global stage

Nineteen people have been charged after Ontario Provincial Police busted several large cannabis production facilities in southwestern Ontario.

The OPP carried out five search warrants at three greenhouses and two residences Wednesday morning in the areas of County Roads 31 and 34 in Kingsville, and Seacliff Drive West in Leamington.

Authorities said they seized more than 20,000 cannabis plants, more than 1,400 pounds of processed cannabis, some Canadian currency and equipment. They said the cannabis is likely worth more than $18 million.

Eighteen people, with ages ranging between 19 and 72, have been charged with:

Leamington’s biggest private employer loses its name on Wednesday but will remain the controlling power behind a blockbuster merger of two Canadian pot giants in what becomes the world’s largest cannabis company.

Tilray Inc. shareholders on Friday followed suit with those of Aphria Inc. weeks earlier and voted to approve the merger which includes adopting Tilray as the shared name for the business combination. Tilray, headquartered in Nanaimo, B.C., will continue to be listed on the American Nasdaq exchange but will also commence trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on May 5.

The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) is giving some love to craft growers with the launch of a new designation aimed at helping raise the profile of offerings from small licensed producers.

Launching late last week, the new designation — as it stands, only for dried flower and pre-rolls — currently includes products from 20 licensed cannabis producers, according to Marijuana Business Daily.

The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) will accept fewer incoming deliveries from the country's pot producers this month to help curtail the spread of COVID-19, a move that could lead to a steep revenue hit for cannabis companies dependent on sales in the country's biggest consumer market. 

"Like all operators in the retail sector, necessary public health measures in our warehouse facility to manage COVID-19 and keep workers as safe as possible have reduced the speed with which we are able to receive new deliveries from our licensed producer partners," said Daffyd Roderick, senior director of communications at the OCS, in an emailed statement. 

High Tide Inc. (“High Tide” or the “Company”) (TSXV: HITI) (OTCQB: HITIF) (FRA:2LY), a retail-focused cannabis corporation enhanced by the manufacturing and distribution of consumption accessories, announced today that the Canna Cabana retail store located at 2318 Keele Street West in Toronto, Ontario , has begun selling recreational cannabis products for adult use. This opening represents High Tide’s 85 th branded retail location across Canada , and 18 th in Ontario , selling recreational cannabis products and consumption accessories. Located within walking distance of Toronto’siconic Corsa Italia neighbourhood, the new store is poised to benefit from its location within a densely populated neighbourhood close to popular restaurants and shopping destinations.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating an arson that led to the discovery of a violation of the federal Cannabis Act, reports CTV Windsor. 

Officers with the OPP’s Kingsville detachment, south of Windsor, were dispatched to 1300 block of Road 3 East on Monday morning, shortly after 4 a.m.

Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal has been called in and is investigating the fire as arson. According to reports, the preliminary investigation also led to the discovery of a violation of the Cannabis Act.

Some Ontario doctors are hesitating to prescribe medical cannabis to patients suffering long-term pain, and a new McMaster University study shows it's because some still don't know how helpful or harmful it is.

That's despite medical cannabis being legal for 20 years.

"What we heard from the physicians we interviewed is they, by and large, feel ill-equipped ... because of limitations of training and the evidence out there," said Jason Busse, associate director of the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research at McMaster.

"The themes that came out of these interviews were not surprising."

Remember when you were first learning to drive? You spent hours listening to a teacher explain everything about road safety and how cars work, but it wasn’t until you actually got behind the wheel that you really began to understand how to be a safe driver. That kind of education, often called “experiential learning,” is how most people pick up new skills and information and incorporate them into their daily lives. Similarly, you never took a class on how to use your smartphone: you learned from watching other people, asking friends for their advice, and through trial and error