In what they’re calling “a first-of-its-kind real world evidence study,” Toronto General Hospital’s Dr. Hance Clarke will lead new research designed to help medical cannabis consumers and doctors better understand how cannabinoids impact various conditions. 

Clarke, an anesthesiologist and the director of pain services at TGH, wants to back up existing anecdotal evidence with scientific data to help doctors guide patients toward effective products and doses.

Ontario’s privately-run cannabis stores will no longer be permitted to deliver or offer curbside pickup once an emergency order issued by the province in response to COVID-19 expires.

“As our province carefully moves towards recovery, the (emergency order) to temporarily allow for cannabis retail curbside pickup and delivery will end when the declaration of emergency expires, along with other temporary measures that had been put in place to support people and business during the public health emergency,” said Richard Clark, communications director for Ontario's Finance Minister, in an emailed statement.

A Canopy Growth employee at the company’s Smiths Falls, Ont. facility has tested positive for COVID-19.

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.

The legal cannabis market in Ontario is set to explode in the coming months, as the province takes a free-market approach to the fledgling industry.

Here in northern Ontario, Greater Sudbury has six stores in the application process or already operating, while Sault Ste. Marie has five and North Bay has seven.

With a population in North Bay of around 51,000, one cannabis store says they are ready for the newcomers.

"Well you know we do welcome the competition," said Noreen Nichol, whose family owns and operates Kana Leaf 2020 in North Bay. "But I do have to say I am surprised due to the population size."

It’s been a rough road for some of the OG’s of the cannabis industry. Today, Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) said its Co-Founder Terry Booth had retired from his role as Director of the Company, effective June 26, 2020. Mr. Booth was the Chief Executive Officer of Aurora from December 2014 through February 2020 and served on Aurora’s Board of Directors since December 2014.

One of the more compelling statistics that highlights how much the Canadian cannabis industry has been impacted the recent closures of production facilities. For an industry that was once valued on funded capacity, this represents a significant a change in strategy and believe that our readers needed to aware of this trend.

For those who do not know what funded capacity means, it refers to the amount of cannabis that can be produced with the amount of cash on the balance sheet. This metric assumed that there would no issues during the licensing or construction process and we found humor in the companies and the bankers that were touting this metric.

Federal government rules limiting sales of cannabis-infused beverages are having unintended consequences, according to industry insiders who say the math behind the current policy favours higher-potency drinks while restricting sales of mellower products.

Aphria Inc. has reached a deal worth $29.1 million to settle a dispute with Emblem Cannabis Corp. and Aleafia Health Inc.

The settlement ends a disagreement the companies had over Aleafia's decision in 2019 to cancel a supply agreement it had with Aphria.

Aphria CEO Irwin Simon says the deal allows the companies to avoid the distraction and the potential expense of prolonged litigation.

Under the agreement, Emblem, which was acquired by Aleafia in 2019, will receive $15 million in cash, $10 million in Aphria shares and a waiver of claimed receivables.

The companies also agreed to a mutual release of all existing and potential claims and the dismissal of arbitration proceedings that had begun.

It’s no secret that many Canadians enjoy cannabis, but it turns out those who live in Ontario might like it a little more than most.

Statistics Canada has released the breakdown of each province’s monthly cannabis spending, and Ontario has been showing some serious love to its cannabis retail industry.

According to StatsCan, $42.767 million in cannabis was sold in the province by retailers — a significant decrease from the $47.304 million it sold in April. This dip of over $5 million is one of several ups and downs experienced by Ontario’s cannabis industry sales figures.