Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté is getting into the cannabis business.

Laliberte’s Groupe Lune Rouge has announced the purchase of 12.85 per cent of Ontario firm 48North Cannabis.

Lune Rouge says in a statement it has assessed the market and believes there is growth potential in the medical cannabis sector.

48North was known as Kramer Capital until this week.

The 12.85 per cent stake represents 10 million shares, and Lune Rouge also has warrants to acquire an additional 9,550,909 shares that would boost its interest to 22.4 per cent.

Laliberté founded Lune Rouge in 2015 with the aim of promoting innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.

One of the biggest milestones in the Canadian history of legalized weed might come into play this summer.

As of right now, marijuana remains a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act. Unless otherwise regulated for production and distribution for medical purposes, it is subject to offenses under that act. Processing and selling marijuana for non-medical purposes is still illegal everywhere in Canada.

The Cannabis Act, also known as Bill C-45, is an act that was introduced to Canadian Parliament in 2017. This act would legalize cannabis nationwide when combined with Bill C-46, an act to amend the criminal code.

One example of this is a company from Toronto that has been creating cannabis-infused drinks.

It’s now working with wineries and breweries keen to try new technology.

Hill Street Beverage Co. is a producer of alcohol-free and cannabis-infused wines and beers. They are now looking to take it a step further. The company is partnering with Vin First Innovative Packaging, Cannabis Compliance Inc. and Lexaria Bioscience Corp. to refine its cannabis-infused drinks.

Health Canada has authorized Hill Street as a licensed dealer, so the company will be using Lexaria Biosciences Corp. technology to produce cannabis-infused beverages at Vin First’s facilities.

Waterloo Medical Cannabis Clinic launches to meet the region’s growing demand for the product.

The inspiration for the newest cannabis clinic in the Waterloo Region came from Dave Schenk’s personal experience with the medicinal properties of the drug, slated to be legal for recreational use in July.

“I was relying on ibuprofen to get through the days from arthritis pain,” explained Schenk, a former investment banker who’s now manager of the Waterloo Medical Cannabis Clinic, part of The Clinic Network, which operates 10 medical marijuana centres across the country.

With the Ontario general election just a day away, party leaders are making their final pitch to voters and political pundits are scratching their heads, trying to predict a winner.

The Progressive Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party are in a dead heat, with both expected to win 37% of the votes, according to an aggregation of polls. The Liberal Party, which has governed the province since 2003, is a distant third with 19%.

The legalization of recreational cannabis is just around the corner, and Ontario is a hub for the country’s cannabis industry, so stakeholders have been paying close attention to the election campaign. Here is what they have heard from the main parties:

Aphria Inc. says it's raising $225 million to pay for new and expanded cannabis facilities in Canada, as well as potential global expansion and acquisitions.

The Leamington, Ont.-based cannabis producer says some of the funds will go towards a new $55 million extraction facility that will use a variety of methods to produce concentrated cannabis products like oils.

The company says the modern facility, which will be able to process more than 200 tonnes of cannabis annually, will help it prepare for what's expected to be a significant product category.

Just weeks before Canada is expected to legalize cannabis use across the country, the second annual MNP O’Cannabiz Conference and Expo is ready to take place June 7-9 at the International Centre in Toronto.

Recently voted the number one cannabis conference in Canada by High! Canada Magazine, O’Cannabiz will feature over 100 industry speakers from across North America, as well as a variety of workshops and seminars. Over 200 vendors will showcase their services and merchandise on the exhibition floor.

Flourish CAO Michael Smith appearing before Belleville’s Planning Committee, June 4, 2018 (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)

A proposal to develop a medical marijuana production facility in Belleville’s Northeast Industrial Park has passed the first hurdle.

Global Citrus Group plans to develop a 200,000 square foot facility on University Avenue, in the former Exxon Mobil building.

CAO of Flourish, Michael Smith, told Belleville’s Planning Committee Monday night this company will focus on medicine for women in terms of relieving menapausal pains and sleep-related PMS.

Smith said there would be 45 to 50 jobs before the end of 2018 and 200 jobs by 2019 in the grow and extraction facility, and an estimated $250 million business by 2020.

Leigh Coulter, president of GGS Structures, gives BNN Bloomberg a look at the inner workings of a cannabis growing facility. Marijuana producers like CannTrust and others are increasingly moving toward greenhouse facilities to keep costs down.

Plans to construct a marijuana research and development facility at the former Nortel site at 250 Sidney St. may not be up in smoke.

However, until the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) hears Toronto Capital’s appeal of Belleville city council’s decision to turn down a request for a zoning bylaw amendment that would have cleared the way to build the facility, it could take awhile to sort things out. No date has been scheduled for a hearing.