Statistics Canada recently released the conclusions of a yearlong study examining levels of various illicit drugs, and cannabis, in the wastewater of Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.

The pilot test study drew samples of the water in the period between March 2018 and February 2019. The research, one StatsCan claims is “the largest ever conducted in North America in terms of population covered,” was carried out in collaboration with Yargeau Laboratory of McGill University’s Department of Chemical Engineering.

With this weekend’s wildly popular outdoor music festivallooming, Osheaga organizers are reminding guests that only government-bought cannabis will be available on site.

Since the festival takes place at Parc Jean-Drapeau, smoking cannabis will be permitted as provincial law allows smoking in public parks.

More like OsheGANJA, right?

(Sorry, we still have time to work on that pun.)

While live music, herds of people, and cannabis may pair together nicely, Osheaga officials are warning festival-goers that only sealed containers from a government source will be allowed.

Quebecers hoping to buy cannabis chocolates, jujubes and other sweets after they become legal in Canada will be out of luck as the provincial government has decided to ban their sale.

Judging the measures planned by Ottawa to regulate the upcoming legalization of cannabis edible sales insufficient, Quebec unveiled its more stringent rules Wednesday.

The province announced it would ban the sale of cannabis candies, confections, desserts -- including chocolate -- and "any other product that is attractive to minors."

Giant Quebec-based convenience store owner Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is investing in cannabis retailer Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. of Edmonton to spur its “aggressive growth.”

Couche-Tard is paying almost $26 million for a 9.9 per cent stake in the cannabis seller that includes warrants to increase its ownership to 50.1 per cent, according to a statement by the owner of Circle K stores.

The investment allows Fire & Flower to expand from the 23 cannabis outlets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario that it operates or licenses, Couche-Tard said.

Recreational weed sales in Canada enjoyed a significant boost in May — up 14 per cent — according to data from Statistics Canada.

“Sales improved to $85 million in May, up from $74 million in April and $60 million in March,” Marijuana Business Daily reports. British Columbia recorded the biggest sales growth in May with a 37 per cent increase thanks to improved access via the opening of a number of new dispensaries.

Quebec's provincially operated cannabis shops made $71 million in sales in their first year and sold the most cannabis in the country in terms of dollars and volume, but they still posted a $4.9-million loss to be covered by the provincial government.

The provincial cannabis corporation -- known as the SQDC -- said in a statement that the provincial government revenues from consumption and excise taxes totalled about $21.7 million between June 12, 2018 and March 30.

The first stores in the Quebec network opened on Oct. 17, the day recreational marijuana became legal in the country.

However, the stores had to reduce opening hours, plagued by supply challenges faced by all provinces no matter what business model they were employing.

The Montreal Children's Hospital is reminding parents to keep their edibles locked up and away from kids following an increase in the number of cannabis intoxication cases.

Between 1990 and 2016, it was relatively rare for doctors at the hospital to treat children under the age of seven who had ingested cannabis — one case, on average, every three years.

But since 2016, when talk of the legalization of marijuana ramped up, nine children under the age of seven have been treated after consuming the drug.

Cannabis stores will now be open seven days a week in Quebec as a result of an improvement in supply levels.

From Monday, May 20, all 13 branches of the Société québécoise du cannabis will be open throughout the week. They will open at 10am every day and close at 6pm Monday to Wednesday, 9pm on Thursday and Friday and 5pm at weekends.

“Our advisors will be available to answer your questions and guide you through the selection of 40 to 60 products that are now available,” the SQDC announced in a Facebook post.

Of roughly 646,000 Canadians to try cannabis in 2019, 332,000 were 45 or older, data from the self-reported survey run by Statistics Canada shows. That brings that demographic’s overall rate of use up from 9 per cent last year to 14 per cent now.

The data released Thursday by Statscan is the first iteration of the National Cannabis Survey conducted exclusively after legalization in October last year. The study has been running since February 2018.

Overall, cannabis use among Canadians increased by three per cent, from 14 percent last year at this time, to 18 per cent, or 5.3 million Canadians aged 15 or older.

Launched officially on Tuesday, the Association québécoise de l’industrie du cannabis (AQIC) also wants to have a voice in the debate around the legal framework of the substance, the recreational consumption of which has been legal since last October.

Cannabis Business president Michel Timperio, who also directs the cannabis division of Neptune Wellness Solutions, believes there is still a lot of stigma surrounding the industry.

“People have to realize that the cannabis industry is not only what is sold at the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC),” he explained in an interview with Presse Canadienne. “There is a long way to go.”