In support of the historic third anniversary of the legalization of adult-use cannabis, the Cannabis Council of Canada (C3), the national organization of Canada’s licensed producers and processors, Cannabis Amnesty, Medical Cannabis Canada* (MCC), and NORML are releasing the “Not Done Yet Report Card.”  The “Not Done Yet Report Card” is an evaluation of cannabis legalization’s successes and challenges based on government objectives, industry outcomes, and cannabis community expectations. Topics covered include keeping cannabis out of the hands of youth, eliminating the illicit market, social justice and equity, access to medical cannabis, and industry viability.

Canada has taken on a leading role in industrial hemp production since the crop was legalized in 1998.

Initially it was grain production that took off, with food products like hemp hearts.

Other possible uses include fibre production — particularly for novel products that don’t require highly refined fibres — and nutraceuticals like cannabidiol, which became a possibility following cannabis legalization in 2018.

Why it matters: As new uses emerge for the crop, so does the need for new varieties that meet these needs, providing a new opportunity for hemp market diversification.

A local cannabis company, with the help of Blue Cross, created COVID kits for Canadian veterans and then used all the proceeds from the sale of the kits to support various veterans’ organizations.

"We could not be happier with the results of this initiative,” said Justin Whitehall, founder and clinic director of Avail Cannabis, which has locations in both Orillia and Barrie. 

Overall, the initiative raised $13,000.

“We reached our internal goal of giving back $10,000 directly to veteran organizations and we were able to use the remaining funds to contract a world-renowned art therapist, Michael Buchert, to develop Canada's first cannabis art therapy program exclusively for military veterans.”

A large-scale cannabis greenhouse operation in East Ladner has announced that it has signed an agreement with Langara College to support the Applied Science for the Canadian Cannabis Industry (ASCCI) research project. The agreement will provide opportunities for researchers and students to study cannabis using the latest technology, facilitate innovation and address questions that are important to the industry.

During the course of the five-year research project, which integrates chemistry, biology and bioinformatics, Pure Sunfarms’ experts will work with faculty members and students at Langara on research that will provide new data and insights for published research, and also help advance Pure Sunfarms’ product development strategy.

CBD (Cannabidiol) is a non-alcoholic extract of the hemp plant. In 2018, the hemp plant was officially recognized as an agricultural crop. Hemp plant is similar to the marijuana plant and both the plants are part of cannabis. However, hemp plants comprise up to 0.3% THC called the psychoactive ingredient. If a CBD plant’s THC level is more than 0.3%, then it is classified as a marijuana plant.Globally, the CBD infused cosmetics market is growing owing to the expansion of product portfolio and manufacturers targeting premium customers by launching premium products. Moreover, the growing adoption of organic CBD cosmetic products is projected to drive the demand for CBD infused cosmetics.

Provincial police have made a substantial seizure from an illegal cannabis grow-op.\Members of the Peterborough/Northumberland detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Community Street Crime Units, with the assistance of the OPP Emergency Response Team and the Canine Unit, executed a Cannabis Act warrant on County Rd. 22 earlier this week in Alnwick Haldimand Township.

Investigators seized the following items: 1,511 cannabis plants; 1,229 pounds (557 kilograms) of cannabis bud; and 280 pounds (127 kg) of cannabis shake.

As a result of investigation, police charged three individuals with possession of cannabis for purpose of distribution and cultivating illicit cannabis. Those individuals are Philip Nelseon, 54, Saiying Hu, 49, and Guohua Wang, 51.

Stifel analysts W. Andrew Carter, Christopher Growe, and Matthew Smith issued a huge report September 2021 report updating investors on their outlook for the cannabis industry. The group lowered estimates and price targets on several companies. The group also noted they have a negative outlook on the Canadian cannabis industry and Canopy Growth in particular. With regards to the U.S. market, the analysts don’t believe the current administration will change the legality of the industry but believe this is actually a positive thing.

Police in Durham Region say they have seized millions of dollars worth of drugs following a five-month investigation into fentanyl traffickers in the area. In a news release issued Monday, Durham Regional Police said the investigation, dubbed Project Econoline, was spearheaded by the service’s drug enforcement unit and saw the execution of 28 search warrants within the Greater Toronto Area.

Over the course of the investigation, police said they recovered 5.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 4.2 kilograms of cocaine, 205 grams of methamphetamine, 3,000 oxycodone pills, and 30 kilograms of illicit cannabis.