When people hear that someone uses cannabis, they often give a nudge nudge​ wink wink and say, "Lucky you, getting high on weed, eh?"

I usually chuckle and reply that the official scientific name of the plant is "cannabis," and that it is medicine. For me, it's used to dull chronic nerve pain left after an invasive surgery to repair burst bowels and remove a 25-pound desmoid tumour.

It can also be used as an appetite stimulant, it quickly kills nausea and it relaxes anyone who needs to deal with frightening flashbacks of their time in hospital. 

The Canadian Paediatric Society is urging the federal government to take steps to protect children and youth should it follow through on its plan to legalize recreational marijuana next year.

Every July 4th, Augie, a 4-year-old Chihuahua mix, would go into freak-out mode. He trembled. He refused to eat, sleep or let anyone pick him up. His owners tried giving him Xanax for his fireworks phobia.

This year, Hughston gave the 8-pound dog Treatibles cannabis chews made for pets.

“He sat on the sofa and let us pet him; he ate,” Hughston said. “He went through the fireworks better than he ever had before.”

More and more pet owners are turning to cannabis-based products to help their animals with anxiety, arthritis, seizures, cancer and other ailments.

On Thanksgiving, most people show their appreciation for the year’s harvest by gluttonously stuffing it down their own gullets. But not the staff at 4:20 Friendly, a cannabis shop in Spokane, Washington. This year, these marijuana heroes are giving thanks for their green bounty by giving away $36,000 worth of free weed.

Cannabis is hugely popular. 182m people use cannabis across the world and, with this level of exposure, the way cannabis is regulated matters. As does the evidence of risks and benefits to health which underpins regulation.

Sometimes saying nothing is as telling as saying something. Silence can suggest retaining the status quo. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been silent about the international regulatory controls on cannabis since its inception in 1935. The past 80 years have brought dramatic advances in scientific knowledge about cannabis, so it is odd that it has not provided updated advice about its legal status. 

The Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) has received anapplication to allow the establishment of a large R&D facility to perform large-scale research into medicinal cannabis in the town of Kinrooi in the provence of Limburg. If this research facility can be established, it will generate approximately 500 to 800 new jobs.

The suppression of spasticity in MS patients or pain relief to cancer: the impact of medical cannabis in the year 2016 is undisputed. "Still, much more research is absolutely needed," says Joris Vanvinckenroye, founder of Royal Doctors.

Preliminary evidence suggests cannabis may be useful in the treatment of substance use disorders, possibly serving as an effective, but less harmful, substitute for pharmaceutical and recreational drugs, with more acceptable side effects. However, at least one expert is sceptical.

A new review suggests that rather than acting as a "gateway" to other, possibly more dangerous substances, there is an "emerging stream of research" suggesting that cannabis may serve as an "exit" drug, with the potential to facilitate a reduction in the use of other substances.

Emblem Cannabis Corporation, Canada's most anticipated licensed producer of medical marijuana with plans to go public before the end of the year, is now open for business, opening the door for patients across the country to now register and fulfil orders on its website.

For the past several months Emblem has been developing and growing a variety of strains and their phenotypes, with a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes and that catalogue of strains is expected to grow as cultivation space, and production expand substantially.

On November 16, 2016, Vice News published an article, "Veteran Medical Marijuana Benefits Are Costing Canada a Fortune", on the skyrocketing use and cost of medical cannabis among Canadian veterans. The article uncovered industry practices that artificially inflate pricing for veterans' medical cannabis as well as unethical referral arrangements between veteran clinics and licensed producers. 

MedReleaf, Canada's premium licensed producer of medical cannabis, today announced the findings from a landmark study on the effectiveness of medical cannabis on military veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The study found treatment with medical cannabis improved aggregate patient reported outcomes by 50-60% with a 77% decrease in suicidal thoughts as well as a 50% reduction in the consumption of related medications.  

The study, being presented today in Vancouver at the 7th Annual Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, was conducted by Dr. Paul Smith, MD, using several of MedReleaf's proprietary strains of medical cannabis including AviDekel, Luminarium and Midnight.