Leida Englar’s earrings match her sweatpants and her lips are painted red. In the 70s, at the height of Reefer Madness, the police were searching Toronto Island for Keith Richards, and her community had her back.

“Leida, Leida, the cops are searching the island. You OK?” recalls Englar, who grew, and still grows, stalks of marijuana high as the head of the Rolling Stones’ guitarist in her backyard. “Police were busting the bands, but people protected us weed smokers — even the Island cops.”

A former Surrey B.C. councillor is heading a new co-op venture to bring people licensed to grow their own medical marijuana into a co-op to supply the legal cannabis market.

Barinder Rasode is CEO of the venture, a partnership with Grow Tech Labs (GTL) and Victory Square Technologies based in Vancouver. With supply shortages across the country since Canada legalized recreational cannabis last fall, the company hopes to step up to the national and international markets.

The B.C. Small Cannabis Producer and Processor Co-op is planning to incorporate under provincial co-operative legislation to “help maintain the province’s historic position as a global cannabis leader,” the company announced Tuesday.

News that the Israeli government had finally approved the export of cannabis products from the local growers stirred the country’s listed stocks strongly on Sunday, as investors priced in the latest developments and traders took profit. Some Canadian marijuana firms stand to significantly benefit from the opening of one of the oldest pot research markets.

Two of the biggest Canadian beneficiary firms from the latest development in Israel are Cronos Group(TSX:CRON)(NASDAQ:CRON) and Namaste Technologies(TSX:N), and here’s why.

Where’s the weed!?

That’s been a common Canadian refrain lately. Shortages appeared almost immediately after recreational cannabis sales began last October.

Piper Jaffray analysts re-rated Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) on Friday and raised its stock price target from US$40 to US$60. The company believes the near-term prospects of the legalized marijuana market in North America justify the new valuation.

A 50% rise in the target price from one of the most well-known and prestigious Wall Street investment banks is a big deal. Canopy’s stock popped by as much as 10% on the news. Now, the stock trades at US$48.5, indicating upside of nearly 20%.

Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada for nearly two decades, and yet much needed clinical research has been hampered by regulatory obstacles to plant access. Now that legal recreational marijuana is on the horizon in 2018, there is much hope that those obstacles will fade into the background as a new era in cannabis research emerges.

Although marijuana stocks delivered a subpar year in 2018, the cannabis movement as a whole didn't disappoint. Our neighbor to the north, Canada, wound up legalizing recreational marijuana, thereby ending nine decades of prohibition and opening the curtain to billions of dollars in added annual sales. More importantly, it signified to the world that cannabis was no longer a taboo topic. Rather, it's a legitimate industry where investors have an opportunity to make money.

When cannabis became legal, there was a lot of information for youth and families, but not very much for seniors, says Sharon Livingtsone.

It's why the Cambridge Council on Aging will host an expert panel on how to safely use cannabis if you're an older adult.

Those interested can register for the panel, which aims to look at the risks and benefits of adding medicinal or recreational cannabis to a person's list of medications. There will be time set aside for questions from the audience.

Organigram reports 419% surge in first-quarter revenue

Island health officials are flagging what they say is a concerning trend among teenagers: More and more are inhaling large amounts of weed and tobacco mixed together and smoked using a bong, often referred to as taking hits of "poppers."

Health PEI says its addictions counsellors have started hearing more about poppers, as have staff in some juniors highs and high schools. 

"Two years ago, we probably wouldn't have seen much use of that. But recently, we have seen a significant increase," said Lisa Thibeau, the administrator of Addictions East with Health PEI.