The potential of the global cannabis industry is so vast that it could eventually make the sky-high valuations of some Canadian licensed producers look like bargains, according to a new report from Bank of Montreal.

In the report, the bank’s cannabis sector analysts, Tamy Chen and Peter Sklar, sought to determine just how big the total addressable market Canadian producers will be competing for in the coming years, one that doesn’t stop at Canada’s borders.

Ontario still has problems shipping pot

Now that the legal marijuana and global cannabis markets have exploded, a spotlight is shining bright on the cultivation and growing services segment of the industry, that includes Hydroponic systems and accessories. Hydroponically grown plants grow up to 50% faster and produce higher yields of better quality solution for growing plants in a nutrient-rich water base as opposed to soil. Leaders in the industry are aggressively marketing innovative equipment to cannabis cultivators, as well as opening storefronts across the country in legal states.

Now that cannabis has been legalized, it's hoped that the suspicion surrounding hemp production is on the way out with the general public.
 
In reality, agricultural organizations have no problem with hemp and would be happy to see more production as well as processing facilites.
 

48North Cannabis Corp.(TSXV:NRTH), one of the Canadian cannabis stocks, Tuesday announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire privately-held Good & Green in an all-stock transaction valued at C$18 million. Good & Green is an organic cannabis company that operates from a 46,000 square foot indoor facility situated on five acres of land in Brantford, Ontario. Good & Green has also applied for a cultivation license for its 100-acre farm in southwest Ontario, which is capable of producing at least 40,000 kg of dried cannabis, with production anticipated by the early spring of 2019.

Canada officially legalized marijuana on October 17, but Canadians across the country have had a tough time getting their hands on the product — legally, that is.

Patrick and Michael, 26, roommates in downtown Toronto, have had a somewhat typical post-legalization experience. (Their last names withheld because they purchased marijuana illegally.)

Cannabis lab manufacturer Linked Equipment and solvent recycling giant Maratek have announced a partnership to supply Canadian cannabis producers with fully-functional, portable processing facilities, enabling producers to enter the Canadian cannabis market quickly with superior products.

"Linked Equipment specializes in converting all-steel, intermodular shipping containers into state-of-the-art cannabis processing labs that meet stringent industry requirements and safety standards," said Mark Pike, President and founder of Linked Equipment. "We are proud to partner with one of the world's leading green companies in to deliver turnkey cannabis production facilities to the emerging Canadian market."

Kimberley was the first community in British Columbia to grant business licences to two medical marijuana dispensaries, Tamarack Dispensaries and Earth’s Own Naturals.

Now, Tamarack Cannabis Boutique will be the first retail cannabis store in the province to be granted a licence from the provincial government. They received it on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. And Earth’s Own will also be receiving their business licence, says owner Laurie Weitzel.

The process requires security screening and financial integrity checks, support from the local government or First Nation and a store inspection.

Regina's top cop says there's been no big increase in impaired driving now that it's legal to smoke cannabis, but more people are smoking in public. 

"We have seen a lot of consumption in public. We have not done any enforcement, we've done a lot of education and a lot of communication with regard to that," Evan Bray said. 

"I actually had a personal encounter with an individual the other day. It was a very positive one. The individual actually had a medical purpose for consumption and was able to show the documentation of that."

Bray said he hasn't seen an overall shift in how people behave.

He said some people caught smoking recreationally in public said they didn't know the rules, while others were willfully breaking them. 

Why is THC content shown twice? What's up with that stop sign logo? Your questions, answered.

So, you went down to the store and bought some legal cannabis. Congratulations!

Now, it's time to decode the mystery of Canada's legal cannabis packaging:

1. Colour

According to federal regulations, the exterior of cannabis packages must be one uniform colour. The inside can be a different colour.

2. Excise tax stamp