In a situation that speaks volumes as to how the U.S. is perceived in Canada, we have on one hand the U.S. threatening Canadian cannabis industry workers with not being able to enter its borders again. And on the other hand, we have Canadian residents and pot professionals that seem to be totally okay with that.

The B.C. area expects to have all pot positions necessary for a thriving industry filled and in place by the October 17 deadline, when cannabis becomes officially legal in Canada. The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch said it is on target with jobs and the B.C. Government Employees Union said members have not reported hesitation at filling said marijuana jobs.

 Vitalis Extraction Technology, one of the largest supercritical CO2 extraction equipment manufacturers serving the international cannabis industry, recently claimed the title as Canada’s first and only American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) BPV certified extraction original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the cannabis industry.

September was an exciting month for the cannabis industry, as companies scrambled to grab a slice of the potential $4.3B legal market that is poised to open up in Canada on October 17, 2018. Interestingly, the big players in the industry, namely Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX:WEED), did not perform as well as some of the smaller cannabis companies in the month of September.

With recreational marijuana legalization nearly two weeks away, Canada's largest airline has barred some of its employees from consuming cannabis, even when they're off-duty.

Air Canada announced Friday that pilots, cabin crew, flight dispatchers and aircraft maintenance workers won't be able to smoke weed whether they're on or off duty.

The policy applies to "safety-critical" areas, where impairment would present an obvious issue for the airline.

But for companies where public safety is not at risk from cannabis consumption, can employers still dictate what their workers do in their private lives?

Once the federal government legalizes recreational cannabis on Oct. 17, it’ll be legal for Canadians to fly anywhere in the country with up to 30 grams of cannabis in their luggage — be it checked or carry-on bags — according to Transport Canada. However, it’ll remain illegal to ship any amount of cannabis on a flight across the Canadian border, even if it’s part of a medical prescription.

How this will all play out in the security line at Canadian airports remains to be seen. Christine Langlois, a spokesperson with the Canadian Air Transport Safety Authority — which oversees security checks at airports — said it’s still working on how to adjust its protocols. “We expect to finalize our procedures in the coming days,” Langlois said in a statement.

Canada’s national legalization of marijuana has put it at odds with the United States where, despite growing state-level legalization, marijuana remains strictly illegal at the federal level. It was inevitable that the different approaches to marijuana would create friction between the two countries. It appears increasingly likely that this friction will be felt most acutely at the border.

Medavie Blue Cross is adding medical cannabis coverage to its benefits provision.

The extended health-care benefit will be optional, standalone coverage for plan sponsors, providing reimbursement for fresh and dried cannabis, as well as cannabis oil. Plan sponsors will have the option of an annual maximum coverage amount. 

Coverage will be considered for conditions based on Canadian family physician guidelines, including for patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain, refractory pain in palliative cancer care, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy and spasticity in multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.

To be eligible for reimbursement, plan members will have to be pre-authorized, noted the release.

Cannabis-infused drinks have been seen as a potential growth area for soda and spirits companies that have had trouble boosting sales.

PepsiCo on Tuesday joined the growing list of big companies to confirm potential interest in making drinks with cannabis.

Hugh Johnston, chief financial officer of the soda and snacks giant, acknowledged the company's interest in an interview with CNBC. "We will look at it very critically," Johnston said of cannabis on an interview with CNBC. "But I am not prepared to share any plans that we may have in the space right now."

On September 26, 2018 Attorney General and the Minister of Finance released highly anticipated information regarding the proposed legislation on private cannabis retail store ownership. The legislation is expected to be released this morning with regulations to follow.

CFN Media Group ("CFN Media"), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, announces publication of an article discussing the licensing agreement that 48North Cannabis Corp (TSX-V:NRTH) has entered with Mother & Clone Inc.