A group urging the Canadian government to wipe the criminal records of anyone convicted of marijuana possession is getting a boost from one of the world’s biggest producers of cannabis.

Aurora Cannabis announced Monday that it was donating $50,000 to the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty.

“This is something that we feel very passionate about,” Cam Battley, Aurora’s chief corporate officer, told CTV Toronto. “Canada’s doing the right thing by legalizing cannabis for consumer use and removing the criminal prohibitions. Now it’s time to clean the records.”

When the recreational cannabis market opens across Canada on Oct. 17 there will be a huge chunk of it missing.

Edible products — which are expected to represent more than 50 per cent of dollar value sales in pot purchases when they are legalized — will not be available for at least a year after smokable buds and oils hit the shelves.

But there will be no law stopping buyers from using combustible buds and oils to cook up their own eats.

“People will be free to smoke or bake with their purchases,” says Jo Vos, managing director of Leafly Canada, a cannabis information company that is tracking the legal changes closely.

There’s sure to be cookies, brownies, gummy bears and all that sweet, expected fare.

But the range of edible cannabis products that could be available to Canadians next year may well be on a Betty-Crocker scale.

Indeed, just about anything you can brew, stew, cook or chew could have cannabis content when edibles — and drinkables — join the legalized ranks of pot products in October 2019, a year after combustible products like marijuana buds and hash oils come onto the market.

“You’ll be able to infuse a steak,” says Will Hyde, a marijuana sommelier and a senior subject matter expert with Leafly Canada.

Experts give insights on crucial developments that will make the cannabis industry globally competitive and incredibly lucrative

October 2018 will give rise to numerous opportunities that could position Canada as a world leader. When it comes to key trends, experts highlight the top six.

1. Focal point: Consolidation between craft industries and large-scale LPs

Bruce Linton, Founder and CEO for Canopy Growth Corporation.

Many of our readers may be pleased about the soon-to-be legalization of marijuana. These same readers may find themselves feeling slightly relieved, as gone are the days where smoking pot also meant breaking the law. Right? Wrong.

Although cannabis is about to become legal in Canada, there are still many important legalities that must be borne in mind, or else you could find yourself in some hot water.

Province Brands of Canada, a premium adult beverage company, has raised over $15 million dollars since it launched its funding round in April 2018.

The Series A round of funding which closed on August 24, brought in $10.95 million raised by 91 investors.

A seed round in March brought in $4.1 million, and the company also entered into a strategic alliance agreement and share exchange with Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (formerly Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp.).

Province Brands is the first company in the world to brew beer from the cannabis plant. They have developed a patent-pending process to create alcohol-free yet intoxicating beverages with a dose-response curve similar to that of alcohol.

In all the great songs written about pot, from Bob Marley’s Kaya to John Prine’s Illegal Smile, none have ever dealt with the problem of there being too much weed.

As legalization looms on the Canadian horizon, suppliers concerned about not being able to meet initial demand are ramping up production capacity ahead of Oct. 17. (On a corporate earnings call this spring, Aphria CEO Vic Neufeld noted that “unless someone’s out there hiding 100,000 kilograms, we’re looking at a real shortfall.”)

Canadian pot stocks surged for a second straight session Monday amid speculation more alcohol companies will strike deals with marijuana growers as Canada marches closer to legalization.

Shares of Nanaimo, British Columbia-based Tilray Inc. jumped as much as 23 per cent to US$54.16, a record high, while peer Cronos Group Inc. soared 30 per cent on the Nasdaq, the biggest intraday gain since January. Aphria Inc. rose as much as 20 per cent in Toronto, while Aurora Cannabis increased 8.4 per cent.

An overlooked aspect of recreational cannabis legalization in Canada is the privacy implications of the distribution systems, especially in the online environment.

The privacy and security risks are substantial, and protecting the online rights of consumers needs more attention. Highly sensitive personal information will be exposed to the risks of redistribution and data breaches, and these risks are magnified if the data is stored or processed in the United States.

In the province of Ontario, the framework put in place by the former Liberal government has been dramatically changed by the new Doug Ford government. While the Liberal’s plan had its flaws, the problems will be exacerbated by the premier’s move to privatize retail sales.

The City of Calgary is looking at four potential public cannabis consumption sites and wants public feedback.

The sites are meant to address a legislative shortfall, where cannabis is legal but it's not allowed to be consumed in public, in condos and apartment buildings or in hotels. 

In short, unless you own a house or are a guest in someone's house, you're out of luck when it comes to partaking in legalized marijuana. 

Under Calgary legislation, a ward can be considered for a site only if it's requested by the local councillor. In this case, all four areas are in the ward of Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra, the only one of 14 council members to make a request.