Here are some facts about cannabis for medical use, which is generating increasingly widespread health claims, despite what experts call a lack of supportive scientific evidence:

— Medicinal cannabis has been legal in Canada under certain conditions since 2001. By the end of March, almost 297,000 Canadians had registered to purchase medical marijuana from licensed producers, representing a more than 20-fold jump since 2014.

— Health claims are not permitted for any products sold under the Cannabis Act. Health Canada says a licensed producer who wishes to make a health claim in relation to a product must seek approval under the Food and Drugs Act.

Indiva, London’s first medical-cannabis producer, has been granted a federal licence and is already looking ahead to opening a retail store in the city.

In anticipation of receiving its licence from Health Canada, Indiva began construction of a major expansion of its plant in an industrial park in south London.

Indiva, London’s first medical-cannabis producer, has been granted a federal licence and is already looking ahead to opening a retail store in the city.

In anticipation of receiving its licence from Health Canada, Indiva began construction of a major expansion of its plant in an industrial park in south London.

ndiva CEO Niel Marotta said the company should be sending out it first orders to patients through its website later this year.

WeedMD Inc. (CVE:WMD) and Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) announced Wednesday they have signed a joint agreement to develop and operate Cannabis Beverages Inc. at WeedMD’s greenhouse facility in Strathroy, Ontario.

The joint venture will be focused on product development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of cannabis-infused beverages for Canada and export to licensed international markets.

Buried dozens of pages deep in the Progressive Conservative government's Budget Implementation and Tax Statutes Amendment Act is a provincial sales tax exemption for recreational cannabis.

There will still be a series of fees and markups associated with the sale of legal marijuana, but an eight per cent sales tax isn't one of them.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries will charge retailers 75 cents per gram plus nine per cent to the retailers for managing the distribution of marijuana from growers to sellers.

Retailers will also pay six per cent of their revenues as a social responsibility fee to the government .

Owners of illegal pot dispensaries in Ottawa are welcoming the shift in the province's approach to retail cannabis sales, but say they're facing a serious dilemma in their quest for legitimacy.

Under the plan announced Monday, the province will handle online sales of marijuana when it's made legal Oct. 17, but private retailers will be allowed to sell the drug directly to customers beginning next April.

"[Overall] it's positive news," said Benoit-Claude Briand-Turpin, a volunteer at Cannabliss, one of more than a dozen illegal pot shops operating in Ottawa.

In February, CBC News counted 17 of the dispensaries operating in the city, but it's believed some have closed or relocated since, while others have opened.

The Second Cup Ltd. says it is actively reviewing locations in Ontario for potential conversion to cannabis retail stores in light of policy changes in the province.

The company's announcement comes after Ontario's Progressive Conservative government said it would allow private retailers to sell recreational marijuana starting next April.

Second Cup had announced a partnership with marijuana clinic operator National Access Cannabis in April to potentially convert coffee shops to retail stores under the brand Meta Cannabis Supply Co.

At the time, the companies said they were focused on Western Canada, as Ontario had planned to sell cannabis through provincial liquor commissions, in line with policies in Quebec and several Atlantic provinces.

Shatter, budder and other cannabis concentrates that can be consumed using small, portable vaporizers have become very popular in legal states. In Canada, however, vapes won't be part of the legal framework come October 17 because the Canadian government is concerned about their impact on public health and safety.

Hemp producers across Western Canada will potentially gain access to lucrative new markets thanks to changes for this year’s harvest.

For the first time, hemp growers are allowed to harvest their plants’ buds, leaves and flowers, after receiving an exemption from Health Canada.

The market opportunities will be significant, said Ted Haney, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance.

“It is the beginning of a new and significant and important source of income to the industrial hemp sector. Absolutely no question about that,” he said.

Canadian marijuana stocks rallied on Wednesday morning after Constellation Brands announced that it had struck a deal to invest $5-billion in Canopy Growth Corp., boosting investor confidence that the nascent marijuana sector is attractive to blue-chip consumer brands.

Canopy shares surged 32 per cent in early trading, taking the stock to $42.37 in Toronto, up $10.26.

Constellation Brands Inc., the US$39-billion U.S.-based beer, wine and spirits producer, said that it would buy 104.5 million Canopy shares priced at $48.60 each, marking a significant premium over Tuesday’s closing price of $32.15.

Province Brands of Canada — the Canadian company developing a suite of premium non-alcoholic, cannabis-powered beers and spirits including the world's first beer brewed from the cannabis plant — has announced the closing of its Series A round of funding with $10.95-million raised by 91 accredited investors. Province Brands of Canada initiated this funding round in April of 2018, and its closing brings the total funding raised by the company since its launch to more than $15-million.