UBC is introducing Canada’s first ever professorship of cannabis science to investigate the potential role that pot-based research could play in the mitigation of the opioid crisis and other addictive disorders.

The two-year position is being created in partnership with the BC Centre on Substance Use, BC’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and Ontario-based medical cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp.

The professorship will investigate potential applications of cannabinoids as an immediate treatment for opioid addiction and potential substitutes to opioids in treating acute and chronic pain.

The North American Marijuana Index closed mixed on Monday, anchored by falling Canadian pot stocks following the passage of Bill C-45, the country’s cannabis legalization act, in the House of Commons. A milestone in the fight for prohibition reform, a looming battle with the Senate left the moment less than celebratory.

MPs rejected 13 of the nearly 50 amendments added onto the bill by the upper chamber, forcing it back to the Senate where members will have to decide whether or not to accept or reject the changes —with a possible rejection leading ultimately to the law being delayed.

Sandoz Canada today announced that it has finalized its collaboration agreement with Tilray, a Health Canada licensed producer of medical cannabis, allowing Sandoz Canada to become the first Canadian pharmaceutical company to enter the medical cannabis field. The alliance will support the rising interest in medical cannabis1 by providing patients with medical treatment options of stringent manufacturing standards that are adapted to their medical conditions, advocating for broader access to products, and increasing product innovation, research and education.

Terra Life Sciences shows the power of value-added processing in its cannabis cultivation facility and pharmaceutical plant.

Terra Life Sciences would look like any other manufacturing plant if not for the security guard parked out front.

He’s the gatekeeper here. You’ll find another one just like him at the other gate, checking in visitors, scrutinizing IDs, buzzing through the people who pass muster.

But these guards are just your first glimpse of the Fort Knox-style security system at the Olds-based pharmaceutical company. As you make your way through the greenhouse and manufacturing plant, you’ll see plenty more — hundreds of cameras lining the walls, passcodes on nearly every entryway, alarms that wail when you leave a door open a little too long.

When cannabis stores open across Canada later this year, it will look very different than in Colorado.

On a blustery New Year’s Day four years ago, throngs of people in toques and jackets lined up in parking lots and on sidewalks across Colorado waiting for the end of prohibition. At 8 a.m., more than two dozen marijuana dispensaries opened their doors for recreational sales. By the end of the first week of sales, locals and tourists alike had reportedly spent US$5 million on weed.

As Canada’s provinces get ready for the advent of legal recreational pot, many questions remain about Ontario’s plans to sell cannabis through a subsidiary of the LCBO. But there are no quick answers from the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp., which is responsible for both online sales and stores.

While Alberta’s premier says that province’s privately run stores will be ready and waiting for legalization, and New Brunswick’s provincial cannabis authority recently gave a tour of a store, Ontario is plodding along carefully and keeping a tight lid on information.

The government of Quebec has finalized their new cannabis legislation. With the new bill in place, Quebec residents can expect legal cannabis to be available by September, writes Calvin Hughes.

The fact has been cited again and again: racialized people are 

As cannabis legalization spreads across the North American continent, industry insiders and pot stock investors alike look to diversify their portfolios in the global marijuana trade.

With Canada on track to become the first G7 nation to legalize both recreational and medical cannabis nationally, overcrowding in the market is becoming an issue for stakeholders on all sides. It’s the reason why cannabis companies are starting to look for more opportunities internationally. These are the top four marijuana stocks with international expansion plans:

Beer brewed with marijuana, baking mixes concocted to bring out the unique flavours of cannabis oil and good, old-fashioned pot cookies: Canadian companies are creating them all, but it’s unclear when stores will legally be able to stock the edibles for recreational users. Instead, business owners have been getting creative to manufacture, refine and sell their products.

Ottawa has pledged that recreational marijuana will become legal sometime this year and the Senate recently approved the pot legalization bill. But the federal government has said the sale of edible cannabis products will not be legal immediately. That hasn’t stopped Canadian companies for entering the market.