Since co-founding the Green Organic Dutchman, a medical cannabis producer based in Ancaster, Ont., Jeannette VanderMarel says she has often found herself the only woman in a room full of men.

"There seems to be, at times, a bit of condescension," says VanderMarel, a former nurse who delved into the medical marijuana sector after losing her daughter in 2003 to Dravet syndrome, or uncontrollable seizure disorder.

Her experience as a woman in the young, fast-growing industry is not uncommon.

Women are under-represented in the boardrooms of corporate Canada, holding just 12 per cent of board seats at 677 TSX-listed companies analyzed by provincial regulators last year. But the disparity is larger in the medical marijuana business.

An East Ladner greenhouse operation plans to get into the large scale production of marijuana.

Village Farms International today announced it has formed a joint venture with Emerald Health Therapeutics, a B.C.-based licensed producer of medical cannabis, for the purpose of producing, cultivating and distributing wholesale cannabis and cannabis extracts for medical purposes. Also, if permitted by law, the operation plans to grow pot for “non-therapeutic” purposes.

Village Farms is initially contributing 25 acres of their greenhouse facility on Highway 10 for cannabis production. The joint venture also outlines an option to lease or purchase an additional 85 acres.

Canadian marijuana stocks have been on a punishing slide for three straight months despite a temporary blip of investor fever in April that sent share prices soaring to record highs as Ottawa tabled legislation to legalize pot.

David Brown talks with Marc Wayne about his company's plans for the future, and how the medical market will play out in the face of a recreational market.

Marc Wayne, President of Canopy Health Innovations, says Canada is entering a golden age in cannabis research, as access to supply and interest from the public and private sector increases. While much of the attention is currently on the future economic potential of a recreational cannabis market, Wayne says he sees an enormous amount of potential in the medical sector as well. Access to a well-regulated supply of consistent product allowing for more clinical research and more confidence in the medical sector will mean significant advances in cannabis science, with Canada at the forefront.

Oil extraction is becoming a strength for Aurora Cannabis (TSXV:ACB), says Canaccord Genuity analyst Neil Maruoka. 

This morning, Aurora Cannabis and Radient Technologies announced what it described as positive results from a research joint venture into extraction. The companies say the results have led them to pursue commercialization. 

The marijuana sector’s first streaming company Cannabis Wheaton Income Corp., which came roaring onto the marijuana scene a month ago, has cancelled an $80 million financing deal with investment banks that also have stakes in the company.

Cannabis Wheaton, which provides seed money to marijuana producers in exchange for a slice of future production, said in a statement Monday that ending the deal was a mutual decision between the royalty company and its lead financing agents Eight Capital and Canaccord Genuity Corp. It did not give a specific reason but alluded to damaging reports about the agreement.

Dr. Eileen de Villa urges Ottawa to immediately decriminalize possession of recreational marijuana until legislation to legalize it comes into force in July 2018.

Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health wants Ottawa to immediately decriminalize possession of recreational pot until legislation to legalize and regulate cannabis comes into force in July 2018.

“Given that cannabis possession will soon be lawful in Canada, it is recommended that the Board of Health urge the federal government to immediately decriminalize the possession of non-medical cannabis for personal use,” says a new report by Dr. Eileen de Villa.

Timing is everything…

This phrase can be applied to an infinite number of situations but today we want to focus on Horizons Medical Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (HMMJ.TO: TSX) (HMLSF: OTC).

When it comes to investing, timing and selectivity are two major keys for success. Although this is especially true for marijuana stocks, the ETF missed the mark…badly.  

From a timing standpoint, the ETF could not have launched at a worse time as marijuana stocks were trading near their 52-week highs and it is down more than 15% since it started trading. 

Uruguay‘s envoy to Ottawa says his small South American country has opened up some breathing room for marijuana legalization within international treaties that have outlawed recreational pot for decades.

Ambassador Martin Vidal credits his country, the first to legalize recreational cannabis at a national level, as something of a trailblazer for countries like Canada that are planning to embark on the same path.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (the "Company" or "Aurora") (TSXV: ACB) (OTCQX: ACBFF) (Frankfurt: 21P; WKN: A1C4WM) and Radient Technologies ("Radient") (TSX-V: RTI) are pleased to announce the successful completion of their Joint Venture Research Activity ("JV"), confirming the effectiveness of Radient's proprietary MAP^TM Technology and associated continuous flow design for extracting cannabinoids from dried cannabis.