Medical marijuana producers in northern Ontario aren't yet sure they want to get into the recreational business.

The federal government announced plans last week to legalize marijuana by Canada Day 2018, but many of the details still need to be worked out.

Bob Bateman, part of a Sudbury company called 6-82 R-X, says has been waiting for years to get the green light from the federal government to start growing medical marijuana in a local industrial park.

He sees pot as the next natural resource to bring jobs to northern Ontario.

"There's more to the industry than just rolling smokes," Bateman said. "The real opportunity is in jobs and in technology. Much like the oil industry, there are hundreds of products."

As the federal government moves closer to legalizing the use of recreational marijuana, the debate is intensifying over the impact of driving while stoned.

One of Canada’s leading automotive journalists is suggesting the issue may be overblown.

David Booth, senior writer for Postmedia Driving, says he has not been able to find one study that definitively says the use of marijuana will increase the number of serious traffic accidents or fatalities.

He says he has looked at more than 20 scientific tests that included simulations and not one showed that drivers were unable to perform basic tasks behind the wheel.

In fact, Booth says the studies show that even “during emergency manoeuvres, there was no downside.”

Conservative leadership candidates are split over marijuana policy, with Kevin O’Leary the only serious contender voicing support for legalization and Maxime Bernier refusing to say whether he’ll vote in favour of the Liberal legislation to lift the prohibition on the recreational use of cannabis.

Mr. O’Leary said up to 30 per cent of the population uses the drug medicinally and recreationally, and he believes the Conservative party membership understands it has to embrace “a much larger constituency.”

The CEO of Hill and Gertner Capital first got involved in the marijuana industry in 2004 and now presides over upscale pot brand Tokyo Smoke.

Lorne Gertner understands the power of a label. “As things become commoditized, then brands and design becomes important,” he says.

Next month, thanks to entrepreneur and environmental activist Salimeh Tabrizi, M.Ed., more than 900 people will gather in Vancouver, B.C., to give thanks and offer protection to the cannabis plant.

By all accounts the future is certainly green in more ways than one. Many ‘potrepreneurs’ in the US aiming to cash in on the green rush are looking north to Canada.  With a medical marijuana program already in place, and legislation to legalize marijuana now on the table, it’s a market many people have set their sights on.

If a loved one is ill, it can be difficult to know exactly how to help them. This is especially true in the world of medical cannabis, which is a new, semi-taboo and largely unregulated industry. To provide the best care for your loved ones, there’s a bit of a learning curve. Here are 10 things caregivers should know about medical cannabis.

1. Not all cannabis produces a high

Some teens say their likelihood of using marijuana hasn’t changed since the Liberal government announced details of its legalization plan - though they say it’s made them more aware of information on both sides of the debate.

Government officials announced last week that cannabis would be made legal for recreational use by July 2018, and those aged 18 and over will be able to buy and grow a small amount of the drug for themselves.

But even as marijuana becomes more mainstream, several teens said their opinions about the drug have remained the same.

Julio Gonzales, 19, said he enjoys using marijuana in moderation, and he doesn’t expect that to change - even smoking pot feels less rebellious than it once did.

A prison sentence of up to 14 years for providing cannabis to youth is shaping up as one of the early points of contention as the Liberal government prepares to defend its landmark legislation to legalize recreational marijuana.

Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, makes clear in its opening passages that the main purpose of the legislation is to prevent young people from accessing cannabis.

Those opening statements are backed up with stiff penalties, including imprisonment for up to 14 years for providing marijuana to someone 17 or under.

Federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould defended that provision during an interview with CTV’s Question Period, which aired Sunday.

Last week, the federal government tabled long-awaited legislation to legalize and regulate non-medical cannabis use and supply in Canada. Under the proposed cannabis legalization plan, the provinces will be mandated and get to decide and design their respective cannabis retail distribution systems.

This is, by no means, a trivial responsibility. Rather, getting the design of retail models for cannabis right will be crucial for whether legalization will work for or against the paramount goal of furthering public health.