A recent study done by a group of academics and a prominent Canadian criminologist has found that organized crime’s involvement in the illegal Canadian marijuana trade, has been overblown by authorities.  This ‘duh no kidding’ moment that most pot lovers in Canada have known for many years shows that law-abiding citizens run the majority of illegal grow-ops across the nation.

A small grow operation using recycled coffee bean bags by Allie Beckett

The federal government said Thursday that it will allow medical marijuana patients to grow their own pot, a move viewed as a band-aid solution before broader legislation is introduced next year.

The decision creates uncertainty for Canada’s licensed medical marijuana producers, who are currently the only legal source of medical pot. However, it is not viewed as a game-changer for them, and some even see it as a business opportunity. Most stock prices in the pot sector declined on Thursday, but only modestly.

Health Canada announced that beginning Aug. 24, patients will be allowed to produce a “limited amount” of cannabis for their own purposes, or designate someone to grow it for them.

Canadians who use cannabis for medical purposes will soon be able to grow their own weed under new rules outlined by the federal government on Thursday. But a licensed producer based in Smiths Falls, Ont., isn't worried about having to fend off competition from medical marijuana users intent on producing their own plants. 

"People could decide to grow their own," said Bruce Linton, founder and CEO of Tweed. "But they prefer to buy from a lawful, properly produced, safe supplier." 

US prodco Civilized has appointed former Cineflix Media and PPI Releasing executives to head up its studio specialising in cannabis-themed content.

Brandon Killion

Brandon Killion and Katie Labrie have both been named as exec VP of Civilized Studios and will be tasked with leading the company’s productions for its website Civilized.life.

Civilized was founded in 2015 to target recreational cannabis users. Its website features in-depth interviews with celebrities and those involved in cannabis legislature, as well as pop culture updates, trending news and entertainment.

Killion began his TV career with Thom Beers’ Original Productions in 2004, overseeing series such as History’s Ice Road Truckers and A&E’s American Hoggers.

OTTAWA — Before proceeding with its pot-legalization agenda next spring, the Liberal government is promising to tackle the issue of drug-impaired driving, which bureaucrats say could spike considerably if marijuana becomes legal.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould was warned by officials in January of the risks, a classified briefing document obtained by The Canadian Press shows.

“The legalization of marijuana could lead to a significant increase in drug-impaired driving cases,” the memorandum reads.

Bureaucrats say there is limited data as only two jurisdictions in the United States have legalized marijuana: Colorado and Washington.

"Just as we treat a glass of wine with dinner, this is how I'm treating cannabis—as an accent to the meal."

That's Chris Sayegh describing his approach to cooking. The Los Angeles chef prepares elaborate multicourse dinner menus, with foie gras custard, citrus-cured salmon, and pomegranate sorbet—all infused with cannabis extracts.

Sayegh calls himself "The Herbal Chef," which is, obviously, THC for short. "Everything is subtle," he says, describing his use of weed as if it were thyme. "That way, you can enjoy the entirety of the meal without getting overwhelmed."

As long as athletes don’t show up stoned at competition, it’s all good, right?

This year’s Olympic games has been more stressful than most amid  athletes dropping out over concerns of Zika virus and Russia’s doping scandal that has banned some of their competitors.

Despite a Supreme Court of Canada decision that gives sick Canadians the right to use medical cannabis oils, Ottawa is reimbursing the country’s veterans for dried pot only, potentially pushing them to less healthy options of smoking or vaporizing the drug.

That has prompted a group of commercial medical marijuana growers to urge Ottawa to expand medical marijuana coverage for former soldiers – a small but lucrative patient base for Canada’s two dozen licensed producers – to include the ingestible oils.

Jordan Chambers dropped in to the Weeds marijuana dispensary on Montreal Road recently and bought a package of cannabis-infused chocolate turtles and two coconut dreamy bars.

“I think this is great,” she said of the dispensary, whose display cases are stuffed with jars of dried weed and packages of cookies, brownies and candy. Staff warned her not to eat the treats in one sitting, because they are potent. 

The federal government has warned that the marijuana products sold at illegal dispensaries such as Weeds are unregulated and could be unsafe.