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Joshua Cook lives in North Carolina, although he hails from South Carolina. In 2006 he enlisted with the Army National Guard and served as a military policeman in Iraq.
Arthritis Society offers guide for medical marijuana - The Arthritis Society has released a how-to guide for navigating Canada’s changing landscape surrounding.
Legalizing marijuana won't be easy for Trudeau, says Colorado regulator - A Colorado official has some sobering words of advice for prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau if he fulfils his promise to legalize pot in Canada. October 26, 2015 How legalized marijuana could change Canadian cities - For more than two decades, Marc-Boris St-Maurice has been fighting for the legalization of marijuana. Now, that dream appears closer than ever to becoming a reality, with prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau making a promise to legalize and regulate pot a key tenet in his party platform. October 22, 2015 Canadian Marijuana Stocks Leap On Trudeau Victory - Incoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vow to start legalizing marijuana “right away” hasn’t gone unnoticed by the markets. Canadian marijuana stocks leaped Tuesday morning after Trudeau’s decisive victory over Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. October 21, 2015 Epilepsy Association of Calgary - Courses and seminars are offered throughout the year and are open to all interested persons. Course topics are selected to accommodate participant interest and/or need. Each course utilizes the latest information available, making use of various formats, including guest speakers, panel presentations and workshops supplemented by films, videos, printed information, discussion and question/answer forums. October 20, 2015 Marijuana legalization urged for open debate - Legalizing and regulating marijuana would help – not hurt – young people who suffer from mental illness or use the drug to self-medicate, say psychiatrists and addiction experts, who argue that is the only way for the public to have an open dialogue on the harms associated with the illegal drug. October 13, 2015 Researchers urge medical marijuana over opioids to treat neuropathic pain - Canadian doctors should use medical marijuana instead of frequently abused opioids to treat patients with neuropathic pain and a host of other conditions cannabis has been proven to combat, Vancouver-based HIV/AIDS researchers argue in a newly published editorial. October 9, 2015 Abbotsford runs pot shops out of town while Vancouver regulates - The city of Abbotsford is weeding out pot shops, while Vancouver moves to apply sweeping licensing and regulatory changes to limit medical marijuana dispensaries to 15 or 20. October 9, 2015 Medical marijuana policies under fire by top B.C. doctors - Medical marijuana could cut down on the use of addictive painkillers according to a new paper in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, but some of Vancouver's best known researchers say reluctant doctors and a confused federal government are failing to act. October 9, 2015 Medical Marijuana Can Be A Huge Help For People In Pain -- With A Few Stipulations - People who experience chronic pain can go for years without relief, jumping from one medication to the next without necessarily relieving any of their symptoms. October 2, 2015 Trudeau pledges to work on pot legalization policy 'right away' if elected - Justin Trudeau says a Liberal government would get to work "right away" on a policy to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana, but won't commit to a timeline for legalization. "We don't yet know exactly what rate we're going to be taxing it, how we're going to control it, or whether it will happen in the first months, within the first year, or whether it's going to take a year or two to kick in," Trudeau said on Wednesday night in Surrey, B.C. October 2, 2015 Medical marijuana seems to safely help chronic pain patients: study - TORONTO -- Medical cannabis appears to be reasonably safe as well as effective in helping to relieve chronic pain -- at least in patients who have previously used the drug, a study has found September 30, 2015 Photo GalleriesCanada Votes Vote Compass: Majority of Canadians support softer marijuana laws - A majority of Canadians are in favour of either decriminalizing or legalizing personal marijuana use, according to the latest findings of Vote Compass, CBC's voter-engagement survey. September 30, 2015 B.C.'s local governments vote for power over pot shops - VANCOUVER -- Local governments in British Columbia have declared they have the authority to licence medical marijuana dispensaries, defying the federal government's opposition to regulation of the illegal stores. September 28, 2015 Medical pot study to begin at local clinic - A new study launching in November in three Canadian clinics, including one in Abbotsford, aims to address a shortfall in data and knowledge about the actual effects of medical marijuana on the patients who use it. September 28, 2015 Liberals will not count revenue from proposed marijuana tax in fiscal platform - The Liberal Party’s platform will not count on a single dollar of new revenue from legalizing marijuana even though some estimates suggest that Ottawa could rake in billions from taxing pot in a similar way to alcohol and tobacco. September 25, 2015 U.S. lawyer urges changes to Canada’s pot laws - VANCOUVER – Vancouver is poised to push forward the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, says a lawyer who helped spearhead a successful pro-pot campaign in Washington state. September 23, 2015 Marijuana prohibition can do more harm than good, doctors tell federal parties - If Canada's new government chooses to legalize marijuana beyond medical use then it should get into the business of controlling its supply and sale to prevent the rise of a "Big Cannabis," addiction specialists say. September 21, 2015 Tweed Marijuana Inc. Renamed Canopy Growth Corporation - SMITHS FALLS, ON, Sept. 21, 2015 /CNW/ - At its recent Annual General Meeting, Tweed Marijuana Inc. shareholders voted in favour of changing the company's trading and corporate name to Canopy Growth Corporation ("CGC" or the "Company"). The TSX Venture Exchange has also approved the name change, and trading will commence under the new name and ticker symbol CGC on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015. Tweed.com and Bedrocan.ca will continue to be the brands visible to the consumer market. September 21, 2015 Alberta girl denied marijuana for epilepsy gets help in St. Catharines - An Alberta mother whose daughter has severe epilepsy has travelled to St. Catharines, Ont. for a medical marijuana prescription after the girl's doctor said he was no longer allowed to provide permission to purchase the product. September 15, 2015 http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Cannabis+kids+seminar+Richmond+aims+help+parents+kids+with+autism+epilepsy/11359905/story.html - VANCOUVER — Kim Turkington’s five-year-old daughter Ella was so heavily medicated for seizures last year, she slept most of the day, her waking hours spent in a deep state of melancholy. September 14, 2015 Election could change government's direction on medical pot - TORONTO -- Medical marijuana producers are bracing for the possibility that Canadians could elect a new government this fall -- a change that could accelerate the already breakneck pace of growth in the burgeoning industry and usher in new players such as tobacco companies and pharmacy chains. September 14, 2015 Health Canada warns RCMP may act if pot dispensaries remain open - Health Canada has sent out cease-and-desist letters to 13 illegal marijuana dispensaries and compassion clubs across the country, warning the RCMP could raid them if they do not shut down immediately, even those in cities where local police have mostly tolerated them. September 11, 2015 CRA says you can claim medical marijuana on your taxes - The Canada Revenue Agency has confirmed that it will allow the costs of medical marijuana purchased from a licensed producer as a medical expense despite the fact that the Income Tax Act does not as yet recognize the enabling legislation. September 10, 2015 Brent Zettl of Prairie Plant Systems takes run at Saskatoon pot dispensary - It's not that Brent Zettl thinks there's no place for a medical marijuana dispensary in Saskatoon. September 8, 2015 Committeess at city hall in Saskatoon face weighty agendas. - Policy committee members at city hall in Saskatoon will have to shake off the Labour Day cobwebs and get down to business with a number of pressing issues. September 8, 2015 Chilliwack city council forced to allow medical marijuana on ALR land - Corn, hay, cranberries, sure, but prime farmland in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in the Fraser Valley is no place to grow marijuana. That was the position of Chilliwack city council two years ago with regard to medical marijuana grow operations (MMGOs), but now the provincial government has ordered the city to allow exactly that. September 3, 2015 Arthritis Society offers guide for medical marijuana - The Arthritis Society has released a how-to guide for navigating Canada’s changing landscape surrounding medical marijuana. The national patient advocacy and research organization created “Medical Cannabis: A guide to access” and explanatory videos to help people with arthritis. Although illegal marijuana shops can be found all over Vancouver, the guidelines advise patients to stick with the federally sanctioned system, which includes a doctor’s approval and licensed mail-order suppliers. September 2, 2015 Health Canada will actively monitor for marijuana advertising violators - Health Minister Rona Ambrose ordered a crackdown on groups that illegally advertise marijuana and re-stated the Conservative party's pledge to keep storefront dispensaries illegal Saturday on the eve of the expected launch of a federal election campaign. "Today I directed Health Canada to create a task force to crack down on illegal marijuana advertising," Ambrose said in a statement. September 1, 2015 Alberta mother fights to keep child on marijuana treatment that quells seizures - An Edmonton-area mother is challenging an attempt by the Alberta government to legally bar her four-year-old daughter from receiving a marijuana treatment the mother says has successfully quelled her daughter's debilitating epileptic seizures. "I feel violated and bullied to take away the one thing that gives her a life," the mother told CBC News. Neither she nor her daughter can be identified under a provincial law that forbids the identification of any child involved with Alberta Child and Family Services. August 31, 2015 Marijuana classification muddled and confused, says UBC expert - When the product’s called Atomic Haze, you might expect a description of its contents to be rather fuzzy — and a team of Canadian scientists has found just that. “The genetics of cannabis are muddled at this point and we need to spend some time doing research to figure that out,” says Jonathan Page, a University of B.C. botanist who co-wrote a study published Wednesday in the online journal PLOS One. “There’s a lot of confusion and a lot of chaos in the system now.” August 27, 2015 Botanists conduct first large-scale genetic study of marijuana, hemp - A study by Canadian researchers is providing a clearer picture of the evolutionary history and genetic organization of cannabis, a step that could have agricultural, medical and legal implications for this valuable crop. “Even though hemp and marijuana are important crops, knowledge about cannabis is lacking because of its status as a controlled drug,” said Jonathan Page, a University of British Columbia botanist who co-led the first large-scale study of the genetic diversity of cannabis. The research was conducted together with Sean Myles, a population geneticist at Dalhousie University. August 27, 2015 Medical marijuana boosts natural pest control business - When Sarah Stuive first got into the natural pest control business — which uses predatory insects, or "good bugs," to weed out pests — she never expected to be working with cannabis plants. But thanks to Health Canada regulations that limit the use of chemical pesticides on medical marijuana in order to make sure the plants are safe for consumption, the biological control specialist says she's seeing an uptick in business. August 24, 2015 Musquodoboit veteran endures 3-month delay for marijuana prescription - After three months of frustration and delays, a Royal Canadian Navy veteran living in Middle Musquodoboit will only have to wait a few more days for his pain medication. Keith Mullin was injured in 1984 while serving aboard HMCS Saguenay. He fell four metres onto a wooden crate, bending his spine backwards and damaging vertebrae. Since the incident, Mullin has had chronic neck, back and leg pain. August 21, 2015 Majority of Canadians support decriminalizing marijuana: poll - More Canadians than ever support decriminalizing marijuana, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News. Ipsos found 65 per cent of Canadians (29 per cent strongly/36 per cent somewhat) support the decriminalization of marijuana so that possession of small amounts would no longer carry a penalty or fine. Conversely, 35 per cent of people oppose (18 per cent strongly/17 per cent somewhat) decriminalization. August 19, 2015 Vancouver marijuana storefronts blamed for licensed producers falling short of expectations - Canada’s legal medicinal-marijuana suppliers are struggling, and part of the reason why is Vancouver’s illegal cannabis storefronts. “There is no question it has been a challenge,” Tilray CEO Greg Engel said in a telephone interview. “The proliferation of illegal dispensaries has had a significant impact.” August 13, 2015 Medical marijuana stigma still a hurdle, says cancer patient - It was just one year ago that Gaston Miron was living a healthy life — an avid cyclist and kayaker raising three small girls along with his wife in their home in central Alberta. August 10, 2015 Winnipeg police arrest owner and patient at medical marijuana dispensary - Glenn Price, the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary on Main Street, has been arrested, along with his wife and a patient who was using the dispensary. The trio were arrested Tuesday morning, according to a staff member at Your Medical Cannabis Headquarters. August 5, 2015 Insurance coverage for medical marijuana on the horizon, industry experts say - Canadians who have been prescribed medical marijuana could one day see their insurance company footing the bill, experts predict, following the introduction of new Health Canada rules that allow for the sale of cannabis oils. Health Canada announced revamped medical marijuana regulations earlier this month after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that users of the drug should be permitted to consume it in other forms, such as oils and edibles, rather than having to smoke dried buds. July 27, 2015 Allard Dismissal a Challenge to Medical Cannabis in Canada - A motion to vary the injunction in the matter of Allard et al. v. HMTQ has been dismissed by Justice Michael L. Phelan. The Federal Court’s decision is surely to encourage outcry from patients who need medical cannabis in Canada. July 21, 2015 Calgary woman fights hospital policy denying daughter medical marijuana - A Calgary woman says the normal, happy life of her nine-year-old daughter is in jeopardy following a decision to discontinue the girl’s medicinal marijuana treatment. Sarah Wilkinson says her daughter Mia suffered frequent, severe epileptic seizures throughout the early years of her life. July 16, 2015 Dalhousie researcher investigates use of marijuana for arthritis pain - A Dalhousie University researcher is hoping to find out if medical marijuana can help repair arthritic joints and relieve pain. Dr. Jason McDougall, a professor in the department of pharmacology and anesthesia at the Halifax university, is using a three-year research grant from the Arthritis Society to study how cannabis compounds can manage arthritis pain. July 8, 2015 Marijuana industry flourishing amidst Tories’ war on pot - As the Conservative government’s champion in the war on pot, Health Minister Rona Ambrose has taken some heavy blows and faces the prospect of more. Ms. Ambrose was “outraged” in early June when the Supreme Court ruled that legal medical-marijuana users would be permitted to eat the drug as well as smoke it. She was “deeply disappointed” last week when Vancouver said it would regulate marijuana dispensaries, most of which obtain their supply from unauthorized sources. July 3, 2015 Mayor John Tory supports decriminalizing marijuana - Toronto Mayor John Tory (open John Tory's policard) on Monday reiterated his support for cannabis decriminalization as a “positive step forward for Canada” though there are no immediate plans to follow Vancouver’s lead to regulate how pot is sold. June 30, 2015 Medical marijuana patients, producers waiting on Health Canada OK for extracts - Medical marijuana patients in Canada may no longer worry about getting arrested for using cannabis oils or drinking cannabis tea, but they've still got a long way to go until they can purchase high-quality medicinal-grade cannabis extracts from licensed producers. The Supreme Court of Canada ruling this month struck down sections of the Criminal Code banning the use of non-dried forms of medical cannabis, allowing patients to use extracts and edibles — things like oils, tea and creams. June 26, 2015 Council votes to make Vancouver the first Canadian city to regulate storefront medicinal marijuana sales - n a 8-3 vote that split along party lines, councillors adopted a legal framework that consists of a new class of business licence plus regulations that will govern the operations of cannabis dispensaries. The rules will affect more than 85 marijuana storefronts that have conducted their business outside of zoning regulations. While their operations remain illegal under federal law, shop owners will now have to adhere to city bylaws that address matters such as where cannabis stores can set be up and what sorts of products they can sell. June 24, 2015 Common-sense rules on medical marijuana - On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down an appeal by the federal government to maintain the nonsensical status quo with regards to medical marijuana. The rules had stipulated that medical marijuana could only be possessed and consumed in its dried form, which meant chronically ill users were essentially restricted to smoking it. This made no sense whatsoever; a terminal lung cancer patient with a license to use medical marijuana, for example, should not be limited to lighting up. Yet under Sections 4 and 5 of the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, the creation and consumption of medical marijuana in alternate forms — in tablets, ointments, in baked goods or extracts — was prohibited. June 15, 2015 Medical marijuana legal in all forms, Supreme Court rules - Medical marijuana patients will now be able to consume marijuana — and not just smoke it — as well as use other extracts and derivatives, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled today. June 11, 2015 Most B.C. pot producers don’t offer ‘compassionate pricing’: survey - When it comes to the psychoactive component of medical marijuana, B.C. pot scores high, but licensed producers are falling short in compassionate pricing and other areas, according to a national report card. Research for the report, which looked at 16 of the country’s licensed producers, was conducted over two weeks in April by Visual Capitalist, an independent firm that creates visual content on emerging trends in business. The company says the data is not intended to be statistically significant, but rather a snapshot of a point in time. June 8, 2015 Medical marijuana ‘free-for-all’ must end, B.C. doctor says - The head of B.C.’s medical association says the federal government is failing Canada’s doctors by not providing meaningful guidelines on how to talk to their patients about medical marijuana prescriptions in the absence of reliable clinical studies. Bill Cavers says doctors across Canada are being bombarded with information on medical marijuana by the same companies producing the drug, a clear conflict of interest. Health Canada, which does not endorse medical marijuana’s use, should stop the practice, said Dr. Cavers, who wants an independent process to better educate medical professionals about the benefits and dangers of the drug. June 8, 2015 Inside Politics BlogPhoto Galleries Potential medical pot fraud raised fears at Health Canada - Health Canada was forced to create a safety net to prevent abuse after a handful of forged authorizations for medicinal marijuana surfaced, according to emails obtained by CBC News. Emails released through federal Access to Information laws show that Health Canada was made aware of at least five instances last year where doctors’ signatures were forged on applications for medical marijuana. May 25, 2015 On Marijuana, Harper's Politics Don't Match His Actions - In politics, there's often a gap between what someone says and what they do. Federal Conservative Health Minister Rona Ambrose had strong words in April for Vancouver council's plan to regulate the more than 80 marijuana dispensaries across the city. Cannabis is "an illegal substance" with "serious health risks," she wrote to Mayor Gregor Robertson. Ambrose warned that Vancouver's proposed pot rules would end up "legitimizing and normalizing the use and sale of marijuana." May 19, 2015 Medical marijuana registry in Quebec called world's 1st - Medical marijuana users in Quebec can now help shed light on the drug's long-term safety and effectiveness through a new registry at McGill University in Montreal. McGill said its medical marijuana registry, which launched on Monday, is the first research database of its kind in the world. May 12, 2015 Thornhill parents treating epileptic daughter with marijuana oil - Gwenevere Repetski turns three next month and she is finally able to crawl, a milestone her parents thought they would never see. She was just an infant when she was diagnosed with epilepsy, a debilitating neurological disorder that has left her developmentally delayed. "She was kind of like a bag of Jell-O," says her mother, Reagan Repetski. May 11, 2015 B.C. medical marijuana case wraps up in Federal Court - Medical marijuana users’ fight to continue growing their own plants is now in the hands of a Federal Court judge after lawyers delivered their final arguments in Vancouver late last week. New rules that force patients to purchase medical marijuana from licensed commercial growers ensure they are supplied with safe, good quality marijuana that is grown by industry producers who are subject to stringent standards and government oversight, federal lawyers told the court. May 4, 2015 Lawyers cultivate final arguments in marijuana growth trial - "I could't even eat this morning," said medical marijuana patient Anne Genovy as she sat in the front row of audience seats in Vancouver's Federal Court on Thursday. "My hands were shaking. The weed relaxes me, but not knowing where I'll get it (marijuana) from or if I'll be arrested is torture." Genovy is one of an estimated more than 175,000 people with a doctor's recommendation to use marijuana as medicine. May 1, 2015 UBC's Cannabis Access Regulations Study looks at Canada's medical marijuana rules - People who use medical marijuana have seen a lot of changes in the way they access pot lately. New research out of UBC is examining how regulations and red tape are affecting patients who have come to rely on the plant’s therapeutic benefits. April 30, 2015 Canada's public safety minister tells VPD its officers are expected to act against marijuana dispensaries - Canada’s minister of public safety has weighed in on Vancouver’s plan to regulate the over-the-counter sale of medicinal marijuana. An April 28 letter co-signed signed by Steven Blaney and Health Minister Rona Ambrose emphasizes the storefront sale of cannabis is illegal and warns Vancouver not to go ahead with a proposed legal framework for the industry. April 30, 2015 Is medical marijuana acceptable in the workplace? - Medical marijuana use continues to grow in Canada which has led to questions about whether it's appropriate to take it at work. "There's still a lot of stigmatization out there," said employment lawyer David Whitten. "A lot of people are basing their thoughts and ideas on movies that came out in the '80s. We've come a long way since then and it's recognized just like any other medication," Whitten told CBC Radio. April 27, 2015 Medical pot users try class action after Health Canada privacy breach - Lawyers will go before a Federal Court judge in Halifax in June to ask the court to certify a proposed class action on behalf of 40,000 medical marijuana users whose privacy was breached by Health Canada in 2013. There are 2,105 Nova Scotia class members in the case. A confidentiality order protects the real names of the two lead plaintiffs, a Nova Scotia man who works as a health-care professional and an Ottawa woman who works in the legal field. In court documents, they are identified under the pseudonyms Joe Doe and Suzie Jones. April 24, 2015 Vancouver to become first Canadian city to regulate marijuana shops - Vancouver is about to become the first city in Canada where the business of selling marijuana will be regulated and permitted. Although the drug is illegal in Canada and technically only available to people by a mail order, prescription system set up by the federal government, the city will permit the operation of dispensaries under a proposed framework that selects which businesses can open and imposes rigid operating conditions. The proposed regulatory framework, which will take months to implement and still needs council approval, reflects a permissive view by the Vision Vancouver majority that supports access to marijuana for medicinal purposes. Under Mayor Gregor Robertson’s administration, the city has held off enforcement as the number of unlicensed, unregulated and illegal pot dispensaries skyrocketed during the past two years. The plan will go to city council Tuesday and specifically ignores the question of legalizing the sale and use of marijuana. April 23, 2015 Vancouver's booming marijuana retailers could face new regulations - The City of Vancouver is looking at new rules to regulate the booming retail marijuana business, including a $30,000 licensing fee to help recover the cost of enforcement. "In the last two years, the city has seen a rapid growth rate of 100 per cent per year in marijuana-related businesses ... [going] from 60 to 80 in the last four months alone," said a statement issued by the city. While medical marijuana shops have become commonplace in Vancouver in recent years, there is little in the way of regulations to control them, the statement notes. "Up to now there has been a lack of a clear and transparent regulatory framework from the federal government," said the statement. "While the city has no jurisdiction to regulate the sale of marijuana, it does have clear jurisdiction to regulate how and where businesses operate in our city." April 23, 2015 Hemp: Alberta’s green boom - If we were being fair to early history and our potential, we’d have a green hemp leaf instead of red maple on our flag—just don’t confuse the stuff with marijuana. “We’ve gone a long way towards demystifying hemp,” says Dr Jan Slaski, an Edmonton-based researcher and program leader at Alberta Innovates with 14 years’ experience working with hemp. “When I first started talking about hemp, people would laugh and ask, ‘So you smoke your T-shirts?'” April 21, 2015 5 Canadians Fighting To Change Canada's Marijuana Laws - Canada’s so-called Prince of Pot is set to celebrate his first 4/20 on home turf after serving a five-year prison term in the United States. Marc Emery was extradited to the U.S. in 2010 to serve time after he was charged for selling marijuana seeds to American customers. “I am absolutely devastated that this Conservative government has opted to send my husband, a Canadian citizen, to the United States for a ‘crime’ that amounts to a $200 fine in Canada,” Emery’s wife Jodie said at the time. April 21, 2015 Veterans minister rejects soldier's push for meeting to discuss medical marijuana - Former soldiers who want timely access to medical marijuana say they are undeterred despite having been denied a meeting with Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole. Retired corporal Clayton Goodwin, who represents a group known as Veterans for the Use of Medical Marijuana, was shut out of O'Toole's stakeholder meeting Tuesday at the Canadian War Museum. A spokesperson for the minister said Veteran Affairs staff have spoken with Goodwin and are setting up a one-on-one meeting. April 15, 2015 Medical marijuana prescription 'gap' challenged - The ability of people to fill medical marijuana prescriptions directly with a government-approved grower, rather than a pharmacist, creates difficulty for physicians trying to keep tabs on a patient, says the registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick. "We end up with a gap in the information that's available to us if there's a problem," said Dr. Ed Schollenberg. "And more specifically, a gap in the information that might be available to a physician if there might be a problem." April 14, 2015 Michael Wileniec files human rights complaint to use medical marijuana at school - A Saskatoon student is taking a medical marijuana complaint to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission after his school wouldn't let him use it on its property. Michael Wileniec, 21, suffers from a rare bone condition called hereditary multiple exostoses. His body produces bone bumps which interfere with movement and pinch his nerves. He is behind in school because of the illness. He dropped out for several months to recover from surgery on his left leg. April 14, 2015 Canadians have fewer legal marijuana options than Americans - Canadians buying legal marijuana have a much slimmer selection than their American counterparts. That’s because Health Canada-licensed producers are allowed to sell only dried cannabis through the mail to registered patients and must stay away from “edibles” or other forms of the drug that are regulated south of the border. April 13, 2015 The Greatest Threat From Cannabis Lies in its Illegality - The 2011 Global Commission on Drug Policy's opening declaration -- "the global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies [...] fundamental reforms in national and global drug control policies are urgently needed" -- could hardly be more definitive. April 7, 2015 Living the Supreme Dream: Marijuana and the Supreme Court of Canada - Normally I would say you had to be there, but in this case there is actually a recording that will forever show the government dismally fail in its defense of the medical cannabis regulations. Over the next while Owen Smith and I will be writing several blogs about this historic experience to help document what happened when the cameras were not rolling and to explain what happened with the judges. It will help pass the time the next 3 to 5 months while we wait for the decision. March 27, 2015 Recall of Marijuana for Medical Purposes - Tilray - Tilray is voluntarily recalling three marijuana for medical purposes products due to positive bacterial testing: Sativa House Blend (Lot number: 5411 9952 8740 9514), Hybrid House Blend (Lot number: 6889 8271 1515 4149) and Indica House Blend (Lot number: 3470 2895 9118 1906). During the course of a regular inspection conducted under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, Health Canada inspectors tested the above products to ensure compliance with the regulation. March 23, 2015 Medical marijuana cookie case hits Canada's high court - Turning medical marijuana into cookies, tea or oil should not be a criminal act that risks jail time, a B.C. lawyer told the Supreme Court of Canada Friday in the first ever hearing of its kind. Kirk Tousaw appeared before the country's top court to argue the ban on cannabis derivatives, extracts and edibles like pot brownies is unconstitutional and that authorized medical marijuana patients should be free to use the drug in whatever form works best for them, not just the dried plant, which is the only medical exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. March 23, 2015 Victoria pot baker readies for court challenge of marijuana laws - The former head baker of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers’ Club heads to Ottawa today in hopes of overturning Canada’s medical marijuana laws and securing the right for patients to use cannabis oils, cookies, teas and lotions. Owen Edward Smith will appear before the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday after victories at the B.C. Court of Appeal and B.C. Supreme Court. It’s the first time Canada’s highest court has heard a medical marijuana case. March 19, 2015 Court ruling could send private marijuana grow-ops up in smoke - There were days when David Kralik would arrive at his landscaping and snow-removal business in Mississauga and stay just a few minutes – the heady odour of marijuana from the grow-op next door was too powerful. “You open the door to come in, go into my office, and I just sit down, fire up the computer and – ” He lets out an expletive. “And you just leave. It’s that bad.” March 18, 2015 Health Canada legal changes land Dartmouth medical pot user in court - Medical marijuana advocates are fuming over last week’s arrest of a Dartmouth man who used to have Health Canada’s permission to grow pot. As a result, the Maritimers Unite for Medical Marijuana society intends to hold a news conference at the Farm Assists cannabis shop on Gottingen Street in Halifax on Wednesday. The move follows last Wednesday’s arrest of 46-year-old Bob Dillman and his wife, who are charged with possession and cultivation of cannabis. March 11, 2015 Surrey fire chief has a ‘cultural bias’ against marijuana grow-ops, expert witness to testify - Surrey’s fire chief has a “cultural bias” against licensed marijuana grow-ops, which is why he wrongly concludes they are more dangerous than regular residences, an expert witness is expected to testify at a Vancouver court case. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis, an adjunct criminology professor at the University of the Fraser Valley and an expert witness for the federal government in a constitutional challenge of Canada’s medical marijuana laws, concluded there was a higher incidence of fires at homes with both illicit and legal marijuana grow-ops. March 9, 2015 Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health pushing for regulated marijuana legalization - The time has come for the Canadian government to legalize marijuana. That's the stance championed by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health through a policy statement on cannabis use released by the organization in the fall of 2014. While the health risks associated with the use of cannabis products are impossible to ignore, CAMH says, the Toronto-based teaching hospital and research centre is calling for the legalization of the drug in Canada with strict regulations to control distributio March 6, 2015 Health Canada Criticized By Police Over Medical Marijuana Enforcement, Documents Show - Health Canada was flooded with hundreds of letters from police and other officials questioning the department’s oversight of Canada’s medical marijuana program in the two years leading up to a push by Ottawa to commercialize medical pot. The letters, obtained by HuffPost Canada under access to information laws, detail the complaints from police about the lack of communication between Health Canada and law enforcement across the country when it comes to supervising legal marijuana operations. March 5, 2015 Some BC residents are fighting for the right to grow their own medical marijuana rather than relying on large-scale commercial suppliers. - Shawn Davey’s unsteady gait — supported by a five-foot-tall, rough-hewn walking stick — comes as the result of a motor-vehicle crash 15 years ago. It left him with numbness on one side of his body, constant pain and a brain injury that has affected his memory. After spending thousands on prescription medication, Davey says the only thing that has helped is marijuana. “I was supposed to be in 24/7 care for the rest of my life,” says Davey, 38. “Now I drive. I live on my own. It’s all due to marijuana.” March 3, 2015 Medical marijuana landmark charter case has pot growers on edge - Shawn Davey won’t leave home without his driftwood walking stick, glasses and pocket vaporizer loaded with marijuana. The 38 year-old former custom-car builder says he experiences numbness on his left side, gaps in short-term memory and chronic body pain – all permanent residuals of a traumatic brain injury and three-month long coma suffered after a vehicle accident in June of 2000. He says the stick stabilizes him when vertigo takes hold— that the “vape” provides pain relief and that his doctor-prescribed, 25-gram a day marijuana intake is the reason he is able to function. Davey is the first of five plaintiffs to testify before Federal Judge Michael L. Phelan in a case against Health Canada that will define the rules of medical marijuana growth in this country. February 25, 2015 Constitutional challenge of Canada’s medical marijuana laws begins in Vancouver - A constitutional challenge of Canada’s new medical marijuana laws will hear from marijuana law experts from Holland, Israel and the U.S. when it begins Monday in Vancouver. The expert witnesses will include Robert Mikos, a law professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville; Dr. Yehuda Baruch, the former head of Israel’s Medical Use of Cannabis Program; and Catherine Sandvos, an official with the Netherlands Office of Medicinal Marijuana. February 23, 2015 Police chief says there are no grey areas in pot dispensary laws - Parksville's chief of police Brian Hunter attempted to clear the haze around medical marijuana in a speech to Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce members Thursday at The Bayside. "There's nothing grey out there," Hunter said of medical marijuana regulations. However, he admitted "there's a lot of folks, including police officers, that should know, but don't know what the rules are out there" because of two looming court cases and legislation currently in flux. February 18, 2015 Canadian Licensed producers of marijuana to benefit from cost accounting court battle - In a Vancouver courtroom on February 23, 2015 at 9:30 AM PST, the entire Canadian cannabiz industry and 40,000 licensed medical marijuana users, will hold their collective breath as four people have put and may still put an entire industry at a standstill by challenging the right of the Government of Canada to dictate how individuals can provide for their own medicine cost-effectively. February 17, 2015 Should Vancouver medical marijuana dispensaries be zoned as pharmacies? - There are many neighbourhoods in Vancouver where you can’t drive down the street without seeing medical marijuana dispensaries. There are 60 of them in the city of Vancouver alone. However, under federal laws, dispensaries are illegal. When Canada’s marijuana laws changed last year, the dispensaries remained illegal. February 10, 2015 B.C. going to pot as authorities play waiting game on regulating dispensaries - The number of over-the-counter marijuana dispensaries in Vancouver has soared in the past year to an estimated 61 shops. But as for what’s in store for 2015, the city’s police, politicians and pot impresarios all say the future looks pretty hazy. That tally means Vancouver has more dispensaries than the rest of Canada combined, according to the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries. CAMCD, an Ontario-based industry organization, also estimates that more than 80 per cent of the country’s dispensaries are in B.C. February 3, 2015 Canada’s fledgling medical marijuana industry hit by series of setbacks - Almost a year after the federal government revamped the way medical marijuana is produced and distributed in Canada — moving from home-based operations to large-scale commercial ones — the fledgling industry continues to encounter growing pains. A trial is set to begin next month in Federal Court that will hear patients argue that the price of marijuana charged by commercial producers is too high, depriving them of medicine to treat serious ailments. Until a decision is made, individuals who previously held licences to possess and grow their own marijuana have been allowed to continue doing so. Commercial producers have faced other challenges, including restrictions on how they advertise their products; maintaining adequate supplies; and responding to product recalls. In a statement, the Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association, acknowledged some of the challenges but says the industry remains optimistic. “Previous stigma with cannabis has placed the industry under a microscope,” said the statement. “However, there have also been success stories at the company level and at the industry level.” January 28, 2015 'Roaching' is the latest development in Vancouver's marijuana Wild West - It’s an “only in Vancouver” phenomenon that is so new it doesn’t even have a name yet. Let’s call it “roaching.” Here’s the scene: Monday night, on my way home from grabbing a beer at one of the many fine craft breweries within walking distance of my house. Two gangly young men are lurking under an awning on Commercial Drive. January 26, 2015 What would a Canada with legal weed look like? - With a federal election on the horizon, voters and politicians across Canada are speaking up on what’s sure to be a hot-button issue this election: the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana. The issue is complicated and has its roots in legislation dating back nearly 100 years. But what is decriminalization? What does it mean? And who’s for it? “Legalization includes decriminalization,” says Jodie Emery, noted marijuana reform activist. “And decriminalization is an important step towards legalization.” Emery recently campaigned to run for the federal Liberals in Vancouver East, but was rejected by the party. January 26, 2015 Medical marijuana vapour room set to serve veterans with PTSD - New Brunswick's first medical marijuana vapour room has opened in Oromocto, just down the road from 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown. Marijuana For Trauma Inc. has expanded its Restigouche Road facility to include the new room, saying it is a necessary support for Canadian Forces veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). January 20, 2015 Medical marijuana use by student nixed by Saskatoon school board - Saskatoon high school student Michael Wileniec says high-grade medical marijuana is the only drug that eases his chronic pain. Wileniec has hereditary multiple exostoses, a condition that locates in his joints and pinches his nerves, causing a pain that he equates with stepping on a nail. It's bad enough that it has disrupted his life and interrupted his education because of time off for surgeries. At age 21, he's two credits shy of graduating from Grade 12 at Nutana Collegiate. January 20, 2015 Hamilton city workers suspended for bringing pot brownies to work - Two city employees have been suspended after bringing pot brownies to work, making a co-worker ill after he unknowingly ate one. City of Hamilton public works head Gerry Davis confirmed that an investigation is underway, and says determining what happened is a high priority. "We're taking this seriously, and we want to wrap it up as soon as possible," he said. "It's frustrating. We want a safe and healthy work environment for our employees." The incident happened around 11 p.m. ET on Dec. 22. That's when a 20-year-old man was taken from the Stoney Creek public works yard in a "code four life-threatening situation," said Hamilton paramedic duty officer Ben Roth. January 14, 2015 Medical Marijuana Update: What the February injunction hearing will bring - The Canadian dot.bong investor world is on tenterhooks leading into a very important February date. That’s when a judge will decide whether to allow grow license holders under the old MMAR system to keep growing their own medicinal weed (due to a lack of affordable commercial product), or will tell them to get with the program and just pony up some doughbucks at Mettrum (TSX:V.MT, Stock Forum), Organigram (TSX:V.OGI, Stock Forum), Tweed (TSX:V.TWD, Stock Forum), Bedrocan (TSX:V.BED, Stock Forum), Aphria (TSX:V.APH, Stock Forum), Tilray, etc etc for their medicine. January 8, 2015 Canadian lawyers scent profit as medical marijuana industry prepares to go legit - Most conversation between two lawyers that include the word “marijuana” also involve other words such as “charges”, “defendant” and “sentencing”. But when Hugo Alves, a partner at Bennett Jones – one of Canada’s largest corporate law firms – chats about the drug with his associate, Michael Lickver, they are more likely to be discussing investment opportunities, exports and quality control. January 7, 2015 Federal government loses appeal to stop medical marijuana patients from growing pot at home - The Conservative government has lost its latest attempt to prevent medical marijuana users from growing pot at home, with the Federal Court of Appeal upholding an injunction that exempted patients from a massive overhaul of the system. December 16, 2014 Key dates in the evolution of Canadian attitudes, laws regarding marijuana - A timeline of some significant events in the history of marijuana in Canada: 1922: Pioneering feminist Emily Murphy publishes an inflammatory book, The Black Candle. She claims marijuana turns its users into homicidal maniacs. 1923: Cannabis is added to the Schedule of the Opium and Narcotic Control Act. 1969: Canadian government establishes a Commission of Inquiry Into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, known as the Le Dain commission after its chairman, Gerald Le Dain. December 16, 2014 Government Is Placing An Unfair Burden on Doctors Who Prescribe Marijuana - Earlier this year, the legislative framework surrounding the provision of medical marijuana in Canada underwent significant change. On April 1, 2014, for-profit corporations who have been granted license by the government assumed responsibility for growing and dispensing prescribed medical marijuana. Physicians, who are charged with assessing the appropriateness of dried marijuana for their patients and writing the "medical document" which must be presented to these licensed producers in order to procure the product, have been thrust into the role of gatekeeper. As they are learning, it's a particularly onerous gate. December 15, 2014 Canada's Medical Marijuana Producers Are Facing Serious Advertising Restrictions - In a few weeks, Canadian cannabis patients will find it harder than ever to get information about their medicine. Last month, Health Canada (the federal government's public health agency) sent a letter to 16 licensed pot producers saying they can't display photos of plants on their sites, tweet links to articles about the benefits of marijuana, or tell clients what a certain strain tastes, smells, or feels like. December 11, 2014 Rental Crunch: Is the smell of medicinal marijuana OK, but not party pot? - The pungent smell of marijuana has always been controversial among apartment dwellers, but the advent of lawfully provided medical marijuana has added a whole new dimension to the debate. Landlords and tenants may think it’s OK to require recreational users to step outside when the urge strikes, but what about medical users taking the drug for health and comfort? December 8, 2014 Canada Safety Council warns against smoking marijuana and getting behind the wheel - The holiday season is in full swing, and with it comes a new warning in the battle against impaired driving. Only this warning doesn’t just focus on booze. Lynn Lau with the Canada Safety Council says the attention was focused on drinking and driving for years, but has only recently turned to discouraging people from driving after using marijuana. December 4, 2014 B.C. judge gives absolute discharge for man caught growing 414 pot plants - A judge has given an absolute discharge to a man charged with trafficking marijuna after police raided his Lions Bay home and found 414 marijuana plants, although almost half most were seedlings. Michael Santos, an audio engineer with no criminal record, pleaded guilty to possessing about three kilograms of marijuana for trafficking. December 3, 2014 Should Canada do a Uruguay on pot? - Uruguay is a small country trying a big experiment. The country of 3.3 million people, tucked between Brazil and Argentina, has legalized marijuana, a variation of the policy rather loosely articulated by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in Canada. Uruguay’s decision to legalize pot doesn’t do justice to what’s actually happening. Cannabis is being legalized all right, but the product is being regulated by the state as never before. December 3, 2014 Huntington’s Disease and Medical Marijuana - Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a severely debilitating neurodegenerative disease caused by a genetic mutation which leads to creation of mutated ”huntingtin” protein (normally, the huntingtin protein functions to preserve cells of the nervous system [neurons], especially in the brain). Although the exact mechanism is not fully known, the development of this mutated protein leads to destruction of neurons in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain involved in movement regulation, as well as other areas. November 27, 2014 Health Canada clamps down on medical marijuana advertising - Health Canada has ordered Canada’s medical marijuana companies to stop making their products look so good. The department issued warning letters this week to licensed commercial growers across Canada telling them to clean up their advertising by Jan. 12 or face suspension and even revocation of their licences. November 27, 2014 High Life Social Club latest Halifax cannabis club - A members-only cannabis cafe has been quietly operating in Halifax for the past two months. Owner Chris Henderson says the High Life Social Club, located on Spring Garden Road, is a place to relax and enjoy cannabis. “For adults, where people can come and bring their own cannabis and use it here freely,” he said. “In a nice, safe place where you feel comfortable." November 26, 2014 Epilepsy Seizures Drop 50% in Cannabidiol Study - A new study from Orrin Devinsky, MD, of the New York University School of Medicine, suggests that Cannabidiol (CBD) may radically reduce seizures in patients with epilepsy. Dr. Devinsky administered cannabidiol to 23 patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy. Thirty-nine percent of the patients saw their seizure rates drop by more than 50%. Four patients (17%) had no seizures for the last month of treatment. Lexaria (CSE:LXX) (OTCQB:LXRP) has acquired 51% of PoViva Corp, an innovative health company developing Cannabidiol (CBD)-infused products. Lexaria may increase its ownership position to 75% at a later date. November 24, 2014 Medical marijuana applicant takes Health Canada to court - Health Canada’s troubled medical-marijuana program is again under fire, with the launch of the first court challenge by a company denied a government licence to grow the product commercially. November 5, 2014 Medical marijuana facility's approval delay frustrates mayor - Officials in the Campbellton area are urging residents to put pressure on the federal government and Health Canada to accelerate the licensing process for medicinal marijuana facilities. Zenabis bought an old warehouse in March and promised to hire 400 people to work in its medicinal marijuana plant. November 4, 2014 Canada Will Tax Marijuana Just Like Tylenol - Tax Court Justice Campbell Miller just ruled that marijuana will be subject to federal Goods & Services Tax (GST) like Tylenol, cough drops and other over-the-counter drugs. The ruling confirms the government's intent to legalise, regulate and tax medical marijuana in Canada. This is an important ruling, given that recent legislative changes have created a nascent medical marijuana industry in Canada that could be valued at over $1 Billion dollars in just a few years. October 31, 2014 Canadian mental health center calls for marijuana legalization - The call from CAM-H is one the latest in Canada for the easing of the country's marijuana laws. In a recent policy statement, the director of the center says cannabis should be sold through a government-controlled monopoly and all penalties for cannabis possession and use by adults removed. October 30, 2014 Marijuana and Your Memory - Marijuana and memory are connected in a number of ways. It’s no secret that marijuana can affect a person’s memory. In today’s society, the stereotypical marijuana user is often perceived as someone who is forgetful and absent-minded. But what does science say, and is there any truth behind this popular belief? October 29, 2014 Former MMPR applicants hope to expand access to raw cannabis - While extracts and edibles and the associated court cases have been a popular topic lately, extracts aren’t the only complaint tied to problems with a medical program which offers only dried cannabis to patients. The lack of availability of raw cannabis under the MMPR, in addition to the availability of extracts, is something both Alan McDonell-Leclaire and Ginette Leclaire, former MMPR applicants under Auxilium, believe is a major concern for patient access under the new system. The two are beginning a new campaign geared towards getting the attention of policy makers and politicians. Leclaire specializes in Microscopy applied to Aerobiology. October 28, 2014 Health Canada's Anti-Marijuana Campaign A Study In Contradictions - “The science is clear” on the dangers of marijuana, claims a new government ad campaign. But it’s a murky message because when it comes to the medicinal benefits of the drug, the same government also maintains there isn’t enough scientific study. The controversial new anti-drug crusade aims to encourage parents to talk to teenagers about the effects of marijuana on their brains and how it “can damage a teen for life.” October 23, 2014 Opposition MPs accuse Conservatives of whitewashing marijuana report - The release of a final report on marijuana by the House of Commons health committee has opposition MPs accusing the Conservatives of whitewashing all expert advice that disagrees with the government’s stand. October 22, 2014 Legalization is the best approach to cannabis control - In spite of legal prohibition, Canada has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world. In Ontario, more than one in 10 adults and nearly one in four high school students used cannabis in the past year. In doing so, they become exposed to the health risks of cannabis and the risks of becoming criminalized by the act of procuring or possessing the substance. In addition, they are in danger of being introduced to other, more dangerous illicit drugs. October 20, 2014 Pot and marijuana: Understanding the science - Because their brains are still developing, adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of marijuana. During this crucial period, brain connections are strengthened through myelination – growth of fatty insulation around the neurons – as well as a “pruning” of inefficient neural connections. It’s a lengthy process, stretching past the post-secondary years to at least age 25. October 17, 2014 RCMP Cpl. Ron Francis, who smoked marijuana on job, found dead - A New Brunswick Mountie who made national headlines for smoking medical marijuana while in uniform last year has been found dead. The death of RCMP Cpl. Ron Francis was confirmed to CBC News by Pat Polchies, a councillor with the Kingsclear First Nation. Francis's lawyer T.J. Burke said Francis died around 4 o'clock Monday afternoon. There is no word on the cause of death. Chief Gabriel Atwin of Kingsclear First Nation was emotional as he spoke Monday evening. "It's a tragic, tragic event," he said. "Tragic loss to our community. Ron was not only a good friend of mine, and a great community member, but also a family member of mine. It's a tragic event." October 7, 2014 Why Canada can’t afford to turn down legal marijuana sales - When the tour bus finishes the climb up the lush mountainside and comes to a stop at Nine Mile, Jamaica, the local men are ready. There is already a lineup of tourists at a stone wall outside the Bob Marley memorial site, and from a hole in the wall the Jamaican men conduct their business, selling $15 cigar-sized marijuana joints and large portions of pot-infused cake. Inside the Bob Marley compound, where the tour will include the Rastafarian reggae superstar’s childhood home, the tourists will be able to enjoy their purchases legally, and soon many of them will be smoking on the verandah of an open-air bar. October 6, 2014 Arthritis Society calls for more research into medical cannabis and its impact on managing arthritis - In a position paper issued today, The Arthritis Society calls for more research into the efficacy and safety associated with the use of medical cannabis as a therapy to alleviate symptoms of pain and fatigue caused by a chronic disease. “More and more Canadians are accessing medical cannabis as a treatment option for severe arthritis symptoms,” explains Society president and CEO Janet Yale. “We have a duty to the people we serve to ensure that the scientific basis for the use of medical cannabis is clear and appropriate, with patient safety and improved care our foremost priorities.” September 30, 2014 Canadian doctors given guidelines on prescribing marijuana - The College of Family Physicians of Canada has created new guidelines to help doctors determine if and when a patient should have access to marijuana to treat chronic pain or anxiety. The college’s recommendations advise doctors to only approve access to medical marijuana for treatment of pain in patients who haven’t responded to other treatments, and say it is not appropriate for people under 25, those with a personal or family history of psychosis and those with a substance abuse disorder. The recommendations also say medical marijuana is not appropriate therapy for insomnia or anxiety. September 30, 2014 Medical marijuana subject to federal sales tax, unlike prescription drugs, Canadian judge rules - Sales of medical marijuana are subject to federal sales tax even when they fall into a largely unregulated grey area, a judge has just ruled in a case that underscores the legal haziness around pot in Canada. B.C.’s Gerry Hedges earned as much as $114,000 a year selling a strain of pot he named Po-Chi — after his dog — to a Vancouver “compassion club” for medical-marijuana users. Though the police once raided his operation on B.C.’s Gabriola island and the Harper government has generally discouraged marijuana use, the federal tax department insisted he charge GST on the shipments. September 29, 2014 55% of Rheumatologists Support Medical Marijuana, Survey Finds - A new survey finds Canadian rheumatologists are evenly split in their opinion of cannabis as a medicine. Just over half of rheumatology specialists believe cannabis or cannabis-based medicines can help in the treatment of rheumatic conditions like arthritis, according to a survey by the Canadian Rheumatology Association. The results were published last month in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. September 24, 2014 Stan Swiatek's medical marijuana dream is a nightmare for his neighbours - Stan Swiatek has tried his hand at many businesses. He used to grow cucumbers, dabbled in home construction and boarded horses. But it’s his newest business dream that he thinks will make him rich: medical marijuana. Through his company Sundial Growers Inc., Swiatek hopes to become one of the first federally-licensed facilities to produce medical marijuana in Alberta, to service what Health Canada estimates will be a $10-billion industry within the decade. September 24, 2014 The Evidence Behind Marijuana and PTSD - In a recent study, researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel were able to prevent rats from developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by treating them with the active compounds in marijuana, or cannabinoids. September 22, 2014 Medical marijuana a growing field for university researchers in Canada - Recent changes to rules governing the production of medical marijuana in Canada have spurred a renewed interest in marijuana research. Under new government regulations that took effect April 1, the production of marijuana for medicinal purposes was shifted from Health Canada to large-scale commercial companies. As part of their operations, these companies are beginning to fund marijuana research in several areas, much of it contracted out to university researchers. September 18, 2014 Canada’s pot policy needs to sober up - The air is thick with pot talk in Canadian political circles these days, but the rhetoric is so extreme – ranging from “pot kills” to “pot cures cancer” – that it’s sometimes hard to get a grip on what needs to be done. September 15, 2014 Substance-abuse centre calls for Canadian pot-policy review - The Health Canada-funded Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse is calling for a broad review of marijuana policy, including a closer look at the impact of legalization south of the border in Colorado and Washington. The centre says there is “momentum for policy change” when it comes to marijuana and wants Ottawa to fund an independent study of the economic and social effects of potential reforms, including decriminalization and legalization. September 11, 2014 Farm Assists raid garners sympathy from marijuana activists - Marijuana activists in other parts of the country are voicing their support for the owners of a Halifax medical marijuana lounge that police raided on Friday. Farm Assists on Gottigen Street, Halifax's first medical marijuana lounge, was set up for licensed users to inhale vaporized marijuana. Police raided the shop and seized marijuana and a large volume of cash on Friday. The lounge raid was just one of three sweeps that day. Police say they were all connected. September 8, 2014 Liberal CFO a pot multimillionaire - MONTREAL — Liberal Party of Canada CFO Chuck Rifici has become a multimillionaire in just a few months thanks to his stock-traded medical marijuana company, QMI Agency has learned. Documents show Rifici's initial investment in Tweed Marijuana Inc. has so far sprouted into an $18-million bumper crop. Rifici co-founded Tweed and served as its CEO until he resigned on Aug. 27. He remains on the company's board. September 5, 2014 Marijuana legalization campaign led by Charlottetown MP - Regulating marijuana is 'the way to protect our young people,' says Charlottetown MP and Liberal justice critic Sean Casey. Casey has been given the Liberal Party's file on its plans to legalize marijuana. He sent an email in support of the change to thousands of party members and supporters on Friday. September 4, 2014 Approvals slow for Health Canada medical marijuana licences - The number of Canadian firms applying for lucrative medical marijuana licences has topped 1,000, as a so-called "greenrush" continues to overwhelm Health Canada. So far, only two new licences have been approved this summer even as the department tightens the application rules -- and as nervous investors await decisions on their multimillion-dollar bids. September 2, 2014 Can You Overdose on Marijuana? - While prescription painkillers cause thousands of overdose deaths each year, no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose. But is it even possible to overdose on weed? The answer is no, according to the National Cancer Institute. And here’s why: “Because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brainstem areas controlling respiration, lethal overdoses from Cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur.” August 27, 2014 Crash victim gets $6,500 award for cannabis-based therapy for her injuries - A Surrey nursing instructor has been awarded $6,500 to pay for costs of a medical marijuana program to deal with injuries she suffered in a motor vehicle accident. Haleh Amini, a 47-year-old mother of two, was injured when she was rear-ended near the Kensington exit of Highway 1 on Feb. 23, 2011. August 25, 2014 David Asper: It’s the CMA, not the government, that’s ‘politicizing’ the marijuana debate - The marijuana debate heated up again last week, when the Canadian Medical Association denied its support for a public service campaign that is to be launched by Health Canada warning of the dangers associated with use of the drug. Because there are conflicting views between the Conservatives and Liberals on the legalization question, the CMA said, it didn’t want to play politics. August 22, 2014 Crown acquits medical marijuana grower - A Grenville resident accused of having 475 more pot plants than allowed by his medical marijuana licence was acquitted in a St. Jerome court Monday in what the Crown attorney and a Cour du Québec judge agreed was a ‘complicated case.’ Ray Turmel was legally growing marijuana for medical reasons when Health Canada ordered in-home growers to destroy their crops so the government could get into the dealing game. Turmel kept his MMAR (Medical Marihuana Access Regulations) and continued to grow, but many others lost their entire crop, including Stephen Burrows and Robert Roy, whose historic cases are still in proceedings. August 22, 2014 Whistler Medical Marijuana Corp. recalls batch of White Widow due to mould - A B.C.-based medical marijuana producer is recalling a batch of pot after finding that it was contaminated with mould. Whistler Medical Marijuana Corp. says it detected the mould in Lot 0004 of its White Widow strain of marijuana after two customers complained about its appearance. Anyone who received that batch of White Widow — which is also referred to as White Shark and Peace-Maker on the company's website — should stop using it, the company said. August 18, 2014 Canada's doctors decline to join anti-marijuana campaign - The main groups representing Canadian doctors have declared they will not participate in Health Canada's upcoming anti-drug campaign targeting young people. “The educational campaign has now become a political football on Canada's marijuana policy,” said a joint statement released Saturday by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. August 18, 2014 Justin Trudeau opposes spending taxpayer money on ‘partisan’ anti-marijuana ads - Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau lashed out Thursday at the federal government over a Postmedia report that Health Canada has approached three doctors’ groups to sign onto an anti-pot advertising campaign. During a visit to Saskatoon, he suggested the move is meant as an attack on him and his support for legalizing marijuana. August 15, 2014 Conservative government asks Canadian doctors to endorse taxpayer-funded ad campaign against marijuana - As the Conservatives repeatedly attack Liberal leader Justin Trudeau over his support for the legalization of marijuana, the federal government has asked three groups representing Canadian doctors to endorse a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign warning about the drug’s health risks for young people. August 15, 2014 Supporters light up as Vancouver's 'Prince of Pot' returns to Canada after U.S. sentence - Canada's self-styled "Prince of Pot" returned to a raucous welcome from supporters Tuesday after serving his U.S. sentence for selling marijuana seeds, vowing to continue his activism even if it means more arrests. August 13, 2014 Legalizing pot only priority for 15% of Canadians, despite support - As Canada’s “Prince of Pot” returns to Canada after five years of jail time for selling marijuana seeds to customers in the U.S., a new poll suggests the majority of Canadians are on Marc Emery’s side when it comes to legalizing marijuana. But most don’t see legalization as a top priority for the feds. August 12, 2014 Epileptic Okanagan girl fed illegal cannabis oil makes dramatic recovery - The two-year-old Summerland girl whose family is feeding her illegal cannabis oil has had a dramatic improvement in her seizure disorder. Kyla Williams' family says in the past five months the oil given to the girl has greatly reduced the hundreds of seizures she was suffering from daily. August 11, 2014 City steps up fight against legal residential marijuana grow ops - An appeal to Canada’s health minister to hand over addresses of federally approved residential medical marijuana grow ops has reached “critical” status, says Calgary’s mayor. “Since 2012, (the city) has inspected 28 federally licensed residential grow operations,” Naheed Nenshi said in a recent letter to Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq obtained by the Herald. “In all cases the owners’ operation was closed due to identified safety risks and violations.” August 5, 2014 Can Canadian nurse practitioners prescribe medical marijuana? - While it’s been suggested that Canada’s new rules for access to medicinal marijuana – the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) – make medicine more expensive for those who had previously grown their own supply, there seemed to be one unqualified benefit to the new system: the ability of nurse practitioners to grant access to cannabis produced by Health Canada-licensed providers. July 31, 2014 Are marijuana companies peddling prescription medicine or fun bud? - Weed has come a long way since its hazy days as a soporific passed around at summer love-ins. Today’s pot dealers are dressed in suits, as heads of publicly traded companies that are following in the footsteps of Big Tobacco, critics say. July 31, 2014 Klassen: Legalizing pot is a social issue, not a medical one - Physicians don't want to prescribe pot; surveys indicate this overwhelmingly. The Canadian Medical Association unequivocally doesn't want them to do it either, and for years, they've issued policy statements, briefs and resolutions to their members, to the public, to the courts, and to government saying so. July 29, 2014 Clearing the air on medical marijuana in the workplace - Employers will ignore Mary Jane at their own peril in the wake of recent changes to Canada’s medical marijuana system, says one employment lawyer. Companies should be prepared to accommodate a growing number of workers on weed after the federal government brought in its new regime, known as the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). Under the new guidelines, a patient must obtain a prescription for marijuana that they can bring to a federally licenced grower. July 28, 2014 Jim's Weeds medical marijuana store raided by Vancouver police - Vancouver police raided Jim's Weeds Lounge, a medical marijuana shop, saying they had received reports marijuana was being bought at the store and sold to youth in the surrounding neighbourhood. According to its website, the store also sells medical pot by mail order. Standing in front of a makeshift sign saying "just robbed by the VPD", it is clear those who work at Jim's Weeds shop at 882 East Hastings Street are not happy. July 25, 2014 Marijuana: Legalize? Criminalize? Ignore? - Earlier this week, I questioned why the de-facto legalization of marijuana has been done in Vancouver without citizens being involved in the debate. I had a few emails from people saying that debate happened years ago with at the federal level, which is true. But the Criminal Code remains unchanged and it doesn’t seem right to me that it should be local police and the unelected Vancouver police board members who make the decision. July 24, 2014 Medical marijuana producers attempting to woo doctors - Representatives of licensed medical marijuana companies are being sent to doctors’ offices as part of the push to get hesitant physicians to prescribe the drug more often. It’s a development that has dismayed Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti, the president of the Canadian Medical Association, who says that a largely unproven treatment is now being thrust upon doctors, leaving them caught between at least some patients looking to score drugs and the vendors looking to peddle them. July 24, 2014 Exploring options other than dried marijuana - Patients, caregivers, advocates and now licensed producers are pressuring for the regulation of cannabis extract products. Canada’s prohibition on cannabis based medicinal extracts was struck down in British Columbia in 2012 and is under increasing pressure nationally as seriously ill Canadians are in need of the cleanest most effective form of cannabis medicine. For those who find that synthetic THC pills, inhalation or chewing and digesting the raw plant matter doesn’t work, then the MMPR has failed. July 22, 2014 Research partnership puts Tweed Inc. within reach of new discoveries - The promise of making medical history while supporting Canadians living with illness has brought together Smiths Falls' newest employer, Tweed Inc. and students and faculty from both Ryerson and the University of Ottawa. "Tweed is really pro-active in terms of bringing medicine forward," commented Dr. Lesley Campbell of Ryerson. On July 3 Tweed Inc. announced it signed a Memoranda of Understanding with Ryerson and the University of Ottawa. This agreement has allowed two independent research projects to take place. July 17, 2014 Six-year-old medical marijuana user runs afoul of Health Canada rules - Liam McKnight signed his medical marijuana licence when he was just five years old. The boy from Constance Bay suffers from Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy. It can cause nearly constant seizures that last three to four minutes each. His condition led him to miss time during kindergarten. July 17, 2014 Halifax Medical Marijuana Lounge Opening This Weekend - Halifax’s first marijuana lounge is officially opening on Gottingen Street this weekend amid questions of its legality. The lounge is called Farm Assists and while it welcomes medical marijuana users, smoking is not allowed. July 17, 2014 Olympic snowboarder Ross Rebagliati to brand medical marijuana - Ross Rebagliati, the Canadian Olympic champion snowboarder, is bringing his name and brand to the marijuana industry. The 42-year-old is founder of Ross’ Gold, a budding Vancouver startup which will seek to license a brand system and a consistent distribution process for medical marijuana through a distribution partner in Ontario. July 17, 2014 World’s first marijuana commercial introduced by Canadian company - A Canadian company recently released a sneak peek into what the owners are calling “the world’s first marijuana commercial.” Here’s the scene: A man walks into a liquor store in search of products that come from “a plant that grows out of the ground.” He is met with hostility from an employee, who suggests choosing the “liquid alternative” that’s legal. July 16, 2014 Sativa vs Indica: The Two Major Strains of Marijuana - Many medicinal marijuana users aren't aware that there are two very different strains of the cannabis plant. In order to address this we hired a local artist to depict the major differences between the two! Scroll down to view the infographic and if you enjoy it please share it to increase awareness :) Read more: http://vaped.ca/pages/sativa-vs-indica#ixzz37emfzNFW July 16, 2014 Government looks to limit medical marijuana for Canada's veterans - Veterans Affairs Canada is considering capping its medical marijuana program, limiting how many grams of pot former military personnel can receive, and how much the government will pay. Veterans Affairs wants to ensure costs for the burgeoning program don’t spiral out of control. The cap, proposed last month, is also aimed at addressing medical concerns over the efficacy and safety of using marijuana for medicinal reasons. July 14, 2014 Vapourizing marijuana reaching trend status, Canadian doctor says - Vapourizing marijuana is gaining momentum as a safer alternative to smoking it, says a Canadian doctor. Vapourizing involves placing either raw cannabis or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oil into a portable vaping pen or non-portable plug-in machine. The product is then heated until right before the point of combustion, turning the components of the plant into a gas that is released as a vapour. July 10, 2014 CBSA prepares to smoke out B.C. marijuana tourists - Pot-store proprietors in Washington state have a blunt warning for their Canadian customers on the first day of legal marijuana sales. “Don’t take it home,” says Aaron Nelson, the senior vice-president of operations at 2020 Solutions, a pot vendor that will be open for business Tuesday in Bellingham, Wash. “We are eager to see our customers from across the border. We just want to make sure they understand that the products are for consumption in the state of Washington.” July 8, 2014 Why use a Vaporizer? - When doctors talk about cannabis, many agree that although it’s a relatively harmless complex of chemicals, smoking it is an obvious problem. Medical cannabis patients know that the benefits of smoking are an instant relief of their symptoms, and the ability to regulate/titrate doses until their symptoms are relieved. Vaporizing offers a safer way to get this fast acting relief from inhaling medical cannabis. The effects are shorter lasting than when cannabis is eaten, peaking within half an hour and trailing off. July 7, 2014 Everything you need to know about CBC, the marijuana cannabinoid you never heard of - The marijuana cannabinoid Cannabichromene (CBC) is a quiet presence in the scientific conversation about cannabis. But there’s a strong argument for understanding CBC better. The cannabinoid plays a major role in medical marijuana, and numerous clinical tests over the past 30 years suggest it has significant potential for treating illness. July 3, 2014 Cannabis May Treat Lou Gehrig’s Disease - New research shows marijuana-based treatments could delay the progression of a fatal condition known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, published in the journal CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, found that treatment with Sativex, a cannabis-based pharmaceutical, led to a modest reduction in disease progression in mice that were bred to model ALS. June 30, 2014 Grey area leads to green rush: Dozens of Vancouver dispensaries test limits of Canada’s pot laws - A woman stands outside Vancouver’s Canna Clinic, offering passersby free in-house medical consultations. One of Vancouver’s 30-plus marijuana dispensaries, many of which have opened in only the last 12 months, Canna Clinic sells pot-infused ketchup, olive oil and brownies, as well as pre-rolled blunts and two dozen strains of pure B.C. Bud. June 26, 2014 Medical Marijuana in the Workplace: What Employers Need to Know - The Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations that became effective on April 1, 2014, could substantially increase the number of Canadians who are using lawfully prescribed medical marijuana. As the number of prescribed users increases, the greater the likelihood that an employer will have one of its employees requesting to use medical marijuana in the workplace. The purpose of this update is to review some of the workplace issues that both employers and employees need to consider regarding the use of medical marijuana in the workplace. June 25, 2014 10 Reasons Why Doctors Support Medical Marijuana - As medical marijuana continues to be debated, more doctors are coming out in favor of its use. In a recent ‘Ask The Doctor’ column, Dr. Heather Auld, Fellow at the University of Arizona Department of Integrative Medicine and a practising obstetrician/gynecologist, explained why the time has come for marijuana to be placed back into the U.S. pharmacopeia. June 24, 2014 Medical marijuana's benefits debated - Many doctors remain ambivalent about prescribing medical marijuana for chronic pain, even though new federal rules allow patients in Canada to legally purchase dried cannabis with a doctor's prescription, a debate recently highlighted in a medical journal. June 23, 2014 The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis - ABOUT USADVERTISECONTACT Cannabis Now Magazine HOMESUBSCRIBENEWSCANNABISGROWREVIEWS Home / Reviews / Books / The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to CannabisBy K. Richards on June 18, 2014 the-pot-book “The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis” provides a political and scientific look into the plant’s abundant history, prohibition, legal ramifications and the potential for complete integration into medical circles in the near future. Psychiatrist Julie Holland gathers academia’s leading experts and industry insiders to dispel misinformation and shed light on the ill-conceived classification that marijuana is a highly-addictive drug with no redeeming qualities whatsoever – medical or otherwise. This collection of essays and research is split into five parts: An Overview of Cannabis, Risks of Use and Harm Reduction, The Clinical Use of Cannabis, Cannabis Culture and Steps in the Right Direction. Each part provides a breadth of information ranging from biology to state-to-state legal comparisons to botanical nomenclature and beyond. June 18, 2014 Why you should vaporize your medical marijuana - Recreational cannabis users have long touted the virtues of vaporizing marijuana over smoking it. Now, a growing number of medical marijuana patients are eschewing smoking in favor of vaporization. One of the main reasons they’re making the switch is that vaporization delivers the same, if not more, benefits as smoking marijuana without any of the negative health implications. Medical marijuana physicians and other cannabis professionals are also increasingly recommending vaporization, helping to fuel a booming market in both vaporizers and medical marijuana varietals produced for this method. June 18, 2014 Medical marijuana advocate calls proposed rules 'redundant' - A medical marijuana group says the additional oversight measures proposed by the government this week are "redundant" and previous changes to the federal marijuana program already dramatically reduced its susceptibility to abuse. Earlier this year, the feds introduced a major overhaul of the medical marijuana regime, eliminating licenses to grow one's own. June 16, 2014 Government of Canada announces proposed amendments to protect the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations against abuse - Marijuana is not an approved drug or medicine in Canada and has not gone through the necessary rigorous scientific trials for efficacy or safety. Health Canada does not endorse the use of marijuana, but the courts have required reasonable access to a legal source of marijuana for medical purposes. The Government of Canada believes that this must be done in a controlled fashion to protect public health and safety. The Government of Canada is proposing to amend the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) and the Narcotic Control Regulations (NCR) to further strengthen public health and safety. June 16, 2014 Inside the health benefits of vaporizing your medical marijuana - A growing number of medical marijuana patients are stiff-arming smoking their medicine in favor of vaporization, according to a report published by MediJean. Medical marijuana physicians and other cannabis professionals are increasingly recommending vaporization, which refers to devices designed to vaporize the active ingredients in plant material. June 13, 2014 How Much Money Would Canada Make If Marijuana Were Legal? - Since last summer, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has voiced strong support for legalizing marijuana. More than two-thirds of Canadians also agree that smoking marijuana shouldn’t be a crime, according to recent polls. But what does this mean in terms of tax revenue? On January 1, Colorado became the first place in the world to let stores grow and sell marijuana for recreational use. Official figures show $2.1 million in state taxes were generated during the first month. June 11, 2014 Medical marijuana companies find creative ways to stand out - When Chuck Rifici and his business partners set out to promote their startup, they didn’t buy advertising. Instead, they took the company public. It was an unconventional move, but Mr. Rifici’s company isn’t exactly a conventional one. Tweed Marijuana is one of Canada’s new batch of legal medical marijuana growers and while these companies sell directly to consumers, they’re banned from advertising. June 9, 2014 Study: Cannabidiol May Improve Sleep In Parkinson’s - An ingredient in marijuana may help Parkinson’s disease sufferers overcome sleep problems, a new study has found. In a small 6-week case series, investigators from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil administered cannabidiol (CBD) to four patients with Parkinson’s disease who also showed symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder. Published last month in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, all four patients experienced a significant reduction in symptoms following treatment. June 9, 2014 Cannabis Classroom: Cannabis-Based Medicine For Patients Living With Multiple Sclerosis - MS is an autoimmune, inflammatory condition which is caused by an attack from the body’s immune system on the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve cells in the central nervous system (CNS). The myelin sheath provides insulation to these cells to allow for fast conduction of signals throughout the body; destruction slows the speed of signals from the CNS to the body’s peripheral nervous system (PNS). This condition can also lead to destruction of the nerves themselves, which is irreversible. June 9, 2014 B.C. Parents Ignore Health Canada, Treat Epileptic Toddler With Marijuana Oil - When you're a parent, you'd do anything for your child — even if it means ignoring the law. A Summerland, B.C. couple has done just that to get their epileptic daughter the help she needs. June 5, 2014 New medical marijuana rules put Elliot Lake man out of joint - An Elliot Lake man who says he's been turned down by every doctor in the city says new rules for medical marijuana are making it unnecessarily hard for those legitimate users trying to access the drug. Since April, patients must now obtain prescriptions for medical marijuana from doctors, rather than Health Canada — and Gavin Harrington, who said he lives with arthritis and has chronic pain, said he's been turned down for a prescription by every doctor in town. June 4, 2014 Medical marijuana dispensaries looking more like pot spas as industry rapidly grows - By the federal government’s own estimates, the number of medical marijuana patients in Canada could grow from just under 40,000 to 400,000 in the next decade — with half of them residing in B.C. New regulations introduced April 1 appear to be hastening growth in the number of patients. June 2, 2014 Delta approves its first medical marijuana facility - Delta council has given conditional approval to an industrial-scale medical marijuana grow operation, the first of its kind to be approved under Delta's new stringent zoning regulations. The approval of the application by International Herbs Medical Marijuana Ltd. was granted following a public hearing at municipal hall thisi week. June 2, 2014 London medical marijuana outlet closes doors - Options Health Care made national news when it opened last month. Canada's first "full service" medical marijuana clinic promised new hope for Londoners with a wide range of ailments. May 30, 2014 OrganiGram is Organic - At OrganiGram, we are focused on producing a consistent and reliable supply of high quality, organic, condition specific medical marijuana. We grow our plants using True Living Organics (TLO), a methodology and science that provides a perfect medium for the plants to receive the nutrients they require from within the soil in which they live. May 30, 2014 It’s time to start using the M-word - In many ways, Marion Albaum of Toronto, 38, is your typical Canadian mom. She cheers at her son’s minor league hockey games and creates brightly coloured cakes for her daughter’s sleepover parties. Photos of anniversary dinners and birthdays plaster her Facebook page. Not pictured are the nights she spends in hospital with a feeding tube and hovering team of nurses and doctors nearby. May 29, 2014 Cannabinoid Deficiency May Explain A Variety Of Health Conditions - As we know, endocannabinoids are naturally produced within the body and play a major role in overall health. Similarly, medical marijuana and phytocannabinoids derived from cannabis have exhibited a number of therapeutic benefits. Researchers Propose The Idea Of Cannabinoid Deficiency The list of conditions tied to cannabis is wide-ranging and steadily growing. Whether cannabinoids are providing relief from migraines, fibromyalgia, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the mechanism involved is largely the same; success is often attributed to activation of the body’s cannabinoid receptors. May 29, 2014 Why Many Are Choosing To Vaporize Marijuana - Last month, Whoopi Goldberg made her preference for the vapor pen clear in a column for The Cannabist. “These pens are light, compact and portable,” the actress wrote. “With the vape pen, you have more control over how much THC you ingest.” May 28, 2014 Canadians Talk: Should Canada legalize marijuana? - “These drugs are illegal because of the harmful effect they have on users and on society. We will continue protecting the interests of families across this country,” wrote Minister of Justice and Attorney General Peter MacKay’s spokesperson Paloma Aguilar in an email to Global News in 2013. May 27, 2014 Understanding ‘dried marihuana’ and the MMPR - In April of 2012, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Johnston struck the term “dried marihuana” from the Medical Marihuana Access Regulations, refining the language to refer to all products listed as Cannabis in schedule 2 of the CDSA (figure 1). The government appealed the decision, but the Judge granted licensed patients in B.C. immediate access to legally diluted products like cannabis butter or concentrated ones like honey oil. There are many reasons that a refined cannabis product may benefit a medicinal user: the duration of effects, the targeting of the application and the available cannabinoid content to name a few. However there are no good reasons to restrict patients to “dried marihuana” alone. May 26, 2014 Medical marijuana warnings issued to N.L. doctors - The body that regulates physicians in this province is concerned new medical marijuana regulations will cause problems for doctors. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador said doctors should be very careful about processing marijuana, and warns they should refrain from dispensing it. May 26, 2014 Potential medical pot fraud raised fears at Health Canada - Health Canada was forced to create a safety net to prevent abuse after a handful of forged authorizations for medicinal marijuana surfaced, according to emails obtained by CBC News. Emails released through federal Access to Information laws show that Health Canada was made aware of at least five instances last year where doctors’ signatures were forged on applications for medical marijuana. May 26, 2014 Health Canada green lights medical marijuana first - A Saskatchewan based company has been given the go-ahead by Health Canada to launch what appears to be the country’s first ever clinical trial of medical marijuana. Prairie Plant Systems, the parent company of CanniMed, announced Thursday that Health Canada approved their application to conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial of medical marijuana. The group is testing the effect of vaporized cannabis in adults with osteoarthritis on the knees. May 26, 2014 When Cannabis Goes Corporate - Hershey stopped producing chocolate in Smiths Falls, Ontario, six years ago. The work went to Mexico, but the factory remains, along with reminders of the glory days: A sign that once directed school buses delivering children for tours. A fading, theme-park-style entrance that marks what used to be the big attraction — a “Chocolate Shoppe” that sold about $4 million of broken candy and bulk bars a year. May 26, 2014 Weed legal in 5 years: Kash Heed's take on marijuana - A former B.C. solicitor general predicts Canada will legalize marijuana in the next five years — no matter who is in charge in Ottawa. Kash Heed, a retired politician and a former chief of the West Vancouver Police Department, is now working as a consultant for medical marijuana companies. Heed argues it's only a matter of time before marijuana becomes legal for recreational use among adults in this country. May 20, 2014 Medical Marijuana Faces Resistance From .. Medical Community - The head of the Canadian Medical Association has a few choice words for the medical marijuana industry. “Quackery.” “Snake oil salesmen.” “Bad medicine.” Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti is blatant in his disdain for the medical marijuana industry, which he compares to big tobacco. May 15, 2014 5 Things You Should Know About the Medical Marijuana Injunction - On March 21, 2014, Federal Court Judge Michael D. Manson granted an injunction, preserving the rights of individuals with personal production licenses under the Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (MMAR) to continue growing their own medical cannabis while a constitutional challenge (Allard et al. v. R.) is heard. This trial is expected to take place on February 23, 2015. May 14, 2014 Why seniors are flocking to medical marijuana - Imagining your grandmother smoking a joint might make you giggle. But the reality is that many senior citizens are discovering the medical powers of marijuana. According to data released by Health Canada in December 2012, 13,362 seniors in B.C. alone are licensed to possess medical marijuana. The 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey released recently found that among adults over 65, the percentage of marijuana users (not necessarily medicinal) quadrupled over the same period, to 0.8 per cent from 0. 2 per cent. May 13, 2014 Saskatchewan doctors raise concerns over prescribing medical marijuana - If a doctor prescribes marijuana to a patient and that person is involved in a motor vehicle accident and seriously injures someone, is the physician liable? Dr. Geeta Achyuthan, a Regina physician, raised the question at the recent representative assembly of the Saskatchewan Medical Association in Regina. May 12, 2014 Saskatchewan doctors raise concerns over prescribing medical marijuana - If a doctor prescribes marijuana to a patient and that person is involved in a motor vehicle accident and seriously injures someone, is the physician liable? Dr. Geeta Achyuthan, a Regina physician, raised the question at the recent representative assembly of the Saskatchewan Medical Association in Regina. When doctors prescribe marijuana, it's critical they warn their patients not to drive until they know what impact the substance will have on them, said Bryan Salte, associate registrar and legal counsel for the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons. May 12, 2014 Health Canada recalls medical marijuana for 2nd time in a month - For the second time in less than a month, Health Canada is issuing a recall of medical marijuana. Clearview, Ont.-based Peace Naturals Project issued a voluntary recall for a batch of its prescription pot (K-Farms Lot: K1-KFM-001-14) after it tested positive for bacteria outside the acceptable limits, Health Canada said May 12, 2014 Health Canada’s Marijuana Laws To Face Scrutiny Next Spring - A case involving a group of patients who allege that Health Canada’s MMPR program violates the constitution will begin trial on February 23, 2015. A timeline for the trial was released last week. The case is being led by B.C. lawyer John Conroy and challenges a number of rules set out by the government’s revamped medical marijuana program, including the ban on home grown marijuana and various marijuana products such as edibles and extracts. May 9, 2014 Pot activist's kit helps more than 200 people file lawsuits demanding exemption from grow-your-own ban - A marijuana activist has been distributing a legal kit for people who want to grow their own medical pot, which has helped potential plaintiffs flood the Federal Court with more than 200 lawsuits. The court issued an injunction in March allowing a group of patients who were legally licensed to grow their own marijuana to continue to do so, despite the government’s ban on the practice. May 8, 2014 Marijuana vending machine comes to Vancouver - A Vancouver medicinal marijuana dispensary has installed what they say is Canada’s first vending machine for pot. “We put it in the vending machine to cut down on theft and handling,” says Chuck Varabioff of the BC Pain Society, located at 2908 Commercial Drive. May 7, 2014 How does a patient navigate the MMAR and MMPR? - When Health Canada announced their new medical cannabis program in June 2013, both the old program, the Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (MMAR), and the new program, the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), were to operate concurrently until a supposed deadline of April 1, 2014. With the recent injunction and the general confusion surrounding the new rules, I hope this post can help track what has been going on in recent months. May 6, 2014 Compassion Clubs, Canada's 'Grey Market' Pot Retailers, Face A Make-Or-Break Moment - It's not just the four joints he’s smoked by mid-afternoon. Neev Tapiero is genuinely unconcerned that a slew of new commercial medical marijuana companies could put his underground cannabis club out of business. The competition may be government-approved — and legal — but advocates for dispensaries and compassion clubs say they serve their members in ways the new players cannot and that will continue to give them a constitutional right to exist. May 6, 2014 Marijuana was criminalized in 1923, but why? - Pot activists in Canada and elsewhere took part Sunday in what was billed as a "Global Marijuana March." In this country, they were calling for the decriminalization of marijuana. They might also have asked why it became illegal in the first place. That happened in 1923, and if there was any kind of parliamentary debate historians have been unable to find a record of it. May 5, 2014 Licensed marijuana growers say demand off to hot start - Less than a month after the federal government began handing out licenses to producers of medical marijuana, there are early signs from some companies that business is growing faster than expected in the fledgling industry. Smiths Falls, Ont., based Tweed Inc. announced last week it would not be registering new customers until it was sure it had sufficient supply to meet the demand. May 2, 2014 Quebec doctors aim to fill marijuana knowledge gaps - Doctors in Quebec who prescribe medical marijuana will automatically take part in a province-wide research project to assess the risks and benefits of the drug. Health Canada recently shifted responsibility for deciding who should have access to the drug onto the shoulders of individual doctors, raising concerns among physician groups, including the Canadian Medical Association, about the lack of robust data on the safety and effectiveness of marijuana used for medical purposes. May 1, 2014 In Colorado, many prefer to eat marijuana - but pot edibles can be more potent than smoking - Colorado's marijuana experiment is threatened by the popularity of eating it instead of smoking it, leading the pot industry to join health officials and state regulators to try to curb the problem of consumers ingesting too much weed. April 30, 2014 The future of marijuana isn't smoke, it's vapor - You won’t believe how discreet and easy is it to inhale marijuana, anywhere! One of the newest and most popular ways of using marijuana is also one of the most subtle and discreet.
The award-winning, senior medical correspondent for CNN's health, wellness and medical unit, is author of 'The Empowered Patient.'.