More Canadians say they’ve used cannabis recreationally since it was legalized last fall, particularly those aged 45 to 64 and males, according to Statistics Canada. About 18 per cent of Canadians 15 and older, or about 5.3 million people, reported pot use in the last three months, the federal agency said in its quarterly report on Thursday. Early indications point to more use right after it was legalized last October, when the reported use stood at 14 per cent. Read More ..read more

Canadian cannabis usage increased in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period a year earlier following the legalization of recreational cannabis in October, while the number of people obtaining pot from legal sources more than doubled, according to Statistics Canada. About 5.3 million or 18 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older reported using cannabis in the last three months, according to StatsCan, which released its quarterly National Cannabis Survey on Thursday, the first to show Canada-wide results entirely in the post-legalization period. That is up from the 14 per cent ..read more

An alliance of alcohol and cannabis companies wants the government to change proposed rules on edibles, particularly concerning cannabis-infused beverages. They say by making branding more difficult for licensed producers, the government is making it more difficult to compete with the black market. The federal government says edible cannabis will be legal by October. But the Cannabis Beverage Producers Alliance, which has 10 member companies, says the regulations around cannabis-infused drinks are too restrictive.The regulations include restrictions on packaging, dosage and manufacturing cond ..read more

Canadians should expect a long list of cannabis-infused edibles, concentrates and other products to hit store shelves in the coming months, which will significantly expand the scope of the legal marijuana market, according to sources directly familiar with the matter. The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) seeks to add as many as 17 new product types to its sales catalogue when the items become legal in Canada, according to a list provided to BNN Bloomberg by two sources familiar with the organization’s plans. One of the sources confirmed other provinces are looking to add a similar list of product ..read more

Six months after recreational cannabis became legal in Canada, only one company in the entire country holds a licence for craft production, but that’s not discouraging micro-producers from gearing up to enter the legal market. CTV News Vancouver has learned that 120 companies have applied for micro-grow licences from Health Canada, with 18 rejected and only one green-lit somewhere in B.C. The agency won’t name the approved producer, which transitioned its licence from a micro-cultivation medical licence. When asked to describe whether a certain stage of the approval process may be stalling app ..read more

Cannabis users left with a mountain of waste from pot packaging can now drop it off at two London dispensaries to be recycled under a free program launched by Canada’s biggest marijuana company on Earth Day. Tweed, a subsidiary of Smiths Falls-based cannabis producer Canopy Growth, partnered with TerraCycle, an American recycling company, to introduce the first Canada-wide cannabis packaging recycling program, the companies announced Monday. Many cannabis consumers have long complained about the packaging that ends up in the landfill as a result of Health Canada’s rules requiring pot producers ..read more

Sales of cannabis products in February fell by nearly nine per cent from the previous month, due to fewer days, as average daily sales stayed relatively flat, according to the latest statistics from Health Canada. The government agency’s latest sales and inventory figures also show that the inventory of finished cannabis continues to pile up at both licensed producers and government retailers and distributors. Health Canada says sales of dried pot in February amounted to 6,671 kilograms, 8.8 per cent less than the 7,313 kilograms sold in January. Read More ..read more

Canadian companies are racing to get an edge in the new frontier of the cannabis industry — which does not involve the leafy green plant at all. An increasing number of licensed producers and biotechnology firms are moving towards synthetic production of THC and other cannabinoids in a lab, using ingredients such as sugar and yeast, eyeing the potential to produce these active compounds more cheaply than traditional cultivation and extraction. Read More ..read more

Cindi Phelps never imagined herself running a pot shop. She smoked weed as a teenager, but as an adult she says she became “cranky” about cannabis, endlessly lecturing her kids and judging everyone who touched the stuff. It was only when she neared 50 that she realized marijuana could soothe her pain from a chronic health issue. Now that she manages the Tamarack Cannabis Boutique in Kimberley, B.C., Phelps can relate to customers who are nervous about trying pot for the first time in decades – or ever. About 15 to 20 per cent of her customers fall into this category, and most are baby boomers ..read more

As Canada’s six-month anniversary of marijuana legalization day approaches, it’s clear that it’s been a bit of a rocky road. Supply shortages have left customers and retailers frustrated across the country. Some provinces have already laid off workers or cut hours at government-run cannabis retailers, while others are still having trouble getting their retail networks off the ground. Read More ..read more