Canada

Cannabis mergers and acquisitions have made for some big stories this year — here’s an in-depth look at the strategies behind these moves, and an explanation of how you might use M&A to grow your own cannabis enterprise.

A study found that three out of four Canadians believe adult-use cannabis legalization has not had an impact on workplace health and safety incidents.

Canada’s cannabis industry contributed $8.26 billion to the country’s national gross domestic product as of July; that rise corresponds with a decline in other traditional industries, like mining, construction, and manufacturing.

Almost half of Ontario, Canada’s 42 cannabis license applicants in the second round of the licensing lottery have been disqualified for breaking rules and for failing to submit all of the required documents.

After the unveiling of multiple compliance failures, Canadian cannabis producer CannTrust Holdings Inc. has had its license suspended by Health Canada; the company is allowed to complete its existing crops and perform other tasks like trimming and curing, but cannot sell or propagate new batches of cannabis.

Some three million additional Canadians are expected to participate in the country’s cannabis industry as consumers once infused edibles are made available later this year.

The planned cannabis cruise departing from Windsor, Ontario has been canceled after officials said it would have violated the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.

Nearly one full year after cannabis was legalized federally in Canada, only 77 people have applied to have cannabis charges expunged from their background and just 44 have been successfully pardoned.

The first annual cannabis cruise from Windsor River Cruises and Border City Entertainment sold out in just two days; attendees must be aged 19 years or older and must bring their own cannabis for the three-hour cruise.

The University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada has added an online cannabis production course to the university’s existing horticulture certificate program.

A judge in Quebec’s Superior Court has ruled that the current provincial ban on homegrown cannabis is unconstitutional; experts say, however, that a similar ban could be carried out lawfully.

Canada’s Paracanna has announced its launch of a DIY cannabis gummies kit, which allows consumers to add drops of oil to create gummies in a variety of flavors.

In the almost year since legal adult-use sales launched in Canada, cannabis industry employment has nearly quadrupled from 2,630 positions filled to 9,200.

These are the main takeaways from my first experience at a legal Canadian cannabis dispensary in Montreal, Quebec.

Aurora Cannabis has announced a new brand — Aurora Hemp — after acquiring industrial hemp company Hempco Food and Fiber Inc.

New data from Statistics Canada shows that 42 percent of adult Canadian cannabis consumers still rely on illegal sources.

Following a failed Health Canada inspection, cannabis producer CannTrust has received a non-compliant rating and must now propose a remediation plan to regulators.

Canopy Growth has inked a deal to acquire two research firms, pending regulatory approval.

The auditor for CannTrust Holdings has withdrawn its audits for 2018 and Q1 2019 after Health Canada orders the company to hold 5000 kg of inventory.

As Canada approaches the one-year anniversary of legalizing cannabis, adult-use sales are steadily rising but medical cannabis flower sales have dropped 20 percent.

Law enforcement in British Columbia has asked federal authorities to help thwart illegal online cannabis sales in the province.

Researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario say they have identified pain-relieving cannabis flavonoids that are “30 times more powerful at reducing inflammation than Aspirin.”

Three months before edibles regulations take effect nationwide, officials in Quebec, Canada have announced a ban on sweetened cannabis edibles containing THC, including (temporarily) topicals.

Canada has approved a new device to test drivers for potential cannabis intoxication; the test will be used to validate further investigation, either via a drug recognition evaluation or blood sample.