With recreational marijuana set to become legal on Oct. 17, the Canadian government has approved the first roadside test aimed at stopping drivers who are under the influence of cannabis.

But some experts are questioning whether the Drager DrugTest 5000 will actually be effective in detecting drivers who are impaired by THC — the main psychoactive agent in cannabis. Harrison Jordan, who specializes in cannabis law, is raising several red flags over the test.

Alberta was the first province to begin its policy development for cannabis legalization. In June 2016, the government began by commissioning a massive evidence synthesis — the Cannabis Evidence Series — covering five key topics: health effects and harms, medical cannabis, advertisement and communication regulations, experience with legalization in other jurisdictions, and the current Canadian context. It was published in December 2016. This fed directly into the Alberta cannabis framework, which is the beginnings of the proposed legislation that will eventually regulate cannabis production, sales and use.

Experts give insights on crucial developments that will make the cannabis industry globally competitive and incredibly lucrative

October 2018 will give rise to numerous opportunities that could position Canada as a world leader. When it comes to key trends, experts highlight the top six.

1. Focal point: Consolidation between craft industries and large-scale LPs

Bruce Linton, Founder and CEO for Canopy Growth Corporation.

In all the great songs written about pot, from Bob Marley’s Kaya to John Prine’s Illegal Smile, none have ever dealt with the problem of there being too much weed.

As legalization looms on the Canadian horizon, suppliers concerned about not being able to meet initial demand are ramping up production capacity ahead of Oct. 17. (On a corporate earnings call this spring, Aphria CEO Vic Neufeld noted that “unless someone’s out there hiding 100,000 kilograms, we’re looking at a real shortfall.”)

Canadian pot stocks surged for a second straight session Monday amid speculation more alcohol companies will strike deals with marijuana growers as Canada marches closer to legalization.

Shares of Nanaimo, British Columbia-based Tilray Inc. jumped as much as 23 per cent to US$54.16, a record high, while peer Cronos Group Inc. soared 30 per cent on the Nasdaq, the biggest intraday gain since January. Aphria Inc. rose as much as 20 per cent in Toronto, while Aurora Cannabis increased 8.4 per cent.

An overlooked aspect of recreational cannabis legalization in Canada is the privacy implications of the distribution systems, especially in the online environment.

The privacy and security risks are substantial, and protecting the online rights of consumers needs more attention. Highly sensitive personal information will be exposed to the risks of redistribution and data breaches, and these risks are magnified if the data is stored or processed in the United States.

In the province of Ontario, the framework put in place by the former Liberal government has been dramatically changed by the new Doug Ford government. While the Liberal’s plan had its flaws, the problems will be exacerbated by the premier’s move to privatize retail sales.

The last few months have seen investors showing more interest in the cannabis industry. As they become more at ease with investing in the once-controversial product, and as authorities around the world continue to relax the rules surrounding its legalization, anticipation continues to mount over the extent to which marijuana companies could outperform in the future.

The figures seem to back up this notion. According to data from cannabis-advisory firm Viridian Capital Advisors, marijuana companies have managed to raise $4.3 billion this year through the end of July. And the industry is now expected to bring in $8 billion by the end of the year, more than double the $3.5 billion raised in 2017.

The popular Players Paradise indoor sports facility in Stoney Creek has been sold to Green Relief Inc., a Flamborough-based medical marijuana grow operation.

Tasha Mazza-Kelton, president of Players Paradise, said the facility, operating since 2009, will close Oct. 31, but had been on the market for a number of years. She said the facility was sold last week. Warren Bravo, the chief executive officer of Green Relief Inc. said the company was approached by a real estate firm to determine if they were interested in the 100,000-square-foot facility.

“After some investigation, we realized that this deal not only made a lot of sense for Green Relief, but for the Stoney Creek community as well,” said Bravo, who operates Bravo Cement Contractor in Stoney Creek.

Aphria Inc. ("Aphria" or the "Company") (TSX: APH and US OTC: APHQF) today announced that it has entered into a supply agreement (the "Agreement") with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation("NSLC") to provide a range of high-quality branded cannabis and cannabis derivative products for sale in Nova Scotia'sadult-use market starting on October 17, 2018.

Aurora Cannabis NASDAQOTH:ACBFF) generated tremendous gains in 2017. But despite a nice rebound over the last couple of weeks, the Canadian marijuana stock is still down nearly 20% year to date. 

None of that matters very much, though, in how well Aurora Cannabis stock performs in the future. What does matter is how much the company can grow over the next few years and what obstacles might prevent Aurora from growing -- or keep its stock from generating gains despite the company's growth. Is Aurora a buy right now? It's a tough question.