B.C. is chock-full of players just waiting for the federal government to give marijuana the (green) thumbs up

It’s easy to see how the cannabis market has exploded in the past few years—just look at the stock of an industry leader. In May 2014, Aurora Cannabis, with offices in Toronto and Vancouver, was trading at about three cents a share. Four years later, it was hovering around eight bucks. 

When Canada's favourite plant does go legit in October, a bevy of B.C. companies and organizations are poised to take advantage, some in ways you might not expect.

If year-to-date performance were the deciding factor on which stock to buy, there would be no contest between Aphria (NASDAQOTH:APHQF) and MariMed(NASDAQOTH:MRMD). Aphria has lost nearly half of its market cap.

A marijuana depot is coming soon to a neighbourhood near you.

Edmonton-based producer Aurora Cannabis announced a licence agreement Wednesday with Alcanna — the company that runs Liquor Depot stores — that will give Alcanna exclusive rights to open retail cannabis shops under the Aurora brand name in Canada.

THC BioMed Intl Ltd. ("THC" or the "Company") (CSE:THC) announces that it has developed a cannabis beverage that mimics alcohol in that the uplifting and energizing effects of the cannabis is felt by the consumer in a short period of time. THC believes that this beverage is a solution to a major problem with cannabis beverages and edibles, as current products cause fatigue and drowsiness.

Marijuana legislation was passed earlier this year and recreational pot sales are expected to commence in mid-October, and while medical marijuana has been legalized for some time now, it too could benefit from the new law. It’s not as if companies are struggling to sell medical marijuana, but legalization will make it easier for patients and those looking for the benefits of cannabidiol to get easier access to cannabis. Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) and others in the industry have had to rely on medicinal sales so far, and while there has been grown in that segment, there’s clearly much…

Partner and chair of the Employment and Labour Group at Gardiner Roberts LLP, author of the Halsbury’s Laws of Canada volume on Employment Law and the volume on Discrimination and Human Rights

This October, the legal, social and political landscapes of Canada will change dramatically when the purchase of recreational cannabis becomes legal. The latest data suggest roughly one in 10 Canadians were cannabis users in the past year, meaning few workplaces across the country will not be affected.

With employers still grappling with the complexity of managing addiction in the workplace as it pertains to alcohol and other drugs, the legalization of pot will add another hurdle.

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The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (TSX:HMMJ) was down 1.21% in early afternoon trading on August 7. Cannabis stocks have been battered since recreational legalization was made official in late June. The federal government set the date of October 17 for this to come into effect.

The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF has dropped 14% in 2018 so far. Valuations for the largest cannabis producers in Canada have soared since the Liberal government came to power in 2015, partly on the back of a promise to push for legalization.

Canadians are using self-directed RRSP accounts to hold stocks of companies they hope will help them build a nice nest egg for the golden years.

Let’s take a look at Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) and Suncor (TSX:SU)(NYSE:SU) to see if one is more attractive right now.

Investors have compiled a laundry list of reasons to be cautious about cryptocurrency from its volatility to its lack of regulation. A stigma that crypto is the currency of criminals has lingered.

A new study from the US Drug Enforcement Agency may shift some perspectives.

Illegal activity was once behind 90% of crypto transactions, but that number has shrunk to around 10%, according to a Bloomberg report.

So, who’s behind the majority of cryptocurrency transactions? Bitcoin speculators.

Nailing down just how much cultivation and production space Canada’s cannabis industry is going to need is like trying to hit a moving target.

At the latest check, there were 113 licenses for marijuana cultivation operations in the country, according to Health Canada. Sixty-one of those licenses are in Ontario, 24 in B.C. and the rest are spread throughout the other provinces.

But that could be just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak; more than 500 additional marijuana cultivation license applications are under review by the Canadian government as the Oct. 17 dates looms for legalization.