As the federal government explores how to properly legalize marijuana, hundreds of dispensaries have sprung up in Vancouver and Toronto – all of them selling a product that is still illegal and having no obligations in terms of labelling, safety or quality assurance.

Dispensary proponents say concerns about contaminants amount to fear mongering – akin to the sort of propaganda that brought the world the infamous 1936 film Reefer Madness. The government favours a heavily regulated market and argues that dispensaries can’t be trusted to provide consumers with a sterile and safe product. These entrepreneurs, Ottawa argues, need to be held to the same stringent standards required of the 31 companies licensed to sell medical marijuana to consumers through mail order.

The Internal Revenue Service is after cannabis companies in Colorado, sparking uncertainty and unease among cannabis businesses. The newest audits are focusing on Form 8300, which is the form used to report cash transactions of $10,000 or more. The IRS is investigating large cash transactions which have been processed by these businesses for evidence of money laundering and underreporting of business income. While some marijuana-related businesses in Colorado have already been able to settle their Form 8300 audits, other business owners are dealing with audits from the IRS regarding Section 280E.

Highly Devoted Coaching has announced the formation of a social media and branding partnership with The Cannabis Marketing Lab. TCML will assist Highly Devoted in raising awareness of its mission to help cannabis consumers around the world build confidence, pursue happiness and find love..

“I’ve heard wonderful things about Celeste Miranda and her team at the Cannabis Marketing Lab,” said Molly Peckler, CEO and Head Coach at Highly Devoted. “Together we can help people build personal confidence, connect with the ideal cannabis friendly partner, and overcome the social stigma attached to medical and recreational marijuana use.”

They are ubiquitous, still. Marijuana dispensaries, ranging in style from pristine to slightly scary to plain sad, continue to offer illicit products in Vancouver, despite an expensive effort by city officials to limit their number with rules and enforcement provisions unique in Canada.

The pot shop bylaws, which came into effect this year, are supposed to stop cannabis impresarios from operating with typical impunity, dealing products near schools and community centres, and at all hours.

Dispensaries began to proliferate in Vancouver about four years ago, when police quit trying to enforce federal prohibitions on retail marijuana sales. By 2015, no fewer than 100 illegal dispensaries were in business.

By Kelly Coulter | Lift Cannabis

If you have ever walked into a field of sunflowers, then you can imagine the hypnotic beauty of a sun grown cannabis garden.

The sunlight flickers between the broad leaves as resin sparkles on the flowers, and the sounds of nature are almost in congress with the good energy such a field evokes. Most of these fields are in remote and secret places, amongst the pines in the north, in the swamps further to the south, hidden between the rows of corn in many a farmer’s field, and on the sides of mountainous hills further west.  

Canopy Growth Corp., the first marijuana producer in North America to graduate to a major exchange, erased early gains on Tuesday, closing down 1.2 per cent in its first day on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The stock, which previously traded on the junior Venture exchange, had surged 25 per cent during a three-day rally, reversing losses for the year.

“Being the first cannabis producing company in North America listed on a major exchange such as the TSX strengthens the sector,” Bruce Linton, chief executive officer of Canopy, said in a statement on Monday. “The addition of Canopy Growth helps signal that the world’s view of cannabis has finally shifted, starting right here in Canada.”

Over my career, I've helped build and deploy weapon systems, music videos, mainstream movies, pornography, firearms and sex toys. But when I co-founded Gateway, an accelerator for startups in the cannabis industry, many friends responded by saying, "I never thought you'd do a thing likethat!"

If, like my friends, you grew up during the Nancy Reagan "Just Say No" era, the idea that the marijuana industry could be a positive force in society may seem preposterous.

Colorado and Washington were the first U.S. states to vote for recreational marijuana, but the Centennial State was the first out of the gate.

“Day 1, Colorado definitely was in a great spot because of your regulated medical market,” says Cy Scott, a founder of dispensary review and news site Leafly and founder of startup Headset. “You guys were able to flip a switch, essentially, and start the recreational sales, where Washington took a long time after I-502 passed. And I think it was a bit of a struggle in the beginning.”

Scott, who hails from Washington, joins The Cannabist Show to talk about the differences between the marijuana industries in Colorado and his home state.

“Washington’s catching up,” he says.

Things you wouldn’t expect the world’s first cannabis product commercial to contain: an original soundtrack, an adorable keeshond pup, a woman attempting to clean the patio with paper towels, subtle kung fu-inspired sound effects, the phrase “fuck yes,” and a man taking his pants off.

The Sunshine State has finally warmed up to the idea of medical marijuana.

As someone who lived in the state of Florida for almost half of his entire life, I can tell you from personal experience that the fight against marijuana prohibition has been long-fought and met with serious opposition. But, this week, the Sunshine State will finally take the leap towards legalizing medicinal use of cannabis. On Tuesday, Trulieve, one of the six Florida medical cannabis licensees thus far, will officially open the first-ever dispensary in the state, marking a major moment in the state’s fight to medicinally legalize the use of marijuana.