The number of Canadian veterans prescribed opioids or tranquilizers has declined significantly in the past six years while those authorized to use medical cannabis has skyrocketed, even as Veterans Affairs​ capped reimbursement for it.

Experts caution more in-depth research is needed but say these new data, released to The Globe and Mail by Veterans Affairs Canada, echo trends observed in U.S. states with legalized medical marijuana, where significant declines in opioid overdoses suggest that people may be substituting these oft-abused, addictive medicines with cannabis.

The irony of pleading his case on April 20 — 420 — was not lost on Canadian Rockies Agriculture’s chief executive when he appeared in front of Strathcona County’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

But Aaron Barr wouldn’t dare crack a joke at this point in what’s been a contentious debate in Josephburg.

As it stands, May 14 is the next date circled on Barr’s calendar, as his lawyers will continue to face off with Josephburg residents opposing the development of the approved medical marijuana production facility in rural Strathcona County.

The event will mark the final appeals hearing before the board, in a lengthy battle for Barr’s 74-acre facility.

The event was part of an effort by the chamber of commerce to educate members about impacts of legal marijuana.

Employers from the Charlottetown business community came together Wednesday to talk about pot — and what it could mean for businesses once it's legal.

A panel of experts told business owners they had to educate themselves about cannabis laws now,  before legal marijuana makes it's way into the workplace. That includes consulting with legal professionals and physicians to establish policies that protect employees and employers and follow the law.

"You can't deal with a problem if you don't understand it so you need education about it," said Karen Campbell, a partner at Cox & Palmer who sat on the panel.

As discussed at our April A.M. Pension webinar, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal recently released its decision in Canadian Elevator Industry Welfare Trust Fund v. Skinner. In that decision, the Court of Appeal overturned the earlier decision of a Human Rights Board of Inquiry (the “Board”), in which the Board found that the benefit plan administrator’s decision to deny coverage for a plan member’s medical marijuana was discrimination on the basis of disability in violation of the Human Right Act (Nova Scotia)(the “Act”). In this blog post, we review the decision and its potential implications.

Board Decision

Marijuana is becoming big business, but how that business works won’t be truly tested until pot becomes legal in the months to come.

As the clock ticks down to legalization of recreational marijuana, the Financial Post’s Mark Rendell spoke to the CEOs of Canada’s four largest publicly traded licensed producers about how they’re preparing their businesses for the new regime. The following interviews happened in March and have been edited for space.

Vic Neufeld, CEO of Aphria.

1. VIC NEUFELD – APHRIA INC. — APPROX. MARKET CAP.: $2.1 BILLION

The opportunities aren’t only in alcohol-like products. You only have to look to states where cannabis is legal in the U.S. to see a range of products, from CBD-infused energy drinks to THC tea.

Picture yourself enjoying a bottle of cannabis beer after a long day, as you rub THC cream into your sore muscles and your spouse dozes off thanks to a marijuana-derived sleep aid.

It’s a vision of the future of legal cannabis consumption that may be closer to reality than many expect.

Nurse, doctor worry use of the soon-to-be-legal drug will exacerbate existing problems.

Alberta medical professionals are warning that the upcoming legalization of cannabis may exacerbate the province's problem of premature and low-weight infants.

Alberta has the highest rate of premature infants, as well as low-weight births, in the country, according to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

The stubborn statistic has barely budged, despite medical professionals trying to improve infant and maternal health, said Dr. Duncan McCubbin, an obstetrician based in Medicine Hat, Alta.

When you think about cannabis and its counterparts, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of two of the most well-known cannabinoids—THC or CBD. Or, maybe you envision traditionally smoking cannabis and the effects that come with it. However, you might think of the medicinal properties this plant contains, especially if you consume cannabis for medical purposes. Although THC and CBD are both well-known and commonly used cannabinoids, the cannabis plant contains many other medically beneficial cannabinoids including THCV. Although THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin) is similar to THC, it contains its own unique benefits. Read on to learn more about THCV and how you could potentially benefit from the consumption of this cannabinoid.

Memorial hosts conference focused on emerging industry.

Planned grow-ops. Medical uses of cannabis. Bill-C45 and the regulatory rollout of legal marijuana in Newfoundland and Labrador.

These and other topics were explored by guest speakers at The Year of Legalization: Challenges and Opportunities in the Cannabis Industry, Memorial University’s first forum on the emerging industry on April 24.

WSPS conference demonstrates many ways to get there.

For companies seeking safety excellence, simply trying to do better at the basics is not enough. This message was the core of a keynote presentation by Jeremy Shorthouse, manager, environmental health and safety for Molson Coors, at the February 21 Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ (WSPS) warehouse safety conference in Mississauga, Ontario.

Close to 150 participants with warehouse safety responsibilities gathered to hear Shorthouse and a host of other speakers talk about both big-picture and detailed safety issues.