Medical cannabis advocates suffered a major setback April 12, when the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned a ruling that an injured man’s legally prescribed medical cannabis must be covered by his union’s trust fund.

The court decided that the Canadian Elevator Industry Welfare Trust Fund’s refusal to cover the medication for Gordon Wayne Skinner was not due to discrimination, as the Nova Scotia Human Rights Board of Inquiry had found.

In a press release, Skinner described the decision as “devastating. My own union is doing everything [it] can to deny coverage of the only medication that works for me, while myself and my family are left to suffer,” he said.

Have you ever wondered how to treat multiple sclerosis with cannabis? We did the research for you.

In the US alone, over 400,000 Americans struggle with to manage the daily symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disorder that presents with neurologic manifestations. Patients may receive a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting or progressive types of the disease.

Bruce Linton, CEO of Canopy Growth, is setting the bar high for corporate social responsibility within cannabis.

Last Friday, Tweed, the Canadian brand under the umbrella of the largest publicly traded cannabis stock in the world, Canopy Growth Corporation, made a major announcement. The company took the high holiday as an opportunity to share its own incredible 4/20 commitment to the communities it serves, in the form of Tweed Collective.

Scheduled for implementation in summer 2018, Canada’s Cannabis Act will legalize adult-use recreational cannabis across the country, allowing every adult Canadian the right to possess and share up to 30 grams of cannabis in public (though public consumption is, for now, forbidden).

Further specifics of legalization—from where cannabis can be sold to the minimum age for purchase—have been left to provinces to set for themselves. Here’s a province-by-province guide to cannabis regulations.

Alberta

The Canada Cannabis Council's mission is to act as the industry's voice in the development, growth and integrity of the regulated cannabis industry and the "responsible use of cannabis for medical and non-medical purposes".

The Cannabis Canada Association (CCA), Canadian Medical Cannabis Council (CMCC), as well as Canopy Growth Corp., have joined together to create a single national industry association for the sector, to be called the Cannabis Canada Council (“Cannabis Canada” or “C3”).

To govern the unified organization, the general membership has elected the following individuals to the Board of Directors:

A mental health executive from Steinbach says just because cannabis will become legal in Canada later this year doesn't mean it's good for you. Chris Summerville, Chief Executive Officer of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada, says it can, in fact, do a lot of harm. He explains, people who have a history of mental illness in their family or who have mental health problems, have a 5 to 7 times greater risk of developing psychosis, often leading to schizophrenia.

Chris Summerville"Psychosis is when you have hallucinations like hearing voices that are not there or you have fixed thoughts that have no basis in reality, like believing that the aliens are about to take over the earth."

With signs in hand, a half-dozen people marched down Charlotte Street on Friday to the sounds of cheers and honking car horns from onlookers showing their support.

They were marching as part of an an event called 4/20, an annual celebration of cannabis culture where participants attempt to bring a wider understanding of marijuana to the public.

Muggy weather didn’t stop passersby from joining the group on its trek down to the Wentworth Park bandshell, and by the end of the march 16 people stood together in solidarity.

The 4/20 celebration is important for many users of marijuana as a way to show support for legalization for recreational use, but Sydney’s first Medical Marijuana March was focused on a different idea, says march organizer Cory Mombourquette.

Users should be aware of cannabis risks, says pharmacists' association. Pharmacists on P.E.I. are reminding Islanders that just because marijuana will become legal doesn't mean there are no health risks. Erin MacKenzie, executive director of the PEI Pharmacists Association, said there are medications that can be problematic when combined with cannabis. "Certainly compounding drowsiness or the ability to make good judgments, those types of things would be compounded with other medications that have those risks as well," she said. Cannabis consumption can be particularly harmful for people under the age of 25 because it can interfere with their brain development, MacKenzie said.

A day that's come to symbolize protesting prohibition has taken a joyful turn this year

Today is 420 — a day that cannabis activists associate with the aroma of protest and lighting up in defiance of the law, but on this last April 20 before prohibition is lifted in Canada, many say it's a day to celebrate.

"We're the first G20 country to have a legal recreational cannabis market. It's a moment for Canada to be proud of what's to come," says Josh Lyon, vice-president of marketing at Hiku Brands, which not only owns licensed cannabis producers, but the Tokyo Smoke chain of cannabis lifestyle stores.

While all eyes are on the launch date for recreational cannabis in Canada —said to come in either late summer or early fall— the medical side of the equation should be getting the attention, as well, because it’s about to get much bigger, says Eric Paul, CEO of licensed producer CannTrust Holdings (TSX:TRST).

The ramp up in Canada’s cannabis sector is ongoing, with industry estimates of sales eventually adding up to between $5 and $8 billion a year. That’s substantial, since by comparison, Canada produces a little under $3 billion of beer a year and about $1 billion in tobacco products. But while the rec market is getting all the focus, the medical marijuana industry both at home and abroad should be getting its props, since it’s growing by leaps and bounds.