A number of Canada's medical marijuana growers are poised to release cannabis oils for authorized patients who don't want to smoke or vaporize the dried herb to relieve their symptoms.

In July, Health Canada gave growers the green light to begin producing the plant-based extracts, which are expected to be approved for sale in the coming months.

About a dozen of the country's 25 medicinal pot producers have sought expanded licences to produce and market cannabis oils and/or fresh marijuana buds and leaves under the updated federal regulations. Among them are Ontario companies Tweed and Bedrocan Canada Inc., and B.C.'s Tilray.

Children suffering severe epilepsy will be among the first to be treated using a range of non-smokable marijuana products including oils, sprays and vaporisers.

Legislation will be introduced by the end of the year establishing the Office of Medicinal Cannabis which will oversee research, development and the dispensing of marijuana products.

The move comes after the Victorian Law Reform handed down 42 recommendations on August 31, including how to dispense the drug through pharmacies to patients who have been prescribed treatment by a medical specialist.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Parents of kids with medical marijuana cards told KATU News they're often the only line of defense when it comes to keeping weed away from other children.

More than 250 Oregon children have medical marijuana cards, including 7-year-old Bennett. His mom uses droplets of marijuana in his juice or milk to help with his autism. She admits keeping those contaminated drinks out of the hands of other kids, especially Bennett's little brother, is tough. 

"Keeping the other children away from that, so you have to be very responsible as a parent when those things are around," she said. 

Parents of kids using medical marijuana have to sign a sheet promising not to let the weed get into other kids' hands.

OTTAWA -- "Tobacco is a product that does a lot of damage. Marijuana is infinitely worse and it's something that we do not want to encourage." -- Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.

Canadians have one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world, and a relaxation of marijuana laws is now an election issue.

It's a path Conservative Leader Stephen Harper vehemently opposes, using it to drive a wedge between him and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who wants to legalize marijuana. After Harper clashed with Trudeau over the issue last week, the prime minister was asked Saturday why he was so opposed.

Nanaimo-based producer Tilray got a licence to produce cannabis oils from Health Canada in August. The federal regulator is letting licensed producers make – and eventually sell – fresh marijuana and cannabis oil as well as dried marijuana in light of a Supreme Court decision that patients have a right to these forms of the drug.

"Smoking cannabis daily 'is safe when treating chronic pain – but only if you're an experienced user', study finds," says a Mail Online headline. It refers to a study done in Canada to see how safe medical cannabis is for treating chronic pain.

But the results of the study don't mean you should take cannabis if you have chronic pain. They don't show that cannabis helps to reduce pain, and the drug is also illegal in the UK.

In the study, more than 200 people with chronic (non-cancer) pain that had not got better with other treatments were given medical cannabis every day for one year. They were compared with a similar number of people who did not receive cannabis.

Laws should never be made to block the access of patients to medicines

Since the beginning of colonization until the early 20th century, many Brazilians legally cultivated marijuana, including the government itself.

Uruguay, Chile, Canada, Israel, 24 US states, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Czech Republic, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland are examples of places in the world where it is possible to buy with relative ease medicines made of cannabis base extracts, plant or natural herb.

Is commercially grown cannabis being tested for harmful contaminants or are there unexpected health risks associated with sparking some Colorado green?

It turns out it’s still optional to test Colorado’s medical marijuana for harmful substances, but that is set to change next year. Depending on their condition, medical marijuana consumers are more likely to have a reduced immune system, making them even more sensitive to contaminants.

By Alanna Ketler

Illinois is launching a pilot program for medical marijuana use in the state. According to a study conducted by the Midwestern state, the most common medical-grade weed seekers in the state are older women.