On September 17, 2018, multiple sources reported to BNN Bloomberg that Coca-Cola is in talks with Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB) to develop CBD-infused beverages, signifying the entry of yet another iconic brand into the industry. This follows Constellation Brands’ investment in Canopy Growth Corp in August 2018, and the rumored entry of Diageo into the Canadian cannabis space, also in August 2018. According to a report from the Hemp Business Journal, the U.S. consumer CBD market is expected to grow from $202M in 2015 to $2.1B in 2020, which presents a significant opportunity for companies to expand into rapidly-growing cannabis/hemp businesses.

With just a month left to go until recreational pot is legal across the country, here's what you need to know if you want to partake.

Where can I get some of that legal weed?

On Oct. 17, there will be just one B.C. Cannabis Store in the entire province. The government shop will be located in Kamloops at the Columbia Place Shopping Centre. There will also be online sales through the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch.

What about all those private dispensaries in cities like Vancouver?

There's no indication these will be shut down right away. The province's new Community Safety Unit has pledged a crackdown, but only after more legal outlets are available.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) in Quebec has said it is currently studying a partnership to establish a Health Canada licensed “state-of-the-art” medicinal cannabis greenhouse of at least 50,000-sq-ft, with an additional 20,000-sq-ft of post-harvesting space.

In a statement, the MCK said it is in discussions with Canopy Growth, Canada’s largest medicinal marijuana company, which would see Canopy Growth purchase up to 100% of the cannabis produced at the Kahnawà:ke facility. The partnership would mark Canopy Growth’s first First Nations partnership in the province.

For years now, Canada's cannabis companies have grown in size, soared in value and existed in a sort of ethereal middle ground waiting for that distant future when pot was legal. Now as legalization looms, one of the country's biggest licensed producers is bracing for life on the other side of that legal divide — where promise and reality will finally meet.

"There will be failures. There will be shortcomings. There will be short shipments," said Vic Neufeld, CEO of Aphria, one of the largest and highest-valued cannabis companies in the world.

Founded in 2014, Aphria has expanded and grown at breakneck speeds, making investors rich in the process.

With vaping numbers on the increase, it is important to understand the differences between vaping and smoking cannabis. It could be an argument that rumbles on for decades but is vaping cannabis healthier and better than smoking. There are eight reasons that say it is…

#1 Vaping gives you more

When it comes to vaping, whether it is dry leaf or oil, temperature is important. Essentially, anyone vaping wants to maximize flavor.

Smoking can burn the herb and singe the oil simply because you don’t have enough control over the temperature.

Vaping acts differently as it burns off the essential oils and cannabinoids ready for inhalation but does so without combustion, a healthier way of using cannabis or so say several experts.

The growth potential for this type of destination tourism, especially with Americans, is huge, says Trina Fraser, partner and head of the CannaLaw group at Ottawa-based Brazeau Seller Law.

Fraser sees a bright future for pot-friendly hotels and B & Bs, curated tours and private chef experiences.

“If you’re close to the U.S. border, if you’re close to production facilities, if you’re in a jurisdiction that provides more leeway for sales—all those factors will combine to create clusters for cannabis-tourism-type businesses,” she says. “There’s so much interest in the concept of cannabis tourism that it’s going to happen, and people will find a way to do it.”

With recreational cannabis sales slated to begin on Oct. 17, many Canadians are understandably still hazy when it comes to essential weed words like “sativa” and “CBD.” To help you navigate the lingo of the new legalized landscape, here’s an easy guide.

What’s the difference between ‘cannabis,’ ‘marijuana’ and ‘hemp’?

“Cannabis,” the word used in current government literature, refers to a genus of Asian flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family -- a family that also includes hops and hackberries -- that have been cultivated for millennia for their medicinal and psychoactive properties.

Consumer Staples

According to Investopedia, a consumer staple is defined thus:
"...Consumer staples are goods that people are unable or unwilling to cut out of their budgets regardless of their financial situation... People tend to demand consumer staples at a relatively constant level, regardless of their price."

Essentially, a consumer staple has low elasticity of demand (a change in price has very little effect on the demand for the product), is non-cyclical (demand is effected very little by the state of the economy) and is used by both the rich and the poor. Common consumer staples include food, alcohol, tobacco and now, cannabis.

It’s a growing market with more users looking for not just a great vaping experience, but a healthier one too. And an expanding market means more choice when it comes to portable, dry herb vaporizers. And Canadian manufacturers have some great products on offer. Take a look at three of the best.

“You know, it's very disappointing,” Mennillo said. “And I do feel that it will have an impact on our sales.”

Under Quebec law, logos, designs and images cannot be used on cannabis-related objects unless they are government approved.

Mylany David, a Montreal-based commercial and real estate lawyer who heads her law firm’s cannabis practice group, says this aspect of Quebec’s cannabis law is confusing. Federal legislation, she says, is very different, focusing instead on advertising restrictions for cannabis companies, much like the restrictions on tobacco advertising.

“You cannot use your branding or your name into a public event or a stadium or building or to be associated with any sort of activity in the public life,” David explained.