Review will be done within 5 years after legalization on Oct. 17.

Health Canada will continue operating the medical marijuana system after recreational use of cannabis is legalized next month, but it will be reviewed within five years. 

The announcement came in response to a call last month from the Canadian Medical Association — which represents doctors in this country — asking that the medical marijuana system be phased out post-legalization.

After some sober second thought the City of Calgary has ground out the idea of allowing people to use marijuana in four designated public areas once cannabis becomes legal next month. A proposal called for setting aside four areas in Ward 9 that would be exempt from Calgary's cannabis consumption bylaw.

The bylaw prohibits the consumption of recreational cannabis in any form in public places. But after hearing what it calls significant feedback from the community, the city says the idea of granting exemptions in Ward 9 has been scrapped.

When it comes to marijuana in Canada, it seems that after a long battle with the government, people who are lobbying for its legalization seem to be slowly reaching their goal. As of this year, 2018, even though recreational cannabis is still illegal, the situation might change quite soon. It’s obvious that the majority of people in Canada are in favor of legalization and that includes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In fact, one of the reasons he was elected was because of his firm stand that marijuana should be legal and he promised that this goal would be reached “by the summer”. This would be great news for many people who are serving jail time in Canada for selling and distributing cannabis. In fact, 58% of arrests considering controlled drugs and substances are for cannabis.

Thompson River University has banned marijuana smoking on campus. UVic is expected to set up smoking areas. Universities are developing varying approaches to governing recreational cannabis on campus, from outright bans to designated cannabis smoking areas.

While most administrations are still working on final policies, Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and Langara College in Vancouver banned cannabis smoking last spring in response to impending legalization. The University of Victoria, however, is expected to create cannabis-friendly smoking areas on campus for adult students and residents that will not be open to minors, said Kane Kilbey, associate vice president of human resources.

Security cameras in a cannabis dispensary in Canada have captured the moment a man used a bong to fight off three would-be bandits wielding cans of bear spray. CCTV footage showed three men with their heads covered enter the premises in Tyendinaga, Ontario, before one of the men sprayed a man and woman working behind the counter.

The staff ducked, before the man emerged clutching a bong that he used to fend off the men. Tyendinaga Police appealed to the public to help identify the "four males, believed to be of middle eastern decent (sic)" that attempted to rob the Recreational Cannabis Farmers Market.

Potent edibles and poor public education are to blame for a spike in emergency room visits.

A man is splayed on the floor of a jazz bar in Canada.

While BC has a reputation for being laid-back, British Columbians can expect to be faced with some pretty strict regulations come October 17.

The penalties are no joke either. Violating provincial cannabis laws can result in “a fine ranging from $2,000 to $100,000, imprisonment of three to 12 months, or both.”

What consuming cannabis in BC will look like is primarily up to each municipality. Depending on your location, the rules vary widely between “public smoking OK, with some limitations” to near-prohibition.

As of Saturday, anyone caught driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can have their licence suspended indefinitely and their vehicle seized for up to 60 days.

The harsher penalties for impaired drivers were passed by the Saskatchewan government this spring and come into effect Sept. 1.

The federal government recently passed legislation creating Criminal Code charges for driving while under the influence of marijuana. The new provincial legislation outlines the consequences drivers will face under the provincial Traffic Safety Act for committing those offences.

As an employer or employee, how prepared do you think your organizationis for cannabis legalization on October 17? When New York–based advisory firm Mercer posed that question in a survey of Canadian employers, only one third of 366 respondents said they were ready.

Meanwhile, in a separate poll of 1,008 Canadian workers, just 26 percent felt that their bosses were ready for the change.