Some garden centres say they’re disappointed that they won’t be allowed to sell marijuana seeds or seedlings when recreational cannabis becomes legal in October.

Lisa Silva from Bluegrass Nursery in Calgary says customers are already asking her about how to grow cannabis, and she’d welcome the right to sell them plants.

“It’s another market opportunity for us to capture,” she says.

Federal law allows Canadians to cultivate up to four plants per household, although Quebec and Manitoba have chosen to prohibit home cultivation altogether.

But the federal legislation doesn’t allow anyone to sell plants and seeds unless they are a “provincially or territorially regulated retailer ... or a federally licensed producer.”

Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. (TSXV: NINE) ("Delta 9" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the planned locations for its first cannabis retail stores. Delta 9 intends to open two stores in Winnipeg, one in Brandon and one in Thompson before the end of the year. At least one of the Winnipeg stores is expected to be open on October 17, 2018, which is the date that has been announced as the first day for legal retail sales of cannabis. The Company's online sales portal will also be operating on that date.

Anticipating the legalization of cannabis later this year, some of the country’s major life insurance companies are updating their policies to better serve customers.

Recreational use of cannabis is set to be legalized on October 17; and the announcement has sent the non-life insurance industry scrambling to ensure that the emerging marketplace has proper coverage.

Brokers looking to place product liability policies for cannabis vendors might face an uphill battle.

The cannabis industry “desperately” needs access to the same coverage that insurers already provide to non-cannabis businesses in agriculture pharmaceutical or manufacturing, said Wendy Sinclair, managing director of Jones Brown Inc., in a recent interview.

A bill making it legal for Canadians to possess and share up to 30 grams of dried cannabis for recreational use was passed into law June 21. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reportedly said recreational marijuana will be legal in Canada, effective Oct. 17, 2018.

People won't be smoking legalized cannabis for another four months - but the New Brunswick government says millions in revenue from cannabis sales has already gone up in smoke. 

The original plan was for sales to start July 1, but the delay will cost the provincial government and it’s affecting jobs in the cannabis stores.

Now that we know Oct. 17 will be day for legal weed, other things are becoming clearer, too.

“Although it has never been the main focus, the delay in implementation will impact our revenue projections,” said New Brunswick Finance Minister Cathy Rogers.

The provincial budget in January indicated an expectation of $7.2 million in revenue between Canada Day and the end of fiscal year.

Ontario’s cannabis retailing arm is putting pressure on some growers to reduce prices as the province strives to ensure marijuana on its shelves will be cheap enough to compete with the illicit market.

In talks with producers to determine which companies will supply the recreational market, officials for the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) are pushing for some strains of flower to be available to consumers at a retail price of about $7.50 a gram, including taxes, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Landlords will be able to restrict smoking and cultivation of legalized cannabis in their residential properties, according to the New Brunswick government.

Tenancy issues were among several topics provincial officials addressed in Fredericton on Thursday, a week and a half after the senate passed the federal government's bill legalizing recreational marijuana.

Pot will become legal to consume and grow in private dwellings on Oct. 17.

Kim Snow, the province's chief residential tenancies officer, said she has been speaking with concerned landlords who wish to prohibit cultivation and smoking.

They will get their wish, she said. Landlords can include those terms in new leases.

AS the legalization of marijuana approaches, there are still unanswered questions, including the effectiveness of roadside drug testing and what prices will be. 

It was originally slated to come into force on Canada Day, but after much wrangling, Oct. 17, 2018, will go down in history as the day the recreational weed prohibition died in this country. With the passage of Bill C-45, it will be legal to buy and consume it.

The rumour mill is flying now that the recreational marijuana market has been given the green light by the federal government — only the second government in the world to legalize it. Starting October 17, marijuana retailers across the country will be open for business.

While everyone’s obsessed by the leaf itself, I’m more inclined to believe the big growth will be from the by-products of marijuana, such as edibles, drinks, etc., and given the 9.9% investment by Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:STZ) in Canopy Growth Corp., it likely feels the same.

Only a matter of time

Federal government officials on Wednesday said there will not be a specific licence requirement for the transportation of cannabis.

Under new regulations unveiled by Health Canada Wednesday, all federal licence holders will be responsible and accountable for the safekeeping of cannabis, which includes the distribution and transportation process.

During a technical briefing with reporters, a government official said that any company or person who is retained by a licensed company to transport cannabis will be subject to the provisions of the Cannabis Act.