"Fortunately we're versed in it, but we're just going to see more of it," says Halifax deputy fire chief.

Halifax's deputy fire chief says the department is looking ahead to the legalization of marijuana and anticipating an increased risk of fires from people growing and smoking pot at home.

Deputy fire chief Roy Hollett told CBC's Information Morning that the department has already dealt with fires that have been caused by illegal growing operations.

"Fortunately we're versed in it, but we're just going to see more of it," he said.

In its review of federal marijuana legislation, the Canadian Senate suggested a number of amendments, including that the federal government grant provinces the authority to ban home cultivation of marijuana. 

The Liberal government and the Senate may be in the midst of a battle that further delays the legalization of recreational marijuana, but Cannabis NB is good to go with at least of one its stores.

The one in the north end of Saint John is now complete. Once the date for legalization is announced, Cannabis NB can stock the products and train the staff to be ready for opening day.

Brian Harriman, president and CEO of NB Liquor, hosted a tour of the new store with journalists, who took pictures and videos and asked questions about how the new stores will operate.

There’s an almost even split among plan sponsors on whether to cover medical marijuana in their health benefits plans, according to the 2018 Sanofi Canada health-care survey.

Those for and against coverage were split evenly, with 34 per cent each, while the remaining 32 per cent said they didn’t know or were unsure. Among plan sponsors that said their health benefits plan should cover medical marijuana, eight per cent said it already does so. That number increases in the public sector (18 per cent) and among employers with more than 500 workers (13 per cent).

Science still out on how harmful cannabis smoke is to people.

With Edmonton city council considering relaxed rules around cannabis consumption in public, the science is still out on how second-hand cannabis smoke might affect people.

Fiona Clement's research was brought up in council committee discussions around the proposed rules, which would allow people to smoke cannabis outside in public places like parks and sidewalks. The new cannabis rules would be similar to current tobacco bylaws. 

There simply isn't enough published research to know how cannabis smoke compares to tobacco smoke, said Fiona Clement, the director of the Health Technology Assessment Unit at the U of C. 

Provinces’ right to ban homegrown cannabis emerging as key issue for some senators.

The federal government is rejecting several Senate changes to its cannabis legalization bill, setting the stage for a possible showdown between the Senate and the House of Commons.

The Senate has proposed 46 amendments to The Cannabis Act, and while the government is accepting some of them, it is passing on several major ones.

According to the House's order paper, the changes the government plans to reject include:

In a move designed to increase transparency and destigmatize the soon-to-be-legal recreational cannabis market, a newly formed international accreditation body called the Global Cannabis Partnership announced its inaugural members on Tuesday.

Speaking at the World Cannabis Congress, corporate social-responsibility expert Rick Petersen said the Global Cannabis Partnership he helped create will establish international corporate social-responsibility standards around informed choice, restrictions to youth, safety, advertising, the environment and ethics.

As Canada continues its march towards the legalization of recreational cannabis, we should pay much more heed to the unintended consequences.

Last week, the Senate passed Bill C-45 by a vote of 56-30, with one abstention. The Senate sent the bill back to the House of Commons with a boatload of amendments, including restrictions on cannabis promotion, home-grown pot and sharing weed with minors.

It’s just a matter of details now. There is no question the bill will pass, and within a matter of months, weed will be legal in Canada.

Saint John conference hears how companies grapple with raising brand awareness — without breaking the law.

Before New Brunswick's cannabis stores open to the public, marketers are grappling with the challenge of how to tell customers about their brand without breaking the law. 

"We've been given very clear direction," Ray Gracewood, chief commercial officer for New Brunswick-based Organigram, said Tuesday at the World Cannabis Congress in Saint John.

"[For example,] the fact that we are only allowed one colour on the packaging."

Earlier this year, Health Canada introduced strict guidelines around labelling.

Containers must display health warnings, similar to tobacco products, and company logos and lettering have to stay small.

Marijuana media pioneer says Canada will lead the world on legalization.

Canada is still hammering out the final details for legalized recreational marijuana use, but it’s already being branded as the “world’s most important” cannabis exporter.

“It’s historic what’s been done here,” said Ricardo Baca, a veteran journalist known as the world’s first marijuana editor. “The groundwork that’s being laid will end up impacting cannabis business, cannabis research, the world over for decades to come.”

International treaties, Health Canada ban on imports restrict supply from abroad.

Licensed cannabis producers are ramping up production to get ready for legalization of marijuana in Canada this year, but are also bracing for demand to far outstrip supply because of restrictions on imports.

Health Canada forbids licensed producers, which will be the only authorized sellers of marijuana to provincial governments, from importing any cannabis for sale, regardless of whether the purchase is for medical or recreational purposes.

The only cannabis imports that the department allows are those classified as genetic material for licensed dealers that conduct research and testing.