The vast majority (87 per cent) of Canadian business owners said they haven’t had any cannabis-related incidents in the workplace since recreational cannabis was legalized last October, according to a new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

Just eight per cent said they had experienced an incident, while five per cent were unsure. Employers with 100 to 499 employees were the most likely (22 per cent) to say they’d experienced an incident. By industry, hospitality (16 per cent), enterprises and administration management (14 per cent) and natural resources (11 per cent) were most likely to have had an incident.

It starts with a high school student innocently tapping a classmate on the shoulder.

When the teen turns around, their classmate exhales a cloud of vapour from an e-cigarette directly into their face.

Some teens might consider this a harmless joke, but the London region’s top public health officer – who calls the behavior “vape blasting” – says it’s a sign of how rampant e-cigarette use has become in London secondary schools.

The former lead of the federally-appointed task force for the legalization of cannabis says the first year has gone "extremely well" but there are "yellow flags veering to red" on vaping as laws governing the next wave of pot products come into force.

Anne McLellan, the former deputy prime minister and head of the team of experts assembled by the Liberal government to make recommendations on how recreational pot should be legalized, said the growing number of vaping-related illnesses on both sides of the border is giving her pause.

"Do we get to red, as a federal regulator whose first priorities are health and safety of the consuming public?" she said in an interview.

This has been a big week for the marijuana industry. On Thursday, Oct. 17, regulations concerning cannabis derivatives -- e.g., edibles, vapes, concentrates, topicals, and infused beverages -- went into effect.

While cannabis edibles are now technically legal, a Dalhousie University professor doesn't expect to see any legal product available before mid December.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois says although the product became legal on Thursday, October 17th, Health Canada has requested two months for products to be approved before they are sold for consumption.

"As of Thursday, companies can submit a proposal to Health Canada for approval," Charlebois says.

One major area of concern for Health Canada is surrounding cannabis edibles that might appeal to children and teens, which Charlebois says is being dealt with by the Federal government.

Researchers at the University of Ottawa are developing a hand-held device they hope will revolutionize cannabis production by giving growers the ability to test the ratio of THC to CBD in their plants.

"It's a very quick, easy and low-cost test," Adam Shuhendler, an assistant professor in the school's chemistry department, told the CBC's Ottawa Morning. 

"Push a button and out on the screen comes the ratio of CBD and THC."

Our goal really is accessibility.- Adam Shuhendler, University of Ottawa

Pot consumers will experience different effects depending on the ratio of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD).

With more cannabis products entering the legal market, novice consumers may feel intimidated by products they are unfamiliar with, such as vaporizers, topicals, and edibles.

Most Canadians believe the stigma surrounding cannabis use has decreased since legalization and is a positive economic contributor, but wish they were better informed about their products.

One year ago, the

The regulation of cannabis vape pens in Canada arrives in the middle of widespread concern over an outbreak of serious lung ailments and deaths linked to vaping.

U.S. health officials have reported 1,299 cause of lung injuries and 26 deaths. In Canada, two confirmed and three probable cases of vaping-related lung illness have been reported as of Oct. 17.

Most of the victims in the U.S. had been vaping THC, the chemical component of cannabis that causes the high, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaping products containing THC, especially those purchased from illicit or informal sources, “play a major role in the outbreak,” according to the agency.

Police, lawyers and advocates say that one year into cannabis legalization, Canada has a long way to go toward stamping out the black market and pot-impaired driving.

“We can’t call it a success at this point,” Chief Const. Mike Serr of the Abbotsford, B.C., police department said of the law change a year ago Thursday.

He said organized crime’s market share and youth consumption have not yet fallen, and tools to detect stoned drivers are still lacking.

But Serr, who also co-chairs the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police drug advisory committee, said resources and workloads have not changed much.

“When you talk to chiefs all across the country, the sky didn’t fall.”