It's been nearly one year since cannabis was legalized in Canada and a professor at the University of Northern British Columbia says knowing who is using it is important to develop sound policy aimed at reducing cannabis-related harms.

Russ Callaghan, medical professor at UNBC, is the lead author of an article in the forthcoming December issue of the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence that identifies who consumes the most cannabis in Canada.

Callaghan and a team of researchers looked at data from the federal government's 2018 National Cannabis Survey to find out who are the biggest users and how that should inform public policy.

Large players have gobbled smaller rivals and are dominating Canada’s legal cannabis industry, but small firms may be about to have their day in the sun.

Many entrepreneurs believe that when Canada legalizes cannabis edibles, drinks, concentrates and topicals in October, benefits will flow to smaller ventures.

Deloitte estimates in a recent report that the second wave of cannabis legalization, or Cannabis 2.0, will open a $2.7 billion market in Canada, with cannabis-extract-based products, including edibles, accounting for about $1.6 billion.

Canadian pot smokers are finally getting some price relief almost a year after the country legalized recreational use. But it’s still a lot cheaper to get the drug from illegal dealers.

A gram of cannabis purchased from government-sanctioned sellers cost $10.23 in the third quarter, down 3.9 per cent from the prior three-month period, according to Statistics Canada. At the same time, the price for a gram of pot bought in the illicit market fell 5.9 per cent to $5.59.

If cannabis investors were waiting for a sign that the beleaguered industry is turning the corner, Tuesday wasn’t that day.

The demand for topical cannabis products has risen in the U.S., especially products that contain only cannabidiol (CBD). But what, exactly, does it do for skincare?

Canadian cannabis company Sundial Growers was hit with a class-action lawsuit in the United States over misleading investors ahead of its initial public offering in August.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of investors who purchased Sundial shares during the IPO, is based on “allegations that Sundial issued materially misleading information to the investing public,” which refers to claims that a customer returned over half a ton of poor-quality marijuana to the company.

Just 10% of users consumed a third of all the cannabis used in Canada in 2018, according to a study headed by a Northern Medical Program professor.

Dr. Russ Callaghan and his team looked at data from the 2018 National Cannabis Survey, which assessed patterns of cannabis use among Canadians at least 15 years old.

"The findings are similar to those in the alcohol field, where we have found that a small subgroup of drinkers usually consumes the majority of alcohol in the population," Callaghan said.

The team also found that males reported consuming 60 per cent of the cannabis consumed and males 15-34 years old disproportionately represented in the heaviest-using subgroups.

A new survey has found that cannabis may not be affecting Canadian workplaces as much as was feared before legalization, but nearly 1 in 10 workplaces do allow it.

The survey was commissioned by human resources services company ADP and carried out by Ipsos.

It found that 86 per cent of working Canadians say that their employer does not permit recreational cannabis use at work, while eight per cent said it is allowed during the workday (up from 6 per cent in 2018).

The cannabis industry is in its most unpredictable era. Marijuana stocks have been stuck in a malicious hangover of late. Investors’ interest in this space remains in high gear, driven by strong performances among some stocks in the sector. The group’s powerful projected long-term growth dynamics also remain a focus.

However, 2019 hasn’t been the best year for marijuana companies in the wake of rising losses, regulatory scandals and negative publicity. Therefore, a steep and fast drop in their share prices.

Toronto-based cannabis producer Aleafia Health Inc. announced Tuesday it will end a supply agreement with Aphria Inc. while claiming the Canadian pot giant failed to meet its obligations under the deal.

Aphria agreed in Sept. 2018 to provide Aleafia subsidiary Emblem Corp. with up to 175,000 kilograms of high quality dried cannabis flower and crude cannabis oil at preferred wholesale pricing over a five-year period beginning in May.

Aleafia acquired Emblem in March for $173 million in an all-stock deal which combined the two mid-tier cannabis producers and bolstered their medical marijuana and recreational cannabis offerings.