• DelShen Therapeutics plans cultivation former state tree farm
• Prime Minister Trudeau has pledged to legalize marijuana

A former state-owned tree farm in northeastern Ontario will soon be growing medical marijuana, according to one of a group of Canadian companies that’s trying to capitalize on booming demand and the potential for full decriminalization.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- Aurora Cannabis Inc. ("Aurora" or the "Company") (CSE:ACB)(OTCQB:ACBFF)(FRANKFURT:21P)(WKN:A1C4WM) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aurora Cannabis Enterprises Inc., has been granted a license from Health Canada to sell medicinal cannabis pursuant to the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations ("MMPR"). 

Neil Belot, Chief Brand Officer, commented, "People seeking a holistic approach to health and wellness, who believe in medical cannabis and the healing power of nature, can now choose a culture and community minded Licensed Producer which truly understands their needs."

Map shows most people are seeking treatment for cannabis and opioids. Image / RecoveryBrands

A new drug map built on data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals New Zealand as one of the world's highest cannabis consumers, and the highest country for drug rehabilitation.

On Thursday, a Quebec judge called out Canada's "ridiculous" marijuana laws, noting that lawyers and others who work in the legal system are probably getting high themselves. The judge, Pierre Chevalier, then handed down a $1 fine to man who was prosecuted for owning 30 marijuana plants.

On the cusp of receiving a coveted new licence to grow medical marijuana, Dan LaFlamme went looking for a bank to represent his family-owned business and encountered the kind of rejection those in the burgeoning industry have gotten used to.

Two of them turned Canna Farms away before a third finally agreed. It was early 2014 and the company, based in Hope, B.C., had secured the fifth licence from Health Canada to produce medical cannabis for its new commercial mail-order system.

“I think it was just so new, [the banks] didn’t know [it was legal],” Mr. LaFlamme said.

Canadian judge Pierre Chevalier has issued a very symbolic ruling in a marijuana possession case. Mario Larouche, 46, was facing possession charges for having 30 marijuana plants at home. In line with the recently elected Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his party’s promises to legalize marijuana, the Quebec judge said this:

The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that the Canadian pot business got a boost last month with the election of Justin Trudeau. The Globe's Mike Hager writes the Liberals promised to legalize marijuana, and one analyst expects that momentum behind the policy will take some of the starch out of the big banks' conservative approach to such businesses. Simon Fraser University economics professor Stephen Easton has estimated legalization could bring in $3-billion a year in tax revenue alone. In contrast, alcohol sales generated about $7.7-billion in total for both provincial and federal governments, while annual tobacco sales bring about $7-billion.

The phrase ‘regulate marijuana like alcohol’ has been very popular with campaigns this decade, and rightfully so. Marijuana is safer than alcohol, and so telling voters to support regulating marijuana like alcohol has resulted in a lot of traction in the minds of those voters. My home state, Oregon, is in the process of trying to regulate marijuana like alcohol, with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) tasked with figuring out all of the rules, processes, and procedures it will take to achieve that objective.

The gradual legalisation of cannabis across US states is a triumph for the American Dream, says Sarah Dunant.

There may soon be a new use for your Keurig coffee maker — brewing pot.

Canadian medical cannabis producer CannTrust has created a single-serve marijuana pod called the CANNCUP.

Like other pods on the market, the CANNCUP will contain your choice of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. But these capsules will have a little extra something — dried cannabis.

Pop one in your single serve coffee machine and it will brew up a hot drink spiked with "a standardized dose of medical marijuana," explains CannTrust CEO Eric Paul.