Article by Kate Robertson, Growth Op Is Ontario’s struggling weed store gaining a new, loyal customer base among stoners in lockdown? The provincial cannabis store lost $42 million in its first fiscal year, but online sales skyrocketed in the weeks after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As Canadian public health authorities implemented increasingly strict physical distancing measures in an ...

Article by Angela Stelmakowich, Growth Op There’s been plenty of “essential” talk throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. As separate regions around the world battle to stop the spread of the virus through self-imposed (and sometimes mandated) isolation, the needs of our day-to-day lives have become classified as either non-essential or essential. One of the unexpected conversations to emerge from all of ...

Article by Julia Veintrop, Cannabis Life Network Months ago, stoners everywhere were looking forward to a full month of 420; the parties and planning was well in the works. Unfortunately, the coronavirus had other ideas. Thankfully, the cannabis community adapted quickly, moving the party indoors and online, so that we can celebrate 420 at home. The lineup of live streams is getting really good! For ...

Article by Sam Riches, Growth Op Martin Cauchon stood in the House of Commons and took a breath. It was the spring of 2003 and as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Cauchon was about to introduce Bill C-38, a piece of legislation that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was relying on Cauchon to ...

Article by Kate Robertson, Growth Op The Ontario Cannabis Store’s website has seen massive improvements since launching in October of 2018. The blog at OCS.ca is filled with useful how-tos and shoppers can now sift through dried flower strains by potency. And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you might find something special like hash or edibles. But it can still be overwhelming to ...

Article by Mary Schumacher, The Fresh Toast via Growth Op Sometimes the best remedy for super stress is to take in a big breath and exhale a cloud of a good, balanced strain of bud smoke or vapor to bring things back into perspective. It’s a likely cure for a case of the mean reds, which are even more stressful ...

Article by Solomon Israel, Marijuana Business Daily Health Canada approvals for outdoor cannabis cultivation have increased by more than 25% in the past few months, and growers are bullish for now despite the COVID-19 pandemic that’s encroaching into planting season. Canadian outdoor cannabis producers contacted by Marijuana Business Daily said they expect their open-air crops will proceed as usual this year. For example, ...

Article by Angela Stelmakowich, Growth Op A Kitchener, Ont. man has added to the annals of what never to do when carrying weed in your car when he blew through a stop sign at about 12:40 a.m. on Tuesday. Waterloo Regional Police (WRP) were conducting stop sign enforcement when the 21-year-old apparently decided the sign was merely a suggestion. After ...

Article by Angela Stelmakowich, Growth Op Cannabis is hardly the only industry to have its work operations and work force turned upside down by COVID-19, but it’s heartening to see the steps that employers are taking to protect employees and acknowledge their efforts. These run the gamut from bonuses and raises to free cannabis samples, beefed up safety protections, educational ...

Article by Anisha Dhiman, Growth Op It was a 4:20 p.m. ritual started by a group of high school friends in the 1970s. Now, it’s a cannabis celebration that takes place all around the world. April 20, best known as 4/20, is a high holiday in cannabis culture — just for the fun of it, or to advocate for new ...