Article by Angela Stelmakowich, Growth Op U.S. authorities have adopted a quieter tone in announcing that charges against a permanent resident of Canada have been dismissed following what was touted as the largest cannabis seizure in western New York district. The June 25 seizure at the Peace Bridge, which runs between Fort Erie, Ont. and Buffalo, N.Y., involved the discovery of 9,472 ...

Article by Mark Newman, Hamilton Mountain News via Hamilton Spectator The two guys behind Hamilton-based Sessions Cannabis are looking to grow their legal retail pot-selling empire to 30 stores across Ontario, including six in Hamilton. “We’re the fastest-growing and the largest cannabis retail operation in the province,” said business co-owner Darryl Allen, who along with co-founder and company president and CEO Steven Fry, ...

Article by Kevin Connor, Toronto Sun A Toronto woman is frustrated with the red tape she says she has faced while attempting to open a pot store. Vivianne Wilson, who is working to set up her store called GreenPort at 686 College St., says the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s cannabis retail licencing process is out of whack. She ...

Article by Kristine Owram, Bloomberg Canadian cannabis brands are having a tough time getting consumers to notice them. No brand in Canada has more than 41% recognition among current cannabis users, with most languishing between 1% and 15%, according to a survey of 3,000 consumers conducted by pot data firm Brightfield Group. Even those that attract the most attention aren’t converting ...

Article by Growth Op Poker player and internet celebrity Dan Bilzerian has a penchant for spending money, but as the annual report from his cannabis company reveals, he’s not as good at making it. Bilzerian is the CEO of Ignite International Brands, Ltd., which sells a line of cannabis and CBD products, such as CBD-infused toothpicks. Forbes reports that the company posted $67 million in losses ...

Article by Meredith MacLeod, CTV News Two researchers in Alberta believe new strains of cannabis could potentially prevent the most fatal respiratory effects of COVID-19 and maybe even block the virus from entering the body at all. The husband and wife team of Drs. Igor and Olga Kovalchuk at the University of Lethbridge have been studying the use of new ...

Article by Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment The top police chiefs association in Canada made a bold call for drug policy reform on Thursday, arguing that low-level possession should be decriminalized and substance misuse should be treated as a public health matter. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) said that its recommendation is motivated by an interest in reducing ...

Article by Elianna Lev, Growth Op Just because there’s a global pandemic, doesn’t mean cannabis is going to stop growing — in fact, it could be we need weed more than ever before. Despite the new normal, Canada’s cannabis growers are still getting their work done. The GrowthOp spoke to three head growers across the country about how COVID-19 has affected their work, ...

Article by Growth Op In what they’re calling “a first-of-its-kind real world evidence study,” Toronto General Hospital’s Dr. Hance Clarke will lead new research designed to help medical cannabis consumers and doctors better understand how cannabinoids impact various conditions. Clarke, an anesthesiologist and the director of pain services at TGH, wants to back up existing anecdotal evidence with scientific data ...

Article by Mike Adams, The Fresh Toast via Growth Op “Wellness” is the latest buzzword in town when it comes to the cannabis-munchie movement. The cannabis community wants America to know, or at least it wants it to think, that instead of scarfing down fast food and Little Debbies whenever it comes time to tame the ravenous appetite that often ...