Republican Senator from Colorado Cory Gardner is known well for his advocacy for marijuana businesses, and now he plans to make another move to protect them in states where marijuana is legal.

Gardner plans to present an amendment to a criminal justice reform bill that would protect marijuana business programs as well as allow such businesses to open bank accounts in legal states without repercussions. Cannabis is still a Schedule 1 substance at the federal level so banking would still remain illegal in states where cannabis has not yet been legalized.

The Ontario provincial government has given municipalities until January 22 to decide if they will host cannabis retail shops and some major cities in the Greater Tortonto Area have already made the decision to opt out.

Both Mississauga and Markham decided Wednesday that the cities will not allow for their communities to have retail locations which are expected to begin opening across the province in April. In both cases, the city councils felt there are too many variables and issues that need to be addressed before stores should be allowed to open.

The Mississauga council decided “no” to cannabis stores with a 10-2 vote.  

The Mayor of Toronto John Tory wants the Province of Ontario to give more agency to municipalities in deciding where retail cannabis stores can be located.

Ultimately, Tory’s concern is the safety of residents and particularly children, especially in the City of Toronto. He still believes retail locations should be made available but thinks that cities should have more of a say in where they can be located within their respective communities.

When Canada decided to legalize recreational cannabis, it sparked a movement for the rest of the world, with more countries eagerly moving toward legalizing medical and recreational cannabis. However, there are still some conservative countries that are making it difficult for this process to take place.

The Ottawa Police Service is supporting the City of Ottawa’s recommendation in allowing retail store locations in the city, and that the move to do so would help in reducing organized crime.

The Advice from the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) was included in a report published earlier this week that was given to council before a special meeting taking place next Thursday. The Council will decide in that meeting whether or not to allow retail stores.

Cannabis’ ability to treat numerous illnesses and conditions is becoming more apparent by the day in the wake of legalization and this is especially true for a number of conditions specifically affecting women's health.

More and more women are opting to use cannabis to treat symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome and menopause, but it’s also having very positive outcomes in treating other conditions that affect women in particular.  As such, Strainprint Technologies Ltd. announced last month that it has partnered with Israel-based research groups, Lumir Lab and Gynica to conduct clinical studies on how cannabis can be used to treat endometriosis. The study will be the first of its kind and will be carried out simultaneously in both Canada and Israel.

According to the results of a pilot program meant to determine just how much cannabis Canadian’s are consuming, Halifax residents consume the most.

Statistics Canada sampled wastewater from water treatment plants in major Canadian cities including Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. The samples were taken between March and August and were analyzed for THC levels.

The main purpose of the study was to track cannabis use prior to legalization and afterwards.

Halifax showed a consumption rate that is much higher than average per capita at 1,319 micrograms per person per week. Montreal followed with 976 micrograms per person per week with Montreal at the lowest at only 288 micrograms per person per week.

Credit Union 1 in Alaska announced in a press conference earlier this week that they will launch a pilot program that will offer banking services to cannabis related businesses.

“The credit union has always had out best success when we make our own magic and go our own way to serve our members, and especially to serve those who are in need of service or who are under served, and we see the MRB industry as being in that bucket, having had no access to financial service here in the state,” Credit Union 1 President and CEO James Wileman explained during the conference.

Another country has recognized the benefits cannabis has to offer and has moved to legalize cannabis for its constituents.

A Senate committee in Brazil approved a bill earlier this week that will allow for cultivating and using cannabis for medical conditions.

The bill has been approved by the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee, according to Marijuana Moment, but the legislation will still need to be passed in the Commission on Constitution and Justice before the Senate can vote on it. If it is approved by the Senate, it will still need approval from the Chamber of Deputies.

Following an agreement reached earlier this week, medical cannabis dispensaries will continue to operate while waiting for their license until December 31.

The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has been attempting to shut down unlicensed cannabis shops since September but the courts have intervened in order to ensure that there are enough licensed dispensaries to supply the state. There are currently close to 300,000 patients holding medical marijuana cards in Michigan.

According to the director of the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation Andrew Brisbo, there are around 98 unlicensed shops in operation which has dropped from closer to 200 as retailers have been granted or denied a license.