Lambton County’s first state-of-the-art cannabis cultivation facility is now officially in production.

High Park Farms – an affiliate of Tilray, one of Canada’s leading federally-licensed cannabis producers – held a formal opening ceremony at its Enniskillen Township facility on May 15.

Located on the former site of the Enniskillen Pepper Company, the facility represents a $30-million investment into a site that presently consists of 13 acres of greenhouse on 100 acres of land.

The company says the site acquisition has positioned it well for future expansion.

“It’s a super exciting day,” said general manager Kirsty Burns.

“A lot of work has gone into this and we are really proud to officially launch this facility today.”

Anyone with an interest in being part of Canada's legal cannabis industry knows it takes more than few fat stacks to start up a licensed growing facility or an ancillary business related to processing, hemp production, lab testing, or retail.

Lucky for entrepreneurs attending this year's International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), the investment group behind one of Canada's largest licensed producers will provide an opportunity for them to pitch their ideas for a shot at an investment of up to $1,000,000.

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (the “Company” or “TGOD”) (TSX:TGOD) is pleased to announce that on May 9, 2018 its facility based in Ancaster, Ontario received organic certification from Ecocert Canada, an internationally recognized world-leading organization in organic certification.

“This is another step in TGOD’s planned expansion to be the world’s largest branded organic cannabis company. Consumers world-wide are interested in quality products and TGOD will continue to strive to provide the highest quality organic product that complements the natural product preferences of today’s consumer,” said Mr. Robert Anderson, Co-Chairman and CEO.

Canada’s looming legalization of cannabis is creating a conundrum for Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO).

Late last year, the province announced a zero-tolerance approach to impaired driving for commercial license holders. Anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle cannot have drugs or alcohol in their system, if they want to keep their license.

The problem is that cannabis impairment cannot be measured the same as impairment from alcohol. Joe Lynch, a professional engineer with the MTO, explained the provincial approach to determining impairment, during Truck World, held in Mississauga, Ont.

Burin-based Oceanic Releaf Inc. has agreed to a distribution and retail partnership with Hiku Brands Company Ltd.

Oceanic Releaf is in the late stages of receiving licencing approval from Health Canada under federal Accessing Cannabis for Medical Purposes (ACMPR) guidelines and is converting the old fish plant in Burin into a cultivation facility.

Hiku’s subsidiary, DOJA Cannabis Ltd., is already federally licensed to cultivate and sell cannabis and owns two production facilities in British Columbia.

Tyoko Smoke, another Hiku subsidiary, is aiming to operate a network of cannabis dispensing stores across Canada and currently runs non-cannabis dispensing stores selling coffee, clothing and curated accessories in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

In an effort to bring awareness to workplace practices and regulations in preparation for 2018’s legalization of cannabis, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction has published a report that reveals not enough Canadian companies have instituted comprehensive substance-use policies, and those that are in existence inadequately help struggling employees.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB) continues to acquire market share with its latest deal making it the largest marijuana stock in the industry, assuming shareholders give it the okay to proceed. The company has been busy this year; just months ago it also was involved in what was, at that time, the largest acquisition in the industry. It’s a different approach than the one rival Canopy Growth Corp.(TSX:WEED) has taken, as it hasn’t been involved in such high-profile deals.

Diane Francis: Concert promoter Michael Cohl is publishing a website, launching a business and staging a high-level conference, which he calls the 'Davos of Cannabis'.

Michael Cohl has made a fortune as a Canadian concert promoter, theatrical producer and touring impresario. He has represented more than 150 artists from Frank Sinatra to the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd and U2 to name just a few of his most famous clients.

Michael not only organized their tours, but also helped them with everything from merchandising their swag to marketing their DVDs, TV specials, books and films. Along the way, he racked up a fortune and landed a Juno, a Billboard, a place in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a Tony and an Emmy.

The legalization of cannabis will create thousands of jobs, bring in billions of dollars and represent an added bonus for the tourism industry, economic and tourism leaders said at a cannabis legalization forum Thursday in Kelowna.

“Take away all the health issues, it’s a product and there’s an opportunity for economic development,” said Dan Rogers, executive director of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.

Niche Canada, a not-for-profit organization established to assist in the transition to the legalization of cannabis, hosted the forum at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.

Cannabis legalization will create between 50,000 and 150,000 jobs across Canada, said David Purcell, director of emerging business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Encouraging news from Valens Groworks today, which announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Speakeasy Cannabis Club.

"This partnership with Speakeasy dovetails neatly with our expansion objectives. As a specialist in the extraction of cannabis, Valens creates some of the best oils in the world, with our proprietary process creating a product that is clear, transparent 100% cannabis oil,” said Valens chief executive officer, Tyler Robson.

As well, Speakeasy is going to source 2500-5000kg of cannabis per month for Valens.