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Cannabis edibles clear for legal launch before year-end

Reading Time: 2 minutes Food products containing cannabis are expected to be on the retail market by mid-December at the earliest under new federal regulations announced Friday. Health Canada on Friday announced amendments to the Cannabis Regulations will be published June 26 to come into force Oct. 17, laying out rules for legal production and sale of edible cannabis, […] Read more

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Ottawa looks to speed up emergency access to livestock drugs

Reading Time: 2 minutes Livestock drugs not currently available in Canada could become easier to access in emergencies, if proposals for amended federal drug regulations get on the books. Health Canada, proposing to streamline the processes for emergency access to drugs for livestock as well as people and pets, on Friday announced a public comment period on its proposals, […] Read more


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Grow facilities now required up front for new cannabis producers

Reading Time: 2 minutes Growers and processors seeking federal licenses to produce and/or process cannabis in Canada will now have to have their proposed sites “fully built” before they even apply. Health Canada announced Wednesday that the change takes effect immediately, saying it would better line up the cannabis sector with the approach the department already follows for approvals […] Read more

(CanopyGrowth.com)

Ontario chamber makes recommendations to boost cannabis sector

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters –The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) on Thursday made several recommendations that address issues affecting the province’s booming marijuana industry, including having a common excise stamp to help cannabis makers ship their products smoothly. The industry body also recommended bolstering Health Canada, the country’s health regulator, so that it can issue licenses to facilities […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Neonic-treated canola not an ‘unacceptable risk’ for pollinators

Reading Time: 4 minutes Already facing federally mandated phase-outs from many major on-farm uses in Canada over risks to aquatic insects, neonicotinoids aren’t expected to pose “unacceptable risks” to pollinators when used on canola seed or hothouse vegetables in the meantime. Health Canada said as much Thursday as it released its final re-evaluation decisions for three neonic pesticides — […] Read more

(Lentils.ca)

Pulse weekly outlook: Lentils, peas get new profile as protein source

Reading Time: 2 minutes Health Canada has unveiled its new food guide, which switches the focus from portion sizes to a balanced diet and includes protein from sources like peas and lentils. For the Canadian pulse crop industry, it’s a narrative they’ve been sharing for years. The new Canada’s Food Guide is “also sort of a realization that there […] Read more


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Health Canada dismisses glyphosate objections

Reading Time: 3 minutes Health Canada’s 2017 decision requiring no major changes to product labels for glyphosate herbicide will stand, despite the objections filed in its wake. The federal health department said Friday it has reviewed eight notices of objection received after it released its final re-evaluation decision on glyphosate in April 2017. The objections were filed with Health […] Read more

A hemp plant in Alberta. (Jennifer Blair photo)

Hemp growers eye new markets for 2018

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — Hemp producers across Western Canada will potentially gain access to lucrative new markets thanks to changes for this year’s harvest. For the first time, hemp growers are allowed to harvest their plants’ buds, leaves and flowers, after receiving an exemption from Health Canada. The market opportunities will be significant, said Ted Haney, […] Read more


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Extended-tolerance canola now on deck for 2019

Reading Time: 2 minutes Giving growers a wider window to spray in-crop weeds with glyphosate, the new platform for Monsanto’s future canola trait stacks is now booked to make its way into the Canadian market next year. The U.S. seed and chemical company’s Canadian arm announced last week it plans to commercialize TruFlex canola in 2019, following plot trials […] Read more

Tractor spraying soybean field at spring

Troubling gaps within PMRA

An interview with crop protection expert Craig Hunter on the avalanche of change that may be heading toward Canadian farmers

Reading Time: 5 minutes Last year, calls rang out for growers and their organizations to voice their concerns about an ongoing review of hundreds of crop protection formulations. The lobbying effort carried added urgency over and above similar efforts from the previous two years. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) began conducting these reviews similar to those required in […] Read more