October 26 – November 1, 2026 | Issue #22
Hey friend, welcome back to Last Week in Cannabis. Ontario is looking at tougher rules for illegal cannabis stores, a Manitoba city made its voice heard at the ballot box, and two new research reviews offer some practical lessons for anyone who uses cannabis. Let’s get into it.
1. CANADA: Ontario Proposes a Stronger Crackdown on Illegal Cannabis Stores
Ontario is proposing a crackdown on illegal cannabis stores, and licensed retailers say it is long overdue. The province has already created a team to respond to illegal cannabis production, sale and distribution. Retailers described the shift as moving from reactive to proactive enforcement. They also said they hope the new rules hold landlords accountable for renting space to unlicensed operators. An association representing independent licensed retailers welcomed the announcement.
Mary Jane’s Take: Every legal product on an Ontario shelf has been approved by Health Canada and gone through testing before it reaches you. Products sold through unlicensed stores have not been through those steps, so you cannot be sure what is inside or how strong it is. Stronger enforcement may feel like a story about businesses, but it connects directly to consumer safety. If you are not sure whether a store is licensed, check your province’s list of authorized retailers.
2. CANADA: Winkler, Manitoba Votes to Keep Its Ban on Cannabis Stores
Residents of Winkler, Manitoba voted in the October 28th municipal election on whether to allow licensed cannabis stores in the city. They chose to keep the ban in place, and the margin was wide. When cannabis became legal in 2018, Manitoba let each municipality decide for itself, and about 70 percent of Winkler residents voted to opt out at that time. A petition signed by at least 20 percent of registered voters can put the question back on the ballot. This year’s petition was approved in Winkler, while a similar petition in a neighbouring city was rejected. Another vote could return at the next municipal election.
Mary Jane’s Take: This is democracy working the way it was designed. Canada’s cannabis system gives provinces and, in some places, municipalities real say over how cannabis is sold locally, and that means access looks different from one community to the next. Whatever your own view, a clear vote with a high turnout is a legitimate answer. If you live somewhere without a nearby store, it is worth checking which legal options your province offers, because the rules vary.
3. GLOBAL: A Major Review Finds Indica, Sativa and Hybrid Labels Are Unreliable Guides
A systematic review published in the Journal of Cannabis Research at the end of last week looked at nearly three decades of research on the labels “indica,” “sativa” and “hybrid.” It concluded that these labels are not reliable guides to what is actually in a product or how it will make you feel. One analysis of 1,426 products listed by dispensaries in a single US state found no statistically significant difference in THC levels between the three categories. Some studies did link certain terpenes to certain labels, and one study found more reported insomnia relief with certain indica and hybrid products than with mostly sativa products. Overall, though, the evidence was inconsistent.
Mary Jane’s Take: These labels began as a way to describe the shape of the plant, not what it does to a person. Decades of crossbreeding have blurred the lines even further. When you shop, the most useful information is usually the THC and CBD content, and the terpene profile if the label provides one. A strain name can be a starting point for a conversation with the person behind the counter, but it should not be treated as a promise.
4. GLOBAL: Doubling the THC Dose Does Not Double the High
A review of 41 controlled studies, published in October and widely discussed this week, looked at how THC dose relates to how people feel. It included 1,020 people who used cannabis less than once a week. A 5 milligram inhaled dose raised the reported high by 34 points on a 100-point scale, after accounting for placebo effects. Doubling the dose to 10 milligrams raised it to only 39 points, an increase of about 15 percent. The researchers noted that taking more THC can also build tolerance, and that their results should be tested directly in future studies.
Mary Jane’s Take: This supports advice you have heard from me before: start low and go slow. The first small amount does most of the work, and extra THC tends to add less and less to the experience. It does not mean a higher dose is harmless, since larger amounts can still bring more anxiety, tiredness and impairment. This research was done with people who rarely use cannabis, so it speaks most directly to newer consumers.
5. UNITED STATES: Georgia’s Medical Cannabis Program Keeps Growing
Georgia opened a new application window for medical cannabis dispensary licences this week, running through October 30th. The state’s patient registry has grown to more than 56,000 active participants.
Mary Jane’s Take: A new medical program rarely arrives fully formed. It tends to grow in stages as licences are issued, products reach shelves and more patients gain access. Seeing the registry climb past 56,000 shows how much demand there was waiting. More dispensary locations generally mean shorter travel for patients, which matters a great deal for people managing pain or other chronic conditions.
That’s your week, with two stories from Canada and three from further afield. See you next Monday.
Mary Jane
