Last Week in Cannabis #8
July 6–12, 2026 | Issue #8
Hey friend — welcome back to Last Week in Cannabis. The World Cup is in full swing in Toronto and Vancouver, and it's turning into a quietly significant moment for cannabis. Plus, the American Medical Association just took a nuanced and notable new position. Let's get into it.
1. CANADA — Millions of Tourists Are Walking Into Legal Dispensaries for the First Time
As record crowds arrive across North America for the best-attended FIFA World Cup in history, millions of people are having their first encounter with legal cannabis. Cannabis is legal or decriminalized in some form in every host city across the three countries — and it's the first time the World Cup has been held somewhere cannabis is fully legal. Canada.ca
Retailers in Toronto and Vancouver are spending a lot of time educating international first-timers — walking them through THC percentages, dosing, and helping them find something appropriate for their experience level. Legalization advocates say the political opportunity may outlast the sales bump: most international visitors are coming from countries where cannabis is still prohibited, and seeing what a regulated market actually looks like in person goes a long way toward shifting perceptions. Canada.ca
Mary Jane's Take: This is the kind of moment that doesn't show up in sales data but matters enormously for the long-term story of cannabis normalization. A fan from South Korea or Saudi Arabia walking into a clean, well-lit, professionally staffed Canadian dispensary for the first time — and having a good, safe experience — is worth more than any advertising campaign. If you're in Toronto or Vancouver this summer and you know someone visiting from a country where this isn't legal, be a good host. Help them understand their options and remind them of the golden rule: start low, go slow.
2. CANADA — Alberta Is Overhauling How Cannabis Gets to Store Shelves
Alberta's cannabis regulator announced this week that the province is moving away from its current government-run wholesale distribution model and shifting to a privately managed consignment system. Under the new model, licensed producers will ship cannabis directly to retailers rather than routing everything through a central government warehouse. The change is designed to reduce costs, speed up product availability, and give retailers more flexibility in what they stock.
Mary Jane's Take: This is a meaningful structural change for anyone who pays attention to how the legal market works. Alberta has long been one of Canada's more retailer-friendly provinces — it has the most private cannabis stores in the country — and this shift further reduces the government's role as a middleman. For consumers, the practical impact should be faster access to new products and potentially more competitive pricing. Worth watching to see whether other provinces take note.
3. UNITED STATES — America's Largest Doctors' Association Just Took a Nuanced Stance on Cannabis
The American Medical Association — the largest physician organization in the United States — formally adopted two new cannabis resolutions this week. The first calls for a ban on flavored cannabis vaping products, citing concerns that flavored cartridges mask the taste of cannabis and have increased young people's willingness to try them. The second formally acknowledges that cannabis carries both real risks and potential therapeutic benefits for older adults — specifically noting that while there is a higher incidence of dementia among cannabis users, cannabis may also offer benefits for managing agitation in dementia patients as an alternative to antipsychotic medications. Global News
Mary Jane's Take: The AMA still officially opposes cannabis legalization, so these resolutions are not a reversal of position — but they are a meaningful shift in tone. Formally acknowledging that cannabis may help manage dementia-related agitation, while calling for more research, is a far cry from blanket dismissal. And the call to ban flavored vapes is worth taking seriously — the evidence that flavors drive youth uptake is real. This is the kind of careful, evidence-based conversation the medical community should be having, and it's encouraging to see it happening.
4. UNITED STATES — Most Cannabis Consumers Don't Expect Full Rescheduling This Year
The DEA rescheduling hearing is now past its midpoint — it runs through July 15th — and a new poll released this week found that most cannabis consumers do not expect the full rescheduling of all marijuana to Schedule III to be completed before the end of 2026. Medical cannabis under state licenses was already moved to Schedule III in April, but the broader rescheduling covering recreational cannabis remains tied up in the hearing and ongoing court challenges.
Meanwhile, a new study published this week found that recreational cannabis legalization is associated with reduced personal bankruptcy rates — with researchers noting that by reducing exposure to criminal justice costs like fines and legal fees, legalization may ease the financial shocks that push vulnerable households into insolvency.
Mary Jane's Take: The rescheduling hearing has been more encouraging than many expected — the government's own witnesses made a strong case for cannabis having accepted medical uses. But the legal and political machinery surrounding it is slow, and anyone who has followed US cannabis policy for any length of time knows that the finish line has a habit of moving. The bankruptcy study, though, is a quieter but important reminder of why legalization matters beyond just being able to buy a legal joint. Criminal records and legal fees follow people for years. Removing those consequences has real economic consequences for families.
That's your week — two from Canada, two from the United States. See you next Monday.
— Mary Jane
