A hemp plant in Alberta. (Jennifer Blair photo)

Hemp poised for year of gains

Nationwide increase in acres expected

MarketsFarm — The hemp industry in Canada is set for a good year in 2021, according to Canadian Hemp Trade Association (CHTA) CEO Ted Haney. “It looks like we are looking at another 15 to 20 per cent increase in seeded acres nationally, which should take us over the 100,000-acre level for sure,” he said. […] Read more

To develop the new guidelines, Health Canada experts reviewed the science around gene-edited crops and concluded that the technology is safe for human consumption and the environment.

Health Canada declares gene editing safe

The ruling is expected to give Canadian producers access to the same types of plant breeding available in other countries

Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian farmers may soon be growing gene-edited crops. That’s because Health Canada has declared that gene-editing technology is safe. Health Canada recently proposed new rules to oversee plant breeding innovation, including gene editing. Why it matters: Canada has lagged other countries in its regulations surrounding gene editing, which could have put Canadian […] Read more

A mayfly on water. (SBTheGreenMan/iStock/Getty Images)

Health Canada steps back from bans on two neonics

New limits, some cancellations to be put in place

A federal proposal to protect aquatic insect habitat by cancelling all registered outdoor uses for two popular ag insecticides has been walked back in a major way. Health Canada on Wednesday announced its special review decisions on the risks to aquatic bug life from the use of clothianidin and thiamethoxam, both pesticides and seed treatments […] Read more

(Fudio/iStock/Getty Images)

Canada weighs tighter rules for grow-your-own pot producers

Spending on illicit pot still ahead of legal purchases

Reuters — Canada on Monday launched a public consultation seeking to tighten rules for individuals who are allowed to grow their own medical cannabis, in an effort to clamp down on pot seeping into black markets. In a draft guidance issued for the consultation, Health Canada highlighted recent police raids and arrests at production sites […] Read more

(Fudio/iStock/Getty Images)

People growing too much pot at home, Health Canada warns

Pressure on to prevent abuse of home-grow program

Reuters — Health Canada on Thursday raised concerns about the large quantity of medical marijuana people were growing at home, after its data showed a significant jump in daily average production permitted by health care practitioners. While the practitioners can allow registered patients to grow a limited amount at home for personal use, the regulator’s […] Read more


Emerging corn plants in Ontario.

Neonic ban decision expected in six months

Health Canada said it now has further information to consider in making its decision

Glacier FarmMedia — Health Canada is expected to make a decision on neonicotinoid insecticides in about six months. Federal scientists have studied neonics and their potential impact on aquatic insects for years. The final judgment was scheduled for this autumn, but now won’t happen until the spring. “Due to the vast amount of new information […] Read more

Mosquito control would be one of the few uses still allowed for chlorpyrifos under a proposal from Health Canada’s PMRA. (Tskstock/iStock/Getty Images)

Corteva to stop making Lorsban

Chicago | Reuters — Corteva will stop producing the agricultural pesticide chlorpyrifos by the end of the year, the company said on Thursday, removing the world’s largest manufacturer of a chemical that has been linked to low birth weight, reduced IQ and attention disorders in children. Corteva, spun off last year after a merger of […] Read more

Manitoba’s Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority (LGCA) has been running billboards such as this one in Winnipeg to educate the public ahead of edibles’ entry to the recreational market. (Dave Bedard photo)

Cannabis patients boost Aurora edible sales

Toronto | Reuters — Aurora Cannabis this week became the first major Canadian company to sell edibles and vapes for medical use, a small base that nevertheless helps shore up margins and paves the way for sales in the much larger European medical market. Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001, and recreational […] Read more


Neonic insecticides are very often used when planting corn and soybeans.

Neonic paperwork burden reduced

There will be less requirement for regular renewals of risk assessment processes

Ontario’s government is streamlining the regulations around neonicotinoid insecticides and that should reduce the amount of paperwork required to manage the seed treatment. The changes will also decrease the need for using certified assessors to evaluate the need for the insecticides, also known as neonics. Why it matters: The large amount of paperwork involved in […] Read more

File photo of medical cannabis in production. (FatCamera/iStock/Getty Images)

Pot producer CannTrust to destroy $77M in plants, inventory

Reuters — Canadian cannabis producer CannTrust Holdings said Monday it would destroy about $12 million worth of plants and about $65 million worth of inventory as part of a plan to regain full regulatory compliance. Health Canada canceled CannTrust’s license to produce and sell cannabis in September, months after it found the company was illegally […] Read more