Prairie Cannabis has announced the success of its Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraiser, which raised enough money to fully cover four post-mastectomy tattoos through David Allen’s Mastectomy Tattoo Project. The initiative, which ran from October 1-19, brought together clients, local partners and community members in support of breast cancer survivors to restore confidence and healing through art.
The fundraiser culminated with a Flash Tattoo Event on October 17, where world-renowned tattoo artist David Allen created exclusive flash tattoos on the Prairie Cannabis South Loop. Each tattoo was priced at $300, with every dollar donated to the Tattoo Fund. During the three-week campaign, revenue from customers, brand partners and events pooled to fund four transformative tattoos for survivors on Allen’s waiting list.
“It was powerful to see our community come together for this cause,” said a Prairie Cannabis spokesperson. “These tattoos are more than art, they are symbols of healing and self-empowerment. We are honored to help four survivors make this incredible possible.”
David Allen, a Chicago tattoo artist known internationally for his work creating custom tattoos that cover mastectomy scars, uses his art to help survivors regain ownership of their bodies after breast cancer surgery. The collaboration with Prairie Cannabis underscores a shared commitment to healing, creativity and community impact.
“David’s work gives hope and confidence to survivors in a very personal way,” added the spokesperson. “It was a privilege to support that mission right here in Chicago.”
New federal guidance on medical cannabis is drawing attention to a growing gap in Canadian health care: patients are increasingly using cannabis to manage symptoms, but often without consistent clinical education, dosage support or drug interaction screening.
In January 2026, Health Canada published Information on the Medical Uses of Cannabis, a guidance document for consumers that includes contraindications, possible drug interactions, dosing and titration principles, and potential adverse effects.
Legal cannabis products produced and sold in Canada are not licensed to treat specific diseases or symptoms and have not been reviewed to determine whether they are safe or effective for those purposes.
“This is top-to-bottom healthcare,” said Ajay Chahal, PharmD, co-founder of Apothecare. “Health Canada has done the work to put clear guidelines to Canadians, but it’s absurd that patients are still forced to be their own physician educators. We’ve created a reality where patients are forced to turn to budtenders for pseudo-clinical advice, product recommendations for sleep, pain, anxiety or cancer-related symptoms based on anecdotes that work for someone I know. That’s not informed care, it’s a symptom of a system that has failed.”
Health Canada says that the use of cannabis carries health risks that are not yet fully understood and advises Canadians to consult their health care provider before using cannabis for medical purposes.
“That warning should set the system in motion,” said Anushya Vijayaraghevan, PharmD, co-founder of Apothecare. “Patients should not gamble with their health to relieve symptoms. If a patient is taking antidepressants, blood thinners, seizure medications, or has mental health vulnerabilities, the stakes are real. However, patients are often left to make product decisions and trial-and-error dosing with little guidance from the clinical system they are supposed to protect.”
In response to Health Canada’s guidelines, Apothecare is calling for four immediate actions to close the cannabis education gap in Canadian healthcare. First, medical cannabis education should be integrated into the core training of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and allied health providers, with standardized learning outcomes that address dosage, contraindications, impairment, and drug interactions. Cannabis is already being used by patients across the country, and clinicians need a shared baseline of knowledge to manage it safely and consistently.
Second, clinical cannabis counseling should be established as a standard for patient safety. Canadians deserve access to evidence-based guidance that is medically responsible, consistent across care settings and independent of retail environments. Without clinical advice, patients are often left to navigate complex decisions on their own, increasing the risk of misuse, adverse effects, or missed interactions with other therapies.
Third, continuing education requirements through professional organizations need to be modernized so that clinicians can keep pace as cannabis use becomes more common for symptom management. Continuing education allows health care providers to confidently counsel patients, analyze risk factors, and adapt care as evidence evolves, rather than relying on outdated information or comfort levels.
Finally, cannabis should be treated like other pharmacologically active therapies in routine care. This means standardizing patient disclosure, documenting use in medical records, and supporting appropriate follow-up and monitoring. By moving away from a trial-and-error approach, it will help integrate cannabis into standard care practices and improve patient safety and outcomes.
“This is not about being for or against cannabis,” Vijayaragheva said. “It’s about accountability. The system can’t ignore something this widespread and then act surprised when patients are confused, underinformed or harmed. We have the knowledge and the clinical space to do better, but it needs to be prioritized.”
“This should not be controversial,” Chahal said. “If millions of Canadians use cannabis for medical purposes, then millions of Canadians deserve professional-level education, consistent clinical supervision and clear safety standards.”
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday on Rep. Jared Sullivan’s (D) HB 186, debating its merits as lawmakers push again to end the ban as neighboring states have done. After taking testimony, however, the jury voted 2-1 that the measure is “unfit to legislate.”
The bill passed by a vote of 208-135 last month.
“This provides a very good framework for how we would regulate the sale of cannabis and cannabis products in the state,” Sullivan told senators before the committee’s vote.
“I understand that it’s not a popular idea among many members, but I would say it’s a very popular idea among most people in the state,” he said. “The most recent poll I could find shows 70 percent of people in the state want legalization, including 55 percent of Republicans. I think it’s time to do what people want to do and match what most places in this country are doing now.”
In New Hampshire, all bills are considered for a vote even when they receive a negative committee recommendation, so the panel’s decision may be overturned by the full Senate when the legislation is taken up.
If enacted, HB 186 would make it legal for anyone over the age of 21 to possess cannabis products containing 10 grams of concentrate and 2 grams of THC. Six plants could also be grown at home, three of which could be mature.
Past cannabis possession convictions would be vacated, and non-discriminatory protections would be established for consumers, including for medical care, public benefits, child care and government employment.
A new Cannabis Commission would be created to license and regulate the marijuana industry, along with a Cannabis Advisory Board.
Sales of recreational cannabis would be taxed at 8.5 percent, with revenue split between the program’s administration, municipalities, substance abuse programs, public safety agencies and the state’s general fund.
Localities across the state would hold ballot referendums asking voters whether they want to allow the retail sale of marijuana.
“Prohibition makes control impossible. Unregulated cannabis is often contaminated with obscenities, dangerous pesticides and heavy metals,” Marihuana Policy Project (MPP) state policy director Karen O’Keefe said in testimony to the commission. “Legislation only supports common sense rules: requiring licensees to verify ID, banning lab testing, pesticides and dangerous additives, and mandating child-friendly packaging.”
“Adults should be treated as adults in the live or die state. The High Court has not banned eating junk food, being sedentary, climbing, riding motorcycles or drinking alcohol, despite the risks involved in these activities,” he said. “The Granite States fully agree that even adults should not be punished by their government for using cannabis, a plant that is far less toxic, addictive and addictive than alcohol.”
Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) has already threatened to veto the legalization bill that reaches his desk, even though the proposal to amend the Constitution would not require gubernatorial action.
At a committee meeting last year, Sullivan ultimately made a persuasive argument for moving forward with his legalization bill, pointing out. The House has repeatedly passed similar legislation and that the House should stand its ground, forcing the Senate and the governor to once again oppose a policy that is popular with voters.
“We know where it’s going. Let’s send a virtue signal,” Sullivan said. “Let them be the ones to piss off the voters who care about this.”
As originally introduced, the legislation would completely remove the penalties for obtaining, purchasing, transporting, possessing or using psilocybin, effectively legalizing it on an off-trade basis. However, a The House Committee amended the bill before it could advance unanimously last march
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New varieties, new concepts, new packaging, new products, new faces – there was a lot to do in Berlin last week. And, new travel schedules too: due to the black ice, many visitors traveling by plane had to extend their stay or find an alternative mode of transport – or both.
Fortunately, our bus drivers got us home safely to the Netherlands, and we were able to take all the photos of the greenhouse suppliers, growers and other related parties, so take a seat and enjoy our Fruit Logistica photo report!
There will be more updates this week, as well as extensive reports from our international Freshplaza colleagues, focused on the fresh produce industry.