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News on cannabis stocks and on developments in the industry haven’t let up in today’s volatile markets. Here are this week’s stories that we believe will mean the most to you as a Canadian investor.

1. Ontario was scheduled Wednesday to announce the winners of its second lottery of cannabis retail licences.

For this second round, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has selected 42 companies that can now apply for pot store licences. That’s considerably more than 25 announced early this year, but still too low, say critics, to satisfy consumer demand in Canada’s most populous province.

Unlike the first lottery held earlier this year, which faced criticism for not including a merit component, applications for the second draw have to show evidence that they have secured retail space that could be used as a store if they are selected. They must also show they have enough capital to open it.

Winners will have until Aug. 28 to pay licensing fees and provide the commission with a letter of credit for $50,000.

The 42 stores will be distributed regionally, with 13 in the city of Toronto, six going to the Greater Toronto Area, 11 in the west region, seven going to the east region, and in the north, one each in Kenora, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Timmins.

2. Beleaguered producer CannTrust says Ontario’s cannabis wholesaler has cited product conformity issues in deciding to return all of the company’s product for sale on the provincial website.

CannTrust said Monday the Ontario Cannabis Store has determined that some of the products it sold to the crown corporation were “non-conforming” under the terms of its master cannabis supply agreement.

“Any product that does not comply with applicable law is considered to be non-conforming product and the OCS may elect to exercise its right, among others, to return such product to the company at the company’s expense,” CannTrust said in a statement.

While the move follows Health Canada’s discovery of unlicensed grow rooms at a CannTrust facility, it comes before any Health Canada recall of its product.

The Ontario decision is the latest setback for the cannabis producer, which continues to be under investigation by Health Canada.

Last month, CannTrust disclosed the federal regulator’s findings that the company was growing cannabis in unlicensed rooms in its greenhouse in Pelham, Ont.

3. New data from Statistics Canada suggests Canadian men are nearly twice as likely to use pot as women.

The latest National Cannabis Survey shows men are more likely to use pot daily or weekly than women, and are also more likely to use it for non-medicinal purposes.

Overall, however, just 16% of Canadians older than 15 reported using pot in April, May or June.

That’s down slightly from 17.5% in the first three months of the year.

Of those users, about four in 10 say they bought pot illegally.

Following last October’s legalization, Statistics Canada continues to track consumption habits every three months.

4. One leading Canadian producer is now celebrating the first supply deal for its Portugal grow facility.

Through its subsidiary Tilray Portugal, Tilray will export $3.3 million worth of medical cannabis from Portugal to Germany. The shipment is expected to be completed this fall and will be the company’s first from its European production facility.

Canadian producers have identified Germany, in particular, as a growth market given its legalization of medical cannabis and its widespread support for its recreational use.

Tilray is among the few Canadian producers that have opted to grow pot in Europe in order to better service future European demand and cut its transportation and tax costs.

“This is a significant milestone for Tilray,” says CEO Brendan Kennedy. “We believe our 2.5 million square feet of cultivation and state-of-the-art processing space in Europe is an important differentiator, which will enable us to reduce costs and improve margins while hedging against regulatory risk.”

5. A Newfoundland cannabis retailer says he’s shuttering his legal store because his profit margins are simply too small to keep the business a going concern.

As owner of a tier 1 store, Thomas H. Clarke can sell only cannabis and cannabis-related products at his Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s store. That fine, he says, but while the businesss technically buys cannabis for 8% less than what it sells it for, the real margins are unsustainably lower.

Clarke says he also must pay a dollar per gram in excise tax on any sale, which brings his commission down to 7.5%.  Merchant credit card fees can further reduce that profit down to 5%. His high volumes are simply not enough to compensate, he says.

The province’s finance minister, Tom Osborne, suggests the government may adjust that 8% commission after sitting down with industry retailers. Still, says Osborne, “this is something that people (retailers) went into with eyes wide open.”