Light up a dutchie and pass it ‘pon the left-hand side (or do so when the workday is over) because today marks the fifth anniversary of weed legalization in Canada. 

Driving the news: Per newly released Stats Canada data, Canada’s cannabis sector is valued at $10.8 billion, an increase from the $6.4 billion valuation it held when legalization occurred but a far cry from the lofty $22.6 billion potential that Deloitte predicted in 2018. 

In the market for a new place? The bad news is that rent will be terrifying. The good news is, furnishing it just got cheaper! 

What happened: Ikea is slashing prices on a range of its furniture worldwide, as easing supply chain costs have made things cheaper to produce. In a world where food and gas prices remain sky-high, at least the famous Billy bookcase just saw a 20% discount.

If you’ve had a passing interaction with a small child recently, chances are you’re aware of PAW Patrol, the animated series about heroic dogs. In fact, the show’s second movie hit theatres this month and had the largest box office opening for a Canadian film in a decade.

And now, the company behind it just made a move to get even bigger. 

What happened: Toronto-based toy giant Spin Master agreed to buy US toymaker Melissa & Doug for a cool US$950 million. Melissa & Doug specializes in toys for preschoolers and wooden jigsaw puzzles, diversifying Spin Master’s already vast portfolio of toys and games. 

A 249-year-old orthopedic sandal maker is now one of the year’s top IPOs amongst a crowd of buzzy tech companies. How did that happen? 

Driving the news: Birkenstock is hitting the public market today, with the German shoemaker aiming to sell ~32 million shares for US$46 a pop, giving the company a ~$9.2 billion valuation. 

Diabetes-turned-weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro—collectively known as GLP-1 drugs—may be shrinking more than just celebs’ waistlines. 

Driving the news: A growing number of companies are worried that mass adoption of the drugs, which work by suppressing people’s desire to eat and drink, will be bad for their bottom line and could lead to a general drop in consumption. 

On this week’s episode of Free Lunch by The Peak, we chatted with Cordell Jacks, CEO and General Partner of The Regenerative Capital Group, to discuss the oncoming retirement wave of small-to-medium-sized business owners and how entrepreneurs can capitalize on it. 

BlackBerry just booted up the ol’ Bold 9700 and sent a heartfelt break-up text… to itself.  

What happened: BlackBerry announced its splitting into two separate public companies next March as it looks to stoke new investor interest and chart a clearer path forward. 

Over the summer, analysts were pretty confident that major banks would be interested in buying Laurentian. But now, even the CEO doesn’t want to work there.

What happened: Laurentian Bank is bidding adieu to CEO Rania Llewellyn, the first woman to head a major Canadian bank, after just three years in the role. Eric Provost, who was formerly in charge of personal and commercial banking, will take her place, per Bloomberg.

Bad business idea: Opening a meth and crack store that immediately gets shut down. 

Maybe a good business idea? Early investing in the potential decriminalization of hard drugs.

Driving the news: Safe Supply Streaming is on track to list on the Canadian Securities Exchange. But it’s not like other investment firms: It claims to be the first company designed to invest in the “third wave” of drug reform, or policies relaxing laws around hard drugs. 

Still working from home in your sweats? Better hang on to that gig if you want to keep the lifestyle because few new jobs will afford you the same luxury.

Driving the news: Only 9% of new job postings on LinkedIn were fully remote in August, according to a report from the company.