The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, June 26, edition that large cannabis producers will be allowed to start growing outdoor crops immediately. The Globe's Daniel LeBlanc and Christina Pellegrini write that until now, licensed producers of medical cannabis have grown their crops in greenhouses and indoor facilities. When the recreational market opens on Oct. 17, the only legal supply of cannabis will come from these facilities, where security is tight, the environment is controlled and every interaction with a plant is recorded on video. However, new regulations Ottawa is expected to unveil this week will open the door to commercial outdoor cultivation. While it is too late in the production cycle in most of the country to start outdoor cultivation this year, the new rules will be in place for next year's production season. Ottawa had required medical marijuana to be grown indoors to prevent theft and to ensure that the product met standards established by Health Canada to keep it free of dangerous chemicals, mould and mildew. Allowing outdoor cultivation is the latest example of federal rules being modified to help new producers enter the recreational market.