"Now what?"

That's what Torrance Aitken remembers thinking when he found out he'd won one of Saskatchewan's 51 coveted retail cannabis permits.

Four weeks later, there are still some things about the new legal pot industry that Aitken, a 34-year-old oil and gas well tester in Weyburn, Sask., can only guess at.

"I really don't have any idea how it will go," he said Wednesday. 

But Aitken didn't want to miss out on what he saw as a unique business opportunity.

The Saskatchewan government was only allowing two pot shops to operate in Weyburn, population 10,870.

Torrance Aitken, a Weyburn-area oil and gas well tester who won one of Weyburn's two pot permits, says he'll operate both businesses simultaneously. (Torrance Aitken)

Global demand for cannabis, both recreational and medicinal, continues to grow at healthy pace. According to a recent research report put out by Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, the next ten years are set to explode with spending on legal cannabis worldwide hitting $57 billion by 2027.

While much of that growth is expected to come from the United States, there are several other countries opening up to cannabis, whether it be through consumption or production and export.

Vancouver city council has made changes to its bylaw to accommodate the sale of non-medical cannabis, ahead of federal legalization on Oct. 17.

City council created the "Cannabis Store" designation through a zoning and development bylaw amendment at a council meeting on Tuesday night. 

This will replace the existing "Medical Marijuana Related Use" (MMRU), so that pot shops also selling non-recreational marijuana can operate under city regulations.

When you ask Aphria CEO Vic Neufeld if he would hire people who have illegally worked with cannabis in the past, he'll give you a blunt answer.

"So, it helps."

Earlier this month, Neufeld announced the cannabis producer was raising $225 million for expansions, with $55 million set aside for "cannabis extraction."

And with legalization of recreational marijuana consumption fast approaching, Aphria will be hiring more workers with product knowledge — regardless of how that knowledge is acquired.

Employing the most qualified workers

Although Ottawa has delayed legalizing recreational marijuana by a month, more than half of Canadians still think it’s all happening too fast, according to an exclusive poll for CityNews by Dart Insight.

Last week, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Cannabis Act would go into effect on Oct. 17, a full 55 per cent of Canadians polled said they wanted the date pushed back by up to a year.

In fact, three provinces — including Quebec, where the desire for a delay is highest — asked for more time to figure out how to regulate the production, distribution and consumption of pot.

Last week, senators voted to pass the federal government's bill legalizing recreational marijuana.

And on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced marijuana will be legal in Canada on Oct. 17.

But even before those announcements, Sudbury’s Jason LaFauci and his After Dark Cafe and Edibles became the Nickel City’s first edibles cafe, receiving the city's stamp of approval last Monday.

Edibles are food products infused with marijuana.

So once pot possession, home growing and sales for adults is legal, LaFauci and staff, who currently run catering for a regular food menu at the old Mine Mill Hall, will open up their edibles menu to recreational users.

"Eyes shone, cheeks were flushed, the inner light of universal benevolence broke out on every face in happy, friendly smiles."

That's Aldous Huxley in his 1932 novel Brave New World, describing "soma," a drug provided by the state to help citizens cope in his fictional dystopia.

If you are looking for something to take the sting out of the current round of gloomy news, we now know the date that recreational cannabis will become legal in Canada: Oct. 17. What comes after remains unwritten.

Considering a career in the cannabis business? Now may be the time to take the plunge as licensed marijuana companies ramp up production and rush to fill jobs ahead of pot's legalization in Canada on Oct. 17.

"It's crunch time," said Jordan Sinclair, vice-president of communications for Canopy Growth, based in Smith Falls, Ont. "This is probably the peak insanity for the HR team."

The medical marijuana company has about 1,000 employees, but that number will soon balloon by more than half. It's looking to fill upwards of 600 new positions as the company prepares for the recreational pot market. 

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says the government will look at ways to make things fair for those who have criminal records for marijuana possession after legalization comes into force.

Goodale says the question of pardoning individuals with criminal records for possessing marijuana is legitimate and one the government will pursue once the law comes into force. He made the comments on CTV’s “Question Period” Sunday morning.

Goodale’s office says once Bill C-45 is enacted, the government will examine how to make things fairer for individuals who have been previously convicted for minor possession offences, adding that it’s committed to reforming the pardons system.

Mail-order weed? You betcha!

With nationwide marijuana legalization in Canada on the horizon, the industry is shaping up differently there than the way it was established in nine U.S. states that have similarly broad legalization. Age limits, government involvement in distribution and sales, and access to banking are some big discrepancies.

And, yes, Canadians will be able to order cannabis online and have it delivered through the mail — something that’s illegal in the United States.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday that marijuana will be legal in Canada on Oct. 17. In the meantime, its provinces and cities are working out issues concerning regulations.

Here’s what to expect:

GOVERNMENT-RUN STORES