Although edibles, vape pens and cannabis-infused beverages are now legal, and some of the biggest licensed producers have announced their Health Canada-approved product lines, cannabis retailers across the country say they are not expecting to have any 2.0 products in stores until late January at the earliest. 

“Trucks have to roll across the country, inventory has to be stocked at provincial warehouses, and order forms need to go in before new products can come to our stores. That’s not going to happen until sometime in late January,” said Nick Kuzyk, chief strategy officer at High Tide Inc., which owns 30 cannabis retail stores across the country. 

Second-wave cannabis products like topicals, extracts and edibles are finally expected to hit the shelves at stores in a number of Prairie and Atlantic Canada provinces this week.

Offering in provinces such as  Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and P.E.I are getting the jump on a number of large markets, but there is some caution to go along with the excitement. Those in the know are encouraging cannabis connoisseurs and new users alike to “start low and go slow” with many of the products, especially if they’re unfamiliar.

Statistics Canada is reporting nearly $1 billion in non-medical cannabis sales across the country in the first year of legalization in its latest report.

The report, called The Retail Cannabis Market in Canada: A Portrait of the First Year, summarized sales over Canada’s first year of cannabis legalization. 

It shows the industry made $908 million total in online and retail sales in the first year, or $24 per capita.

Ontario led all provinces in sales with $217 million between Oct. 2018 and Sept. 2019, followed by Alberta with $196 million and Quebec with $195 million. No other province reached above $100 million in sales.

If you want pot edibles in Canada, you’re going to have to go a long way east.

Monday marks the first day Canadians can legally buy a range of new cannabis formats including vapes, edibles and beverages. Newfoundland and Labrador, on Canada’s easternmost edge, was one of the only provinces that appeared to have some of those products available for sale.

CannabisNL, the province’s government-owned wholesaler, had chocolate squares and gummies from Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. brands Kolab and Foray available for sale on Monday morning. Many other choices were listed as “coming soon.”

Most other provinces were days if not weeks away from offering the new products, according to representatives:

Things are finally brightening for the Canadian cannabis industry, but don’t expect it to show up in companies’ results anytime soon.

This week marks the earliest that newly legal formats including vapes, edibles and beverages can hit store shelves, although very few products will be available until early 2020, according to companies and provincial wholesalers.

Even once products are available, several provinces are placing restrictions on what can be sold. Quebec and Newfoundland have both banned sales of cannabis vapes, while Nova Scotia has prohibited flavoured vaping products. Quebec has also banned most edibles.

The federal government will allow the sale of cannabis vaping products starting next week despite not having tested the health effects of inhaling substances emitted from such devices. At least one cannabis company has preemptively pulled its product over health and safety concerns, CBC News has learned.

Cannabis vapes are among a series of new products — including edibles, extracts and topicals such as lotions — that can be legally sold in Canada as of Tuesday. 

It might be called the black and blue market by the time Alberta is done with it.

The Canadian province’s online retailer, AlbertaCannabis.org, is stepping up efforts to combat illicit cannabis by slashing product prices in the lead up to the arrival of edibles in the new year.

“Prices on all products have been reduced to better provide affordable, safe cannabis,” Alberta Cannabis told CTV News Edmonton. “And we’ve reduced our shipping fees by half — pay only $4.95 to have your order shipped right to your door.”

The big day that we've all been waiting for is nearly here in Canada. Following the commencement of recreational cannabis sales on Oct. 17, 2018, and the implementation of regulations regarding marijuana derivatives exactly one year later (Oct. 17, 2019), we're now just days away from these alternative consumption options officially hitting dispensary shelves.

A report to Saskatoon's Board of Police Commissioners outlines how the first year of marijuana legalization affected law enforcement in the city.

"Since cannabis legalization on Oct. 17, 2018, the Saskatoon Police Service has experienced fewer issues than were expected based on our research," says the report, dated Nov. 28 and set to be presented at the board's Thursday meeting.