Hempfest Cannabis Expo takes over downtown Edmonton venue

Hundreds of people took in the Hempfest Cannabis Expo on Sunday, the first time the annual event has been held since cannabis was legalized in Canada last October.

The event, held at the Edmonton Convention Centre, saw more than 60 vendors selling cannabis accessories, providing information on how to grow cannabis or offering services such as insurance for cannabis or safe and secure transport for cannabis.

READ MORE: Marijuana is legal everywhere across Canada now

Expo founder Sacha Hockenhull said public perception has changed since he started the expo in Calgary in 2016.

“When I started the company, friends and family said, ‘you’re going to get arrested’ and ‘we’re going to disown you.’ Now, three years later, whenever I say I run a cannabis expo, I just get questions,” Hockenhull said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When I started the company, friends and family said, 'you're going to get arrested' and 'we're going to disown you.' Now, three years later, whenever I say I run a cannabis expo, I just get questions," Hockenhull said.

Hockenhull said public interest is the main thing that has changed at the event since legalization on October 17, 2018.

View image in full screen

“Legalization didn’t change it that much. It changed the enforcement obviously because now the AGLC has the mandate to come and get on the show floor and make sure everybody’s compliant,” he said.

READ MORE: Legal marijuana had an exceptional year in 2018 – and not just in Canada

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

3Sixty Secure is a security company that specializes in the cannabis industry; it helps applicants with the security requirements on their Health Canada applications, facility design and risk assessments.

Director of Strategic Engagement Barry Davidson said business has been good since legalization.

“The business level coming through the door has continually increased. We haven’t seen really any slowdowns anywhere after legalization. As we’ve seen retail rollout, we work within that realm as well. The level of new clients coming through the door is pretty consistent,” Davidson said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The business level coming through the door has continually increased. We haven't seen really any slowdowns anywhere after legalization. As we've seen retail rollout, we work within that realm as well. The level of new clients coming through the door is pretty consistent," Davidson said.

The expo will stop in Halifax next month and will also be held in Hamilton, Saskatoon and Calgary later this year.