Retail stores in Edmonton and Calgary started to receive cannabis edibles products on Monday, one month after some other provinces.
Products like gummies, chocolate and mints were legalized in October but Health Canada must conduct a 60-day review before products can be sold.
That meant retailers had to wait until at least mid-December to order.
Other provinces like British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have looser regulations so the items have been available for weeks.
After placing orders last week, Nova Cannabis and Mountain Standard Cannabis in Edmonton started seeing shipments delivered Monday.
“Oh my god this is so exciting,” consumer Richard Peck told Global News as he was waiting to buy the new items in Calgary.
“They’re kind of more relaxing, right?” Peck explained. “They’re just there to take the edge off for a lot of people.”
Edibles are considered “legalization 2.0” by some in the industry, who say the products are a game changer.
“There’s been a lot of demand for it. Lot of new consumers going to be entering the market,” said Mountain Standard Cannabis owner Curtis Martel.
The Canadian Cannabis Chamber estimates 70 per cent of users prefer consumables.
“I think the people who don’t want to smoke cannabis will be the people who consume it,” said Marcie Kiziak with Nova Cannabis.
It’s expected different types of edibles, including beverages, will be added in the future.
The products are in non-descript boxes and bags similar to the ones that joints and dried flowers currently come in. Producers are not allowed to use cartoons or other packaging that could be attractive to children.
Doctors are warning those who have not used cannabis in the past to be careful when using edibles as they could be more at risk of overdosing.
First-time users are advised to start small and wait for a high before ingesting more.
Those who have consumed cannabis before might notice prices could be more than expected.
“It can seem higher compared to black market but just like flower was when it started, being introduced more than a year ago, it started high and leveled off,” explained Amber Craig with FOUR20 Premium Market in Calgary.
“Where we’re very much competing with the black market pricing now. The quality is night and day.”
The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission expected edibles to be available online by next week.
WATCH: (Oct. 18) With the legalization of marijuana edibles, RCMP Cpl. Richard Nowak and Edmonton police Sgt. Robert Davis share concerns about the legalization of edibles.
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