CALGARY — With the sale of cannabis edibles, extracts, tinctures and topicals becoming legal across Canada on Thursday, the city is reminding Calgarians it will be another couple of months before they will be legally available in stores and through the province's online retailer.
That’s because companies have to give Health Canada 60 days notice of their intent to sell those products, which can be done Oct. 17, meaning Dec. 17 is the earliest they will be available.
Producers are working to have the products available ahead of Christmas.
Federal regulations say edibles like candies, baked goods and beverages can have a maximum of 10 milligrams of THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, per package, while extracts and topicals will have a maximum of one gram of THC per package.
Extracts are used in things like vapes and dabs, while topicals are used in things like creams.
No nicotine, alcohol, vitamins or minerals can be added and packaging must also be plain and child-resistant.
The products must not be appealing to youth and can’t make any health claims.
It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to feel the effects of edibles, compared to a matter of minutes for smoking and vaping, as with edibles, the THC has to first travel through the user's gastrointestinal tract. The effects of edibles also last several hours longer than smoking or vaping.
A list of regulations can be found online.
Legal products will be available through the province’s online retail system or in approved retail stores.
Permitting information for cannabis businesses in Calgary can be found online.
In Calgary, recreational cannabis can only be consumed on private property. There have also been several cannabis consumption sites set up at events and festivals in the city over the last few months, which officials said have received overwhelmingly positive response.
