Cannabis was legalized in Canada last year, but that hasn't made it easier for people who want to buy weed on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Health workers and addiction experts say new municipal rules and licensing regimesare leaving people at the epicentre of the country's opioid crisis with no legal options if they want to use cannabis, which can help them kick more dangerous drugs.

A group of alcohol and cannabis companies have formed an industry alliance to push for changes to proposed rules governing pot-infused beverages before edibles become legal in the coming months.

The Cannabis Beverage Producers Alliance is arguing for, among other things, the ability to produce pot-based drinks in the same facilities where non-cannabis beverages are made.

The additional cost of establishing separate manufacturing and processing facilities is a "significant barrier to entry," particularly for small and mid-sized producers, said Paddy Finnegan, business unit manager for food and beverage at Lakeside Process Controls, an alliance member.

The extra cost will also make it harder to compete with the illicit market on price, he added.

A push by British Columbia's health officer to decriminalize drug possession in the fight against overdoses isn't getting support from the province's solicitor general.

Dr. Bonnie Henry called on the B.C. government Wednesday to make drug possession a health issue and not a crime.

"The current criminal justice based approach framework in B.C. and in Canada create barriers to accessing prevention and treatment services," she told a news conference. "With the crisis we are dealing with in B.C., and the impact on our families and communities, I believe we can and do need to do more."

Canadian police say they haven't been busting many more stoned drivers six months after legalization, but they are reminding drivers to keep cannabis out of reach.

The Canadian Press canvassed police forces across the country and most reported no significant change in the number of impaired driving charges laid, while some said it's too early to release data, and at least one reported a rise in charges.

Dozens of charges have also been laid under the new federal Cannabis Act relating to possession and trafficking, but Chief Const. Mike Serr of the Abbotsford Police Department in British Columbia said the number is "not significant at this point."

Illegal cannabis dealers still hold a price advantage over licensed government pot shops, federal statistics show.

As of March 31, the national average price of cannabis from all sources was $8.04 per gram. Legal cannabis was $9.99 on average compared to an average illicit price of $6.37.

Those averages are from the period since October’s legalization.

Statistics Canada, informally known as StatCan, began collecting data early last year through StatsCannabis. That’s an online hub including a crowd-sourcing platform to gather information about national cannabis use, including how much Canadians are paying, the quantity and quality, reasons for buying and average usage and consumption.

According to the Federal Government’s 2019 Budget, the next round of Canadian cannabis products will be taxed based on THC-content. Effective May 1, edibles, extracts, and topicals will be subject to excise tax at a rate of one cent per milligram of THC. This is in addition to the already imposed sales tax.

Like many marijuana entrepreneurs across the province, John Thomas's biggest concern when he opened his first store was supply.

Thomas is the co-founder of Jimmy's Cannabis Shop, which has locations in Battleford, Estevan and Martensville with another opening in Moosomin this Saturday. He said the stores initially struggled to get enough marijuana to reliably operate.

He was forced to close the Martensville location just days after opening due to running out of product.

Now, six months after legalization, supply is becoming much less of an issue. Thomas said the province's laissez-faire approach to the supply issue is part of the reason.

Cannabis has been legal for many months now but the controversy over Vancouver's annual 4/20 weed celebration event hasn't subsided.

The Vancouver Park Board held an emergency meeting Monday night and passed a motion asking organizers to cancel a scheduled concert by Cypress Hill, in an effort to control crowd size.

"I consider that request to be ridiculous," said Dana Larsen, one of the organizers of 4/20. "Obviously, we're not going to be cancelling."

Despite cannabis now being legal, he's adamant the need to protest isn't over.

Michelle Gray says she's afraid to get behind the wheel again after having her licence suspended for failing a cannabis saliva test in Nova Scotia, even though she passed a police administered sobriety test the same night.

Gray has been using medical marijuana for almost eight years to treat multiple sclerosis and she plans to launch a constitutional challenge to the law and roadside test.

"They should not be on the streets and used for testing cannabis impairment," said Gray, who lives in Sackville. "I think the government legalized cannabis way too fast. I don't think it was a well thought out plan."

Cannabis prices in Canada have soared since legalization with prices on the black market now reportedly less than half that of licensed dispensaries.

The average cost of a dried gram has rocketed since legalization last October, according to users who voluntarily entered what they paid into a Statistics Canada app.

The difference between legal and illegal prices is even more dramatic, with a gram in regulated stores averaging $9.99 per gram compared to less than $6.40 on the black market, some 36 per cent cheaper.