Some push to online sales, others sell DIY materials while waiting for potential edible legalization in 2019.

For many vendors, Edmonton's Cannabis and Hemp Expo was a chance to showcase their products ahead of legalization in summer 2018.

But companies that want to sell edible cannabis for recreational use are playing the long game.

Edibles for sale by companies weren't included in the initial legalization plan set for 2018, but were included in an amendment that would schedule their legalization for the following year.

A chef talks about how you can incorporate the oil into your diet using home cooked meals.

Health Canada doesn’t yet have a target set on reducing marijuana consumption among teens and young adults, but it says it will within the next few years.

Health Canada plans to set targets for reducing the rate of Canadians aged 15-24 who use cannabis “by Dec. 31, 2020,” according to departmental plans recently tabled in Parliament.

The report said the current baseline rate of use is 25.5 per cent for the year 2015 – which breaks down to 20.6 per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 19, and 29.7 per cent of Canadians aged 20 to 24.

In the face of impending legalization, the District of Fort

St. James has adopted a controversial bylaw amendment prohibiting the sale and production of cannabis, but has added a sunset clause that would see it expire on Sept. 30, 2018.

The amended bylaw was adopted at a council meeting of the district on Wednesday.

At a previous council meeting on April 11, several residents had loudly voiced opposition to the bylaw, forcing the mayor to adjourn the meeting early. One resident, Sandi Taylor, told The Citizen she had gathered over 320 signatures of Fort St. James residents on a petition opposing the bylaw.

British Columbia may have unveiled its plan for regulating recreational marijuana, but the enforcement and testing for drug-impaired driving remains hazy.

Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says the provinces need to hear "ASAP" from the federal government about what technology might be approved in testing for drug-impairment.

Currently, specially trained drug recognition officers conduct field sobriety tests based largely on visual assessments, rather than testing of bodily fluids.

Retired RCMP officer Steven Maxwell, who has trained officers on the field tests in Ontario and Quebec, says he believes recognition tests are very accurate — when conducted properly.

City data shows many vying for prime locations despite no promise of opening.

Cannabis companies are scrambling and taking risks to secure prime spots in Calgary, a real estate broker says.

Companies, hoping to get in on the industry boom expected with legalization later this year, must secure permissions from municipal and provincial governments — and that requires leasing rental space first.

In bidding wars, some companies are offering to pay double the rent, Nick Preston with Colliers International Commercial Real Estate said Friday.

And most are signing leases of five to 10 years even though they may not be allowed to open, he said.

An international fertilizer business in Augusta Township is going to pot.

V6 Agronomy has developed a fertilizer kit for home-growers of marijuana to capitalize on what is expected to become a growth industry once cannabis is legalized in Canada this summer.

The husband-and-wife team of Ryan Brophy and Amy Fogo has developed a small three-stage kit designed with the home-grower in mind.

For $19.99 plus tax, they will sell three pouches of different fertilizers, measuring spoons and instructions to guide budding growers on the care and feeding of their plants. The kits will contain enough fertilizer for two marijuana plants. (Under Bill C-45, Canadians would be allowed to cultivate four marijuana plants at home for personal use.)

Ottawa Public Health held the 1st of 2 information sessions Thursday night in Gloucester.

Ottawa parents are bracing for a new version of "the talk" with their children as the legalization of cannabis nears.

About 60 people — and an additional dozen officials from public health, school boards and local police — attended an information session Thursday night on how to talk to their children about cannabis.

Greely resident Keri Hatfield, who has two middle school-age children, said having a dad who was a police officer had kept her from ever considering trying cannabis.

"The fear of God was put into me not to do drugs," she said.

"To have it become a normal thing like alcohol, it worries me. So I want to be prepared to deal with this with my kids."

Kait Shane, educator at Natural Health Services, said the chain is hiring, but is finding many doctors are hesitant to get into the cannabis business.

Medical cannabis clinics are on the hunt for physicians as waiting lists grow.

Natural Health Services, a popular Canadian chain of clinics, stopped taking new patients at its Edmonton and Calgary locations in February because the influx of new clients was giving existing patients grief trying to book followup appointments.

“That just came to a head, basically,” said Natural Health Services community outreach educator Kait Shane.

“It was just a matter of really wanting to concentrate on patient care for our existing patients … They’re having problems, they’re frustrated, and we can’t have that.”

Are Canadian legalization laws too strict to be worth the effort?

Legalizing marijuana in Canada will benefit millions of people. First and foremost, people will no longer be incarcerated for minor possession charges. This means fewer arrest records, less government spending on prisons and less longterm impact on the careers and lives of those caught with marijuana. Legalization does, however, vary province by province, and come with a host of bureaucratic complications. Are Canadian legalization laws too strict? Here’s a closer look at the problems marijuana legislation, as it exists today, could cause.

Strict Laws Require Bigger Law Enforcement Budgets

The Government of British Columbia announced a new legislation proposal on Thursday in preparation for Canada to legalize marijuana this year.

The Government of British Columbia is proposing new rules making 19 the legal age to purchase, sell or consume cannabis, allow adults to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis in public spaces and ban smoking or vaping cannabis in the same places tobacco smoking and vaping in prohibited. The legislation will also ban smoking or vaping recreational cannabis at playgrounds and other places where children gather.