Canada’s top per-capita cannabis seller won’t be getting a head start on selling cannabis edibles, extracts and topicals.

Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) reports that Alberta will have to wait until the new year before selling Cannabis 2.0 products.

But, the delay wasn’t a surprise.

“It’s the quickest timeline for AGLC to order and receive product from LPs (licensed producers) after the earliest day provinces can legally order from LPs (Dec. 16), to list in inventory for retailers to order and then ship out to stores across the province,” AGLC spokesperson Heather Holmen told The GrowthOp.

New classes of cannabis were added to Schedule 4 of the Cannabis Act on Oct. 17, 2019. That became the earliest date that licensed processors could provide the requisite 60-day notice to Health Canada for any products in the new classes they are intending to sell.

As such, Dec. 16, 2019, is the earliest date that notified products in the new classes could be made available for sale to authorized distributors and sellers in provinces and territories.

Holmen said she can’t make any promises about what will arrive in stores, either.

“Once product is ordered, shipped to us, received and put into inventory, retailers will be able to place their orders. Factor in order processing and shipping time to retailers, that brings us to mid-January before consumers will be able to find product on store shelves,” Holmen said.

“AGLC is still in discussions with licensed producers to determine the types of products that will be available, so I’m unable to speculate as to how many products will be available in the New Year.”

She noted that AGLC currently has contracts with 42 LPs and about half of them are anticipating offering (edibles, extracts and topical) products — some that will be available immediately and others later on.

“Again, these are anticipated timelines and are subject to product availability and any implications to timelines that LPs may face,” she wrote.

“AGLC didn’t expect it would be feasible to order product from LPs on Dec. 16, receive it and make available to retailers to order and ship it in less than a week. It’s not possible. That’s why I think it’s important to underscore the fact that no province can begin to legally order product until Dec. 16. It will take a bit of time for LPs to ship the product out and then to get that product shipped out and into stores.”

Edible marijuana products are displayed for sale. Alberta and Ontario will both have to wait until the new year before selling Cannabis 2.0 products.

This comes as the Ontario Cannabis Store also announced customers would have to wait until January to purchase edibles, extracts and topicals.

Alberta and Ontario have been head-to-head in terms of profits from cannabis sales. Ontario’s system has lost money despite having more sales than any other province.

Meanwhile, Alberta’s system is the most profitable per capita, relying on a private retail model — one Ontario may emulate in the new year through a  “hybrid” wholesale model that will allow the private sector to be involved in storing and distributing cannabis.