Last spring, Darrin Zeer invited a handful of guests to his cannabis-infused yoga retreat in Alberta’s Bragg Creek, nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies just west of Calgary’s metropolitan hum.

The Alberta-born, Colorado-based yoga teacher and mindfulness expert is accustomed to offering cannabis samples at his retreats. But this one was different: Those who attended his Bragg Creek event had to bring their own weed. And even though cannabis for recreational use became legal in October of 2018, facility managers were also hesitant to host the event — guests weren’t given its address until after they registered.

Even in Alberta, one of the most liberal provinces in Canada for cannabis use, legalization hasn’t sparked a successful wave of cannabis tourism.

Although recent numbers indicate an increase in the number of drug-impaired driving arrests, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) reports the overall impact of cannabis legalization has been lower than initially expected.

Police suspect that about 39 drug-impaired driving arrests between January and October 2019 have involved cannabis consumption, versus a suspected 33 arrests during the same period in the previous year.

The picture may become clearer with a report headed to city council this week indicating police expect that factors such as second-wave cannabis products and more legal supply to increase those numbers.

Cannabis retailers say the appetite for pot-infused edibles is outstripping the supply — and the provincial distributor can’t say when that will change.

It’s a replay of what occurred a year ago when logistical and regulatory hurdles created a shortage of cannabis in stores, a bottleneck that led to a six-month halt on new pot shops being approved by regulator-wholesaler Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis.

“This was definitely to be expected in a brand new industry,” said AGLC spokeswoman Heather Holmen.

Finding edibles in Calgary isn't a casual, chill affair. The newly launched way to ingest legal cannabis is flying off shelves across the city.

Marijuana edibles became available in some stores across the city  more than a week ago. And for the first time since legalization, stores began to stock shelves with gummies, chocolates, cookies, mints and cannabis teas.

And, of course, it's sparked some curiosity.​

But getting your hands on edible product is easier said than done.

Mylann Doell, manager at Queen of Bud in Sunalta, says if you aren't one of the first 100 customers to walk through the doors on delivery day (Monday), you've missed out.

Alberta loves cannabis. Some argue it has become the centre of Canada when it comes to weed.

As of December, 360 stores had applied for a cannabis license to the province’s Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis agency. “Alberta’s done a great job in building a network,” said Dave Bigoni, chief marketing officer at Canopy Growth.

So, it’s safe to say there are a lot of players in the cannabis game in Alberta. We rounded up six leaders you need to know about in the province:

Alison McMahon

Alison McMahon, Founder & CEO of Cannabis At Work, pictured in 2017.

It's been more than a year since cannabis was legalized in Canada, and now new options for its use are hitting the market in Calgary. 

Marijuana edibles became available in some stores across the city on Monday. More businesses will follow suit in the coming days as deliveries will fill the shelves with gummies, chocolates, cookies and mints. 

Queen of Bud in Sunalta was one of a handful of stores to get edibles in stock first thing Monday. The phone was ringing off the hook and customers who stopped by for other products were soon wooed into purchasing candy. 

The most popular item? Pineapple gummy bears.​

It's been a waiting game for cannabis consumers hoping to get their hands on the legal edibles, but the wait is finally coming to an end. 

While not all edibles are legally accessible yet, the first batch of THC-infused edibles such as cookies, gummies, chocolates and a few others started landing in Edmonton cannabis retail shops Monday. 

For cannabis retailers, the delivery of edibles has been met with excitement, but cautious optimism as they brace themselves for potential supply problems that occurred when cannabis was first legalized in 2018.

Cannabis has been legal for over a year now. But edibles, topicals and extracts are fresh on the market. So why not ring in the new year with the best of them?

Alberta Cannabis is the province’s only legal online store for recreational cannabis. Here’s a selected variety of prerolls, flowers, oils and softgels, some rich in CBD or THC, or some simply a funky hybrid for you to choose from!

Check out the official website of Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) for more options. 

Prerolls

Highlands by Tweed

1 preroll for $12.49

Cannabis 2.0 is coming soon to Canada — and one Alberta business hopes to be on the ground floor of this growing industry.

“We’re trying to reduce the risk and eliminate the barriers of entry that many people are having trying to get into the cannabis business,” said Lindsay Blackett, CEO of the Grasslands Taber Collaborative, a 60-acre business incubator focused on premium craft cannabis and hemp production, processing, and promotion.

“It’s a very complex, regulated market, and it’s an expensive market to get into. It’s really hard to get in for anything less than $1 million.