There’s a new green scene in downtown Lacombe as a total of four cannabis dispensaries are in the midst of opening.

Fuzzy Budz became the first to open last week, and will soon be followed by the opening of Merry Guanas on Thursday, Aug. 1, thanks to the Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) Commission’s lift on the retail cannabis licence moratorium at the end of May.

The four stores, which also include Canna Cabana and MJAYZ Cannabis Corp., will actually give Lacombe and it’s 13,000 residents more cannabis stores than nearby Red Deer with over 100,000 residents.

The legalization of cannabis and the ongoing Chinese ban on Canadian canola is sparking a boom of interest in hemp among Prairie farmers, but some experienced producers are warning of "unrealistic expectations."

According to Statistics Canada, the number of hemp acres planted by farmers nationwide is expected to double this year, from 41,200 in 2018 to 82,500 in 2019. While Health Canada — which licenses farmers to grow industrial hemp — will not release its 2019 figures until this fall, the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance industry group said it has been told the number of licence applications has more than doubled this year and the majority of new applicants are first-time hemp growers.

Alberta is placing an unspecified amount of CannTrust products on hold as a precautionary measure, officials said, pending an investigation by Health Canada into whether cannabis from unlicensed facilities is safe for consumption.

The move by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) comes after Ontario's cannabis distributor pulled CannTrust products from its site.

CannTrust Holdings Danish partner Stenocare says it also has quarantined medical pot products linked to illegal cultivation at the Canadian cannabis company's Ontario greenhouse.

British Columbia has been famous for its bud since long before legalization, but another province is beating it in terms of cannabis sales and retailers.

Since October 17—the day pot was made legal nation-wide—cannabis sales have been higher in Alberta than in any other Canadian province.

What Makes Alberta Different?

One notable difference between Alberta and its western neighbor is the age at which people can begin buying weed. Like most provinces, BC made 19 the legal age for purchasing and consuming cannabis, the same as the age for alcohol. Alberta’s legal drinking age, however, is lower by one year, so Albertans can experiment with both alcohol and cannabis starting at 18—just in time to get into Pink Floyd.

The first cannabis retailer opened its doors in Fort McMurray just before the Canada Day long weekend, with eight more locations approved by the municipality and awaiting a provincial licence.

More than eight months after Canada legalized the sale and consumption of cannabis, Plantlife Cannabis opened at 4 p.m. on June 26 in Stoney Creek.

“Once we heard legalization was coming, it was a matter of if we should be sitting on the sidelines,” said Mike Wheeler, CEO of The Canadian Brewhouse chain, which is running the stores, at the launch. “We want to be here for a long time.”

When he decided to take up farming part-time six years ago, Roy Renneberg (Welder ’90) did a very Alberta thing and planted hay.

Still employed in the construction industry, the native of Cudworth, Sask. grew up on a farm and hay seemed like a comfortable choice. But when Ottawa announced plans to legalize cannabis and update rules around industrial hemp, its non-stoner sister plant, a seed of inspiration was planted.

Hemp was an unknown, but after doing some research Renneberg was intrigued with the prospect of a crop that could produce revenue from every part of the plant – seeds, flowers, leaves and stalks.

“I thought, this could get very interesting and that’s where we went with it,” he says.

Competition in the retail cannabis market is about to pick up in the Swan City. Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis has released more licenses to sell cannabis across the province, including two in Grande Prairie, which went the Canna Cabana and Peaceleaf. That now makes three licenses granted in the city, as Lucky Leaf had been the lone licensee since the legalization of recreational marijuana use back in October.

Earlier this month, TheCannalysts and Grant Thornton brought the WeCann Conference to Edmonton, Alberta. Various speakers and panels were invited to the conference to discuss important topics related to cannabis, from marijuana agriculture up to its retail. The gathering aims to recognize and commemorate the cannabis industry’s development and economic growth throughout the years and to explore more on its many possibilities. 

During the one-day event, there was one topic that got the attention of multiple panels –  the second stage of the implementation and the legalization of cannabis edibles into the market. 

Alberta-based medical marijuana company, Atlas Biotechnologies Inc. and its subsidiary Atlas Growers Ltd., is partnering with Harvard University to research the effectiveness of medical marijuana, with a focus on pain and other neurological conditions.

The number of cannabis retailers in Medicine Hat is set to double as provincial regulators have approved another batch of licences.

It brings the local number of outlets to six, including four on or near a six-block stretch of S. Railway Street.

The locations could be open in early May, about six months after the first stores were approved.

About 20 prospective operators have applied for local permits, but supply issues halted new provincial licences.

Many applicants have rented space since the summer, and have completed renovations and security upgrades that are a precondition of securing a licence.

After the wait, local owner of “the Leaf” is excited to get underway.