Prospective retailers undergo background checks, pay thousands in upfront costs — then wait.

If everything goes according to plan, Daryl Robinson will open his first retail cannabis store in Edmonton this summer.

Herbal Headquarters will sell edibles and oils, and a variety of cannabis products for treating pain. Robinson said his store on 124th Street and 103rd Avenue will be the first of five he expects to open within the next year in Alberta, if the federal government legalizes cannabis by the end of the summer.

First, he has to finish a lengthy cannabis licensing process with the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission.

The irony of pleading his case on April 20 — 420 — was not lost on Canadian Rockies Agriculture’s chief executive when he appeared in front of Strathcona County’s Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.

But Aaron Barr wouldn’t dare crack a joke at this point in what’s been a contentious debate in Josephburg.

As it stands, May 14 is the next date circled on Barr’s calendar, as his lawyers will continue to face off with Josephburg residents opposing the development of the approved medical marijuana production facility in rural Strathcona County.

The event will mark the final appeals hearing before the board, in a lengthy battle for Barr’s 74-acre facility.

A lot of fuss has been made about the forthcoming legalization of recreational cannabis by the government of Canada. The way Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government pursued the substance’s legalization allows all three levels of government to make some decisions about legalization processes in their jurisdictions — and that’s to say nothing about institutions like the University of Calgary, which is working to implement its own regulations regarding on-campus cannabis use.

Jasper councillors had many and varied questions for CAO Mark Fercho and the rest of the town’s Cannabis Working Group after seeing a draft survey for the public on May 1.

The working group is comprised of members of the town’s administration, the RCMP and Parks Canada. There are no members representing the public or the business community. Fercho said there is intent to expand the group in the future to include for example a rep from the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce.

They’re expected to attend a committee of the whole meeting on May 8. Mayor Richard Ireland and other members of council are ready to quiz them on the draft survey, which was included in the May 1 council agenda and is available on the town’s website.

A new cannabis program is launching at Olds College, a community college specializing in agriculture, horticulture, land and environmental stewardship.

In a statement on its website (“New Cannabis Production Program Launched” on May 1, 2018), the college says the new program is called Cannabis Production Program – Level 1.

A community conversation 'Cannabis – Let's Talk Alberta' hosted by the Town of Vermilion, Community Support Services (FCSS) and Alberta Health Services Provincial Addiction Prevention Team, University of Victoria's Canadian Institute of Substance Use Research and Health Canada took place at the Vermilion Regional Center on April 24.

A large crowd turned out for the two sessions held and participants exchanged their ideas and shared perspectives on the legalization of cannabis and its use in the community.

Nurse, doctor worry use of the soon-to-be-legal drug will exacerbate existing problems.

Alberta medical professionals are warning that the upcoming legalization of cannabis may exacerbate the province's problem of premature and low-weight infants.

Alberta has the highest rate of premature infants, as well as low-weight births, in the country, according to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

The stubborn statistic has barely budged, despite medical professionals trying to improve infant and maternal health, said Dr. Duncan McCubbin, an obstetrician based in Medicine Hat, Alta.

Aurora Cannabis Inc (TSE:ACB) (OTCQB:ACBFF) (FRA:21P), Cronos Group Inc.

'We’re OK with that because we want to commit to this exciting opportunity,' Fire & Flower says.

A budding cannabis retailer isn't swayed from setting up shops in Edmonton, even if they have to pay 10 times more for a business licence than a liquor store.

Fire & Flower moved its headquarters from Toronto to Edmonton this year and has applied for business licences to open 16 stores in the capital city.

Nathan Mison, vice-president of government and stakeholder relations for Fire & Flower, said the company is OK with potentially paying the $2,500 a year for a licence compared to $235 for liquor stores. 

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.