A Manitoba town has voted by a narrow margin in favour of allowing a retail cannabis shop in their community.

Residents of Niverville, south of Winnipeg, cast ballots Tuesday in a plebiscite on the question of whether a pot store should be allowed to open there.

A total of 863 people opted to let Canna Cabana — a retailer selected through a provincial process — set up shop.

Another 719 voted against the move.

Town council decided to hold the plebiscite in August, when it initially denied the conditional use permits the business needed to open.

Residents on both sides of the issue put up signs around the community, with some urging people to say no to drugs.

Manitoba is being touted as one of the country’s premier pot stops, offering relaxed retail cannabis laws and AgraFlora Organics International Inc. planning to pump out 1,000 cannabis edibles an hour in its Winnipeg plant.

The cannabis company also recently completed the construction of its pharmaceutical-grade research and development laboratory inside the 51,500 sq. ft. edibles factory.

The lab will allow scientists to test the microbiology in edibles and contents of liquids. It also features gadgets to carry out custom confectionery testing and a “proprietary triple shot depositor capable of producing infused chocolate or liquid filled centre in shell pieces, as well as a full vacuum pressure confectionery-cooking system.”

Work is currently underway at an as-yet undisclosed location in Winnipeg that is designed to become one of the largest cannabis edibles manufacturing facilities in North America.

Vancouver-based AgraFlora International Inc. has partnered with a Winnipeg confectionery company in an 80-20 joint venture called Edibles & Infusion that is retrofitting a 51,000-square-foot building that will create significant production capacity for the upcoming edibles market.

Brandon Boddy, chairman and CEO of AgraFlora, said capacity at the plant will be large enough that Edibles & Infusions will supply to other cannabis licensed producers. He said arrangements with other licensed producers are currently being negotiated.

Despite Manitoba being known for its more open cannabis laws, its government is planning to ban recreational consumption in public places as it also rolls out a safety campaign for edibles.

Justice Minister Cliff Cullen said Tuesday that the Progressive Conservative government will introduce a bill to ban any public use of recreational cannabis before mid-December, when edibles, extracts and topicals are expected to become available in retail stores.

The current law only lists smoking and vaping.

Justice officials has pledged to crack down on the spike in Liquormart thefts the province has seen over the last several months, said the province’s Justice Minister.

“In my perspective as Minister of Justice, we’re going to continue to work with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries as we go forward,” said Cliff Cullen. “We in Justice want to make sure we are working with police as well in terms of apprehension of these individuals and getting those people off the street. We’re working closely with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries as well in terms of processes to get these individuals apprehended.”

The Manitoba government is planning to caution people about edible cannabis products and ban consumption in public places.

Justice Minister Cliff Cullen said Tuesday the Progressive Conservative government will introduce a bill in the legislature before mid-December to ban the public consumption of recreational cannabis in all its forms.

Manitoba's current public-consumption law mentions only smoking or vaping, leaving the door open to oils, sprays and other forms of cannabis that have been available since legalization last year.

With the federal government paving the way for edible cannabis products such as cookies to be sold next month, Cullen said the province wants to restrict all forms of public consumption.

Be careful what you wish for, especially when placing an order for weed online. Returning it can be a challenge, with policies varying from province to province.

Here’s what the shipping and return policies look like across the country.

British Columbia 

Bought a product that’s defective, shipped in error or recalled? The BC Cannabis Stores will take them back, but returns must be initiated within 15 days of the purchase.

Cannabis consumption is about to get a whole lot more convenient in Winnipeg, Man., with the coming launch of a new same-day cannabis delivery service.

Super Anytime is set to launch in the province in November or December to help Winnipegers avoid the harsh winter and still get their bud.

The app/website will work similar to food delivery apps, such as Uber Eats or Skip the Dishes, and will be available on iOS and Android.

While visiting the app/website, you select the cannabis product you would like that is available at retailers close by and check out at the retailer’s website. The delivery is then handled by a third-party of the retailer’s choosing, such as cannabis delivery service Pineapple Express, Canada Post or Purolator.

Provincial cannabis wholesaler Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries earned nearly $27 million in cannabis revenue during the 2018-19 fiscal year ended March 31, according to the Crown corporation's newly-released annual report. But that wasn't enough to deliver positive net cannabis revenue to the province, which says it lost more than $2.4 million on cannabis during the same period.