The Atlantic Cannabis Conference & Expo (ACExpo), the region’s first-ever cannabis conference, is intended to clear the air—and any confusion—about cannabis in an age of legalization.

New Brunswick's largest licensed grower of marijuana has enlisted Canada's Smartest Kitchen in Charlottetown to develop a line of cannabis-infused chocolate for the edible market — due to be legalized in the fall.

The grower, Organigram, currently produces 36,000 kilograms of marijuana per year and plans to triple production by December.

"Most of the market doesn't like the thought of smoking," said Organigram's chief commercial officer Ray Gracewood.

Interest in the edible market

Customers have demonstrated a lot of interest in the edible market and are looking for something that's discreet, Gracewood said.

The legalization of cannabis has changed laws, but impaired is still impaired, say Atlantic Police Academy instructors. “It always used to be that it was a victimless crime, but that’s not the case. You can put yourself and others in danger,” said the Insp. Gord Campbell, referring to getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle while impaired.

Campbell is one of the instructors at the Slemon Park-based training facility. He teaches use of force, firearms and Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) curriculum.

Cannabis became legal in Canada on Oct. 17, 2018.

Now, not only is there a federal act for the control of marijuana, police academy students learn about the individual provincial acts which regulate marijuana.

According to the recent release of statistics data by the national statistics agency, the highest sales numbers of cannabis are made by Atlantic Canadians. In their study, Statistics Canada agency analyzed legal cannabis purchase rates for each Canadian province for the first quarter year of pot legalization up to the end of the year 2018.

They found that the residents of Prince Edward Island spend the most on legal cannabis (average of $21.95 per capita) after then come in second the residents of Nova Scotia, who spend on average $17.87 on pot. These data coincide with the study of purchase rates for the first six weeks of legalization, where the results showed the same two provinces with the highest rates of pot sales per capita.

A courier company with experience delivering medical marijuana will be bringing recreational pot to Islanders once it is legalized next month.

P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission spokesman Zach Currie confirmed shipping company Purolator has been chosen to provide home delivery for recreational cannabis in the province.

Purolator submitted one of four or five proposals, Currie said. “There wasn’t major interest.” Choosing a delivery provider brings the province another step closer to being ready for Oct. 17 when recreational marijuana is legalized across Canada. Home delivery won’t be the only way for Islanders to buy marijuana once it is legalized.

Some of the provinces don’t have nearly enough planned cannabis retail locations, especially the provinces in Atlantic Canada.

Canada’s medical marijuana system has been set up a long time ago when keeping medical cannabis out of the hands of recreational users, or even worse kids was the priority for the governments.

Some nearly 20 years later, we are at the forefront of Canada’s cannabis industry, with the recreational market about to open in just 5 weeks.

While some of the provinces further West were more open towards the idea of legalizing recreational cannabis, Atlantic provinces were mostly reserved in regards to that idea.

Cannabis behemoth, Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY), has received a purchase order from the Prince Edward Island Cannabis Management Corporation for recreational marijuana.

Tilray will supply Prince Edward Island cannabis outlets and online channels when Canada legalizes adult-use cannabis on October 17th.

You'll be able to have your cannabis on P.E.I.'s Holland College campuses when it becomes legal next month, but you won't be able to smoke it.

"The introduction of legal cannabis causes us to rethink our view of substance use and abuse on campus," said college vice president Sandy MacDonald in an interview with CBC News: Island Morning Tuesday.

MacDonald said safety was the primary concern in the school's review, noting there are programs at the school — such as commercial diving and welding — where there are serious safety concerns should students come to class impaired.

Instructors have received training in how to detect impairment, he added.

Canada’s smallest province will open only four cannabis stores once legalization takes place later this year, but interested consumers should expect not to see any product on the store shelves. 

Instead, consumers will have to make their purchase decision by speaking with a store clerk about a strain that aligns with their preference or by using a tablet to browse and learn more about in-stock items.  

“Customers won’t be able to actually touch the physical product. They’ll come in and they’ll have the option to go through a bit of a consultative retail experience with one of our highly trained cannabis store clerks,” said Zach Currie of the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission (LCC).

'They're going to have to look at this substance differently'.

The legalization of cannabis will require police officers to adjust their thinking, and the Canadian Police Knowledge Network is helping with the transition.

The Charlottetown-based group is creating some online tools to help train front-line officers in dealing with the legal change.

CPKN president Sandy Sweet said old habits will take time to change.

"There's some critical thinking aspects of policing that. Police officers are trained and they cultivate these habits during their career. They're going to have to look at this substance differently," said Sweet.