Planning for legal edibles a challenge says P.E.I. Cannabis

Six months before cannabis edibles hit store shelves across the country, the government corporation that runs P.E.I.'s pot shops says there are still a lot of questions making planning a challenge.

New cannabis products like edibles, beverages, topicals and extracts will be for sale legally in Canada in mid-December, with regulations on packaging designed to limit appeal and reduce therisk ofover-consumption.

Experiment with this,but don't go overboard. Zach Currie

P.E.I. Cannabis director of operations Zach Currie saidwhile he anticipates legal edibles willboost businessstores and staff will need to be ready for,it's impossible to knowhow highdemand will be.

"I think the biggest challenge is just understanding what's even going to be available and what will be available for us to purchase," Currie said.

The federal government has already warned Canadians should expect a small initial supply of cannabis edibles when they become legal, adding that the products will not include items that might appeal to children.

'Finite amount of space'

Currie saidall of P.E.I. Cannabis'scurrent suppliersand other companieslike Charlottetown-based Dosecann have indicated they aredeveloping edibles and topicalsto be ready for legalization.

While rules on edibles take effect in mid-October, suppliers willhave to wait out Health Canada's60-dayreview period before they can send productsto Canadian stores.

Currie saidonce the new products are availablethe challenge will be figuring out what to purchase and in what quantities,and how to best clear space in the corporation's warehouse.

"To take on new formats, some may need to go."

"We only have a finite amount of space in our existing distribution centre," he said. "What is going to happen with existing formats like dried flower for instance?How much, as part of the pie, is that slice going to change?"

'Prevent an unpleasant experience'

Currie said to help inform its decisions the corporation has beenstudying sales figures in other placesthat have legalized cannabis edibles.

He said those jurisdictionshave also proven the need to properly educate staff and the public about the potential dangers of edibles.

"We need to really get that message out there to start low,go slow.You know experiment with this,but don't go overboard," said Currie.

"We saw some of the adverse effects of that in some of the U.S. jurisdictions when they went live, andwe'll be doing everything we can to to build on our social responsibility strategy ... so that folks know exactly how they can prevent an unpleasant experience with the products they purchase from our stores."

Currie saidstaff will be getting extra training before edibles hit shelves in December, adding he isconfident there are enough full-time staff and casual workersfor the corporation to handle any potentialinitial rush.

Depending on the demand for the new products long-term, he saidthere maybe the need to eventuallyhire and train more staff.

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