VANCOUVER -- Two days after they could’ve started selling them, the BC Liquor Distribution Branch now has cannabis edibles for sale on its direct-to-consumer website in addition to retail stores that must buy from the government middleman.
Two types of chocolate, a soft-bake chocolate chip cookie, mints and a vape pen are now available out of the 260 individual products BCLDB has registered for sale through its own website and retail stores, as well as to wholesale customers selling through a handful of approved cannabis stores in the province.
“The newest cannabis 2.0 products, including edibles, extracts, and topicals, will be added to this collection regularly,” reads the edibles section.
The supplier for all five products available through BCLDB is Aurora, based out of Alberta. A five-serving package of sea salt and caramel milk chocolates sells for $7.99, with 1.7-2.3 mg of THC in each piece. The chocolate chip cookies each have 4.2-5.8mg of THC, with a two-cookie package selling for $11.99.
Edible cannabis products, like chocolates, gummies, candies, THC-infused beverages, vape pens and topical creams and lotions have been slow to come to market across the country, with much of the delay attributed to requirements from Health Canada. Producers were able to apply for approval to sell them on Oct. 17, one year after dried cannabis products were legalized for sale.
The BCLDB has overseen the rollout of recreational cannabis and a spokesperson told CTV News earlier this week that producers were having challenges making products that are shelf stable, or don’t require refrigeration.
Customers in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta have already been warned they won’t see any edible products until at least mid-January, as they’re subject to a separate set of provincial regulations.
