Exhibitors at a Montreal cannabis expo expressed hope and caution this weekend over the currently unfolding across Canada, as their products provided a glimpse of what could be to come in a future, less regulated market.
The two-day trade show, which brought together more than 120 exhibitors, was the first gathering of its kind in Quebec since recreational pot was legalized earlier this month.
The products on display provided potential investors and current stakeholders with information on the state of the industry, as well as an idea of what could be its future 91裸聊视频� from cannabis-infused personal lubricants to hemp sprays for pets.
Soheil Samimi, an adviser to the board for cannabis product manufacturer Isodiol, said many companies are waiting for their chance to sell their products to a wider audience once the legalization market widens.
Samimi said there91裸聊视频檚 a huge market in the wings for consumer products, including cosmetics, edibles and beverages, and health products.
91裸聊视频淭he current problem is supply, not demand,91裸聊视频� he said, noting that the consumer base is widening not only in North America but also Europe, South America and elsewhere.
He said he91裸聊视频檚 feeling positive about the process that is underway and believes the legalization door will open to more products in time.
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91裸聊视频淭oday I can go buy a joint and smoke it on the street, but I can91裸聊视频檛 use a hemp-based pain cream, because it91裸聊视频檚 topical, and that91裸聊视频檚 not available yet,91裸聊视频� he said in an interview near Isodiol91裸聊视频檚 booth, which featured empty packages for the company91裸聊视频檚 products, which aren91裸聊视频檛 yet licensed by Health Canada.
He said he believes regulators will have no choice but to allow more products eventually if they want to reach their goal of eliminating the black market.
At the same time, he said legalization had complicated matters for some companies who may find the new regulated system less clear than the unofficial market that operated before.
91裸聊视频淚n a province like B.C. 91裸聊视频� and particularly the city of Vancouver 91裸聊视频� before legalization, there was a local ecosystem where everybody understood what was accepted practices,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淭here was an understanding of what you could or couldn91裸聊视频檛 do locally, and now it complicates the fact because there91裸聊视频檚 a new regulated system91裸聊视频� that doesn91裸聊视频檛 always make its criteria clear, he said.
The products on display at the cannabis expo ranged from smoke filters and odour-eliminating sprays to edibles and health and wellness products 91裸聊视频� many of which aren91裸聊视频檛 yet for sale or even licensed by Health Canada.
The odour of cannabis flowers or smoke was almost nowhere to be found as the vendors pitched business opportunities as much as products.
Catherine Lefebvre, who represents a company that sells hemp-infused products, said she believed legalization would open the door for new business opportunities 91裸聊视频� even for companies that already operate legally.
The company she works for, La Feuille Verte, creates lines of products including hemp-based deodorants, skin creams and pet supplies, and recently debuted a line hemp-infused kombucha.
She said people don91裸聊视频檛 always understand that the products don91裸聊视频檛 contain any THC 91裸聊视频� the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis 91裸聊视频� and she91裸聊视频檚 hoping more public events will provide opportunities for further education now that the industry is entering the spotlight.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e there to teach people what it is, but we91裸聊视频檙e there to open people91裸聊视频檚 minds and show them that with the cannabis plant, we can do a lot of things.91裸聊视频�
Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
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