Saint John hosts cannabis expo

Cannabis enthusiasts and curious consumers had a chance to learn about the industry and its products at the Cannabis Expo in Saint John, N.B., Saturday.

Hosted by Cannabis NB, the education trade show was a ticketed event for residents over the age of 19. It offered consumers a chance to speak directly with representatives from Canada’s legal cannabis companies.

The expo scheduled two sessions at Saint John Exhibition Park, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The sessions included interactive exhibits, non-infused product sampling, and a pop-up shop from Cannabis NB.

“The very first time we did this show, just having the word cannabis up on a billboard outside an exhibition center was really curious for people as legalization was quite new,” said Lara Wood, the senior vice-president of marketing and communications with NB Cannabis.

“People sort of are getting used to the fact that we do this and that it’s coming. We have people bringing their friends and family and a lot of consumers who just want the opportunity to ask the kind of questions that they can’t ask when they go and buy their product.”

Denise Hannay is the CEO of Eco Canadian Organic Inc. from Rexton, N.B. He said people were surprised by what they learned about his company.

“We are certified organic, we use nothing but living soil and water,” said Hannay. “We have zero pesticides, zero chemicals on-site, in fact we were recognized by Health Canada to be one of the only facilities that they did an audit on that had zero chemicals on-site. They couldn’t believe it.”

The expo featured over a dozen Canadian Cannabis producers from across the country including Good Supply, Truro, and Tweed.

Ross Hendry is the senior regional commercial manager of Eastern Canada for British Columbia-based cannabis brand, Pure Sunfarms. He said events like the expo only benefit his brand and the cannabis industry overall.

“As soon as the doors opened, we’ve seen streams of cannabis consumers come in,” said Hendry. “That’s just fantastic for the industry and our partners in Cannabis New Brunswick.”

Hendry said all of their product is grown in Canada and all of their product used in growing is Canadian-based. Hannay said all her product is grown and produced in New Brunswick.

Importance of regulation

Saint John Police put out a public safety alert Friday notifying residents of the toxicity of narcotics now believed to be circulating in the city following a spike in drug-related overdoses. Police are currently investigating five sudden deaths in the city.

“Just because cannabis is legal, it doesn’t mean all cannabis is legal,” Wood points out. “There’s illicit product out there and they don’t have to tell you where it came from. They don’t have to tell you how strong it is, and they don’t have to tell you what’s in it.”

Cannabis NB set up a “Good to Know” information booth so residents could learn more about the differences between legal regulated cannabis, and black-market products.

Hannay said legalization made cannabis safer but he doesn’t think there is enough awareness about the risks of non-regulated products.“

Licensed producers here in Canada have to have all of their product tested versus the non-regulated products,” Hannay said. “I think that with more education and awareness on those differences, you will see a decrease in the illicit and unregulated market.”

Hannay said all legal cannabis products in Canada are clearly labelled and go through “pretty thorough” testing.

“The unregulated market, they can put whatever they want on their packages, and nobody knows.”

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