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Federal red tape and foot-dragging on approving makers of edible cannabis will see months-long delays in the products reaching stores, a Calgary chocolatier said Thursday.

A spokeswoman with Alberta’s cannabis regulator also voiced frustrations about the process.

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City businessman Brad Churchill said he’s been waiting for a licence allowing him to infuse chocolate with cannabis at his Calgary factory since applying for it in late July.

The owner of Choklat said he received a reply from Health Canada but no licence this week, and fears the time it takes to receive it and approval for such things as packaging will push back the actual sales date for his products to March or April.

The industry had been hoping edibles and other derivatives, to be officially legalized Oct. 17, would be available in stores by Christmas.

“It’s been a gong show with Health Canada,” said Churchill.

The candy maker said he was told by federal officials they would seek to expedite his approval process if he could prove he was ready to produce edibles and meet standards, but that hasn’t happened.