Cannabis cafes seem to be on their way to Edmonton Alberta in as early as the next 8 months, according to Councillor Mike Nickel of Ward 11 reports Mugglehead Cannabis News.

This comes Monday February 10, 2020 following an announcement that the Province of Ontario was opening the floor to discussion regarding cannabis consumption in lounges, outdoor festivals and concerts.

Across the country in Ontario, there was little speculation into the direction of the cafe debate:

We want to hear what Ontarians have to say on lounges, cafes, that kind of thing. It’s not really predetermined that we’ll make any decisions at all but we want to hear from the public. Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey in an interview with Bloomberg

Although indoor cannabis use is permitted in some decriminalized areas around the globe, cannabis cafes remain overseas as Canada has yet to see rollouts of cannabis cafes in any province.

That hasn’t stopped some from launching ventures focused on cannabis experiences which are currently served up behind closed doors in private residences.

As you might remember, the Extract Team dabbled in a THC meal last year at the Nomad Cook’s Infused Dining Experience hosted at a fancy condo in Calgary, Alberta. Loopholes in the current regulation permit organizations to get creative when serving up an infused experience that abides by regulations imposed by federal provincial and municipal governments.

Now here’s where it gets tricky. Unfortunately, in response to the recent Mugglehead article and interview with Mike Nickel, the AGLC wasn’t overly impressed. They responded quickly, stating that the current Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act does not support proposed efforts and would need adjustments to compensate for the changing cannabis industry.

What we’re talking about is situations where you could purchase an edible product just as you would purchase it at a retail store, but also a place where you could consume it on site. Right now, you can’t do that Trina Fraser interview with BNN Bloomberg

Although the AGLC remains firm on their stance, Councillor Mike Nickel expects that Edmontonians might see licences ready to go within the next 8 months:

“From a city perspective I’m pretty sure in the next six to eight months we’ll have a business licence regime ready to go,” he said. “That will be ambitious but I’m pretty confident of that.” Mike Nickel – Mugglehead Article

With the future hope of approved cannabis cafes, one theme remains clear. Smoking of cannabis will not be warranted inside these cafes as current regulations limit what businesses and municipalities are allowed to offer.

The cannabis cafe overseas isn’t necessarily what Canadians can expect at home. It’s 2020 and regulators are moving towards a smoke free environment, and that will hold strong when it comes to cannabis.

Nickel continues to stress, these regulations do not include the smoking or vaping of cannabis, nor do those options appear to be on the table.