Edibles have arrived at London cannabis shops

The wait is finally over for cannabis users wanting to try THC-infused edibles.

The first shipment of cannabis gummies, chocolates, cookies and drinks arrived at pot shops across London Friday morning, with the new products ready for sale when the doors opened.

Legislation that allows for the sale of derivative cannabis products, dubbed "cannabis 2.0," went into effect on Dec. 17, 2019. And while many customers were hoping edibles would be available for Christmas, delays due to regulatory checkpoints and logistics set deliveries back.

At cannabis store J. London, located at 691 Richmond Street, there was a steady stream of customers perusing the new menu of treats and asking questions.

"With edibles, because cannabis affects everybody very differently, it's based on age, metabolism, weight, what you had for breakfast. It all affects us differently," said Greg Lawson, assistant manager at J. London.

"So what we say is go low and go slow."

So how much should you try?

The THC content of edibles is measured in milligrams.

"The smallest amount you can get [in chocolate] is about two milligrams, so if you had half of a piece of chocolate, you'd have one milligram," said Lawson, adding that amount would be a good place to start.

Health Canada has restricted the total amount of THC in a single package to not exceed 10 mg.

"What happened in the states when edibles first came out was people were getting too much and having a bad experience with it, so what they learned (in Ontario) is not to give you too much at once."

Where smoking cannabis has immediate effects, ingesting edibles is a much slower process. Lawson cautions people to wait an hour after ingesting edibles before consuming more as it takes time for the psychoactive ingredient to kick in.

Another option for consumers now is vape pens, which are rechargeable devices that allow users to consume cannabis by purchasing a small vape cartridge.

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Lawson said he is committed to make the experience of shopping for cannabis products simple and inviting. He insists his staff are well versed on cannabis regulations and the products they're selling.

There are also interactive touch-screen terminals that let customers select what type of high they hope to have and get recommendations for products based on other users' experiences.

"It's been very interesting since we opened, the wide range and demographic of people that are coming into our store," said Lawson. "Everyone from 19, all the way up to 85. The other day we had a woman who came in for her 85th birthday and she just wanted to get a joint."