From high-end to high-tech, budding cannabis companies undeterred by volatile start to legalization

Lift and Co. Cannabis Expo hits Vancouver for second time since pot was legalized in 2018

The halls of Canada’s largest cannabis expo are lined with pot-infused businesses that are about as diverse as the strains you might find at your average government-run dispensary.

On one end, exhibitors at Haven Street — a shop whose branding resembles that of a high-end perfume shop — promote their line of cannabis teas.

On the other, engineers demo a high-tech device that analyzes the quality and strain of buds by “smelling” them, and then transmits the data to an app on your smartphone. It’s like Shazam for weed.

“When you consume your cannabis, you want to make sure there’s no undesired components, no mould,” said Adi Naali, co-founder and CEO of Quana, the company that developed the gadget.