“I do think the industry and its sectors will gravitate here because of the (provincial) privatization model and because the city is welcoming to all legal sectors,” senior business specialist Brad White said Friday.

“Industry is in our blood and agriculture is in our blood. I think we will be in a really good spot.”

White thinks transportation links, sunshine, plentiful water and good regulation mean Edmonton could become Canada’s main centre for the marijuana business.

This would help diversify the economy, with many local jobs expected in retail stores and creating products such as pot chocolates after Canada allows edibles next year, he said.

“The window of opportunity is only so big, and we want to get ahead of this,” said White, who has been working to develop an Edmonton medical and recreational cannabis industry since the federal Liberals were elected in 2015.

City council will hold public hearings next month to discuss proposed zoning changes to accommodate cannabis stores, which will be owned by private companies in Alberta, unlike some other provinces.

White, who spoke to the Edmonton chapter of NAIOP, the commercial real estate development association, said Canadian medical pot being exported to Europe is highly regarded and attracts premium prices.