Last month, the Canadian government unveiled its long-awaited regulations covering the sale of cannabis vapes, extracts, topicals, and edibles — products that have remained illegal during Canada’s first year of adult-use sales.
These regulations impose a number of restrictions on pot edibles, including a maximum THC cap of 10mg and a ban on adding alcohol, nicotine, or vitamins to these products. And in order to protect children who might be interested in these candy-like products, all edibles are required to be sold in plain, child-resistant packaging plastered with warning labels.
While some cannabis industry members have decried these regulations as overly strict, the government of Quebec has decided that they are not strict enough. This week, the province announced that the federal edibles regulations did not “meet [the province’s] objectives in public health and safety,” the Montreal Gazette reports.
“To reduce the risk of accidental poisoning in children, we are proposing a ban on the sale of products that are attractive to them, like chocolate and gummies,” Quebec junior health minister Lionel Carmant said in a statement, according to CBC News. “This will also allow us to reduce [the consumption] of cannabis products in general.”
The sale of any cannabis candies, desserts, chocolates, or “any other product that is attractive to minors” is now prohibited in Quebec. Officials will assess any proposed edible product based on its size, color, shape, flavor, scent, and marketing. For those few cannabis edibles that gain approval, the maximum THC content will be limited to only 5mg per unit, or 10mg per package. Infused cannabis drinks will also be limited to 5mg of THC per container.
Regulators said that they will ban any additive that could disguise the odor, taste, or color of weed, and will restrict the THC content of cannabis flower or extracts to a maximum of 30 percent. Topical cannabis products, including skin, hair, and nail creams, will also be banned “for the moment,” The Canadian Press reports.
On top of these restrictions, the Quebec government will also increase its efforts to educate the public about the potential for accidental intoxication, as well as health risks associated with the consumption of high-THC products.
Canada will officially legalize the sale of edibles, topicals, and extracts on October 17th, the one-year anniversary of when the country passed recreational legalization. These products are not expected to actually appear in stores until December, though.
