The employees at The Joint Cannabis in Assiniboia are enthusiastic about the recent legalization of cannabis edibles in Canada. Regulations governing cannabis products such as edibles, beverages, vapes and topical forms of cannabis came into play on October 17, one year after legalization.
“We’re all very excited,” Brianna Johnson of The Joint Cannabis said. However, there are a few concerns about Health Canada’s strict regulations, specifically with the THC limits imposed by the government. “We don’t know if it’s 10 mg of THC per piece, or 10 mg per package,” Johnson said.
Although the present 10-milligram limit for edibles is thought to be painstakingly low by many consumers, Health Canada maintained the 10-milligram cap for edibles is aimed at decreasing the possibility of either overconsumption or accidental consumption. For edible cannabis, whether food or beverage, it is believed the amount of THC will be topped at 10 milligrams per container according to Health Canada regulations, suggesting a single package of cannabis-infused gummies might have a total amount of THC equaling no more than 10 milligrams. Meanwhile, cannabis extracts are restricted to having 1,000 milligrams of THC per container, with 10 mg of THC per unit.
Grey market websites in Canada had already been retailing edible products with higher amounts of THC long before Canada’s cannabis legalization laws came into effect in October 2018. For example, King Louis gummies have been sold in packages of six units each containing 25 mg of THC, totalling 150 mg per packet.
While cannabis edibles became legal in mid-October of 2019, they won’t be in sold in recreation shops quite yet. Because of the mandatory 60-day notice period imposed by the government, companies are required to provide an advanced notification to Health Canada before retailing cannabis edibles. So, the earliest these products can be legally sold in Canada will be in mid-December. However, Joint Cannabis employees believe early 2020 will provide a more realistic date for the arrival of legal edibles in Assiniboia. “We hope to have them in by the end of December, or the beginning of January,” Travis Thurlow of The Joint Cannabis said. “But after the New Year, we should have everything.”
Legal edible products can’t contain nicotine or alcohol. Moreover, edibles cannot be appealing to children according to the dictates governing legalization. Also, laws regarding edibles will vary across the country. In Quebec, candies, cakes and other dessert-styled edibles won’t be retailed in the province. In Saskatchewan, the minimum age for buying and consuming all forms of cannabis including edibles is 19 years of age. Retailers in this province are obligated to adhere to the precise health and safety guidelines of Health Canada in relation to the merchandise they are selling.
Vaping had been placed under the microscope in recent times, after more than 1,400 related lung-illnesses in the U.S. have been reported, with some incidents said to have involved products containing THC. Health Canada said they will not intervene with the legalization of cannabis vapes, but the agency had also publicly stated that they were observing the situation involving vape illnesses on both sides of the border.
