Though the Cannabis Act of Canada has been around for nearly a year, there is still a lot to be addressed regarding recreational marijuana.
As it stands, recreational marijuana is legal throughout Canada. However, there variations across the various provinces regarding its use, sale, and cultivation. With regards to cannabis edibles, consumption is legal, however, purchase for recreational purposes is not.
Health Canada’s Take On The Legalization Of Edibles
Health Canada promises that edibles will be legalized in the near future. The original draft of regulations is being reviewed by the government. Though they have not yet given the public an official date, they are confident that there should be some progress before or on October 17, 2019.
Regulating Edibles After Legalization
The aforementioned draft is presently full of laws and bylaws regarding the purchase of recreational edibles. Some of the proposed regulations include:
- A THC serving size of up to 10mg
- Individually wrapped servings
- A limit on the amount of caffeine in cannabis-infused coffee
- No alcohol in caffeine-infused beer
The Purpose Of These Regulations
The first question that will probably come to many persons mind is “why are there so many regulations?”
Though it is virtually impossible to overdose on an edible, there still needs to be rules and guidelines regarding its consumption for these reasons:
- The main reason purpose of these regulations is to keep these edibles out of the wrong hands, especially those of young children who can’t tell the difference between a regular lollipop and a cannabis-infused lollipop.This reason goes across the board when it comes to recreational marijuana and there must be some guideline regarding its use, store, and purchase in order to prevent children from consuming them
- The second major cause for regulations is that edibles affect the body differently than a joint. Joint-smoking has effects that are felt quickly and leave in a timely manner. With an edible, the contents of the edibles need to be digested to feel its effect and this can take up to an hour.
Many persons, especially new users, do not understand this. Usually, after a few minutes, they will be tempted to have some more. The government aims to make this clear to prevent misuse of the substance.
How Will The Regulations Affect The Weed Industry?
With the legalization of recreational marijuana, it comes as no surprise that the industry has grown and will continue to grow significantly. Experts predict that by 2022 the weed industry will be a $4 billion industry. Because of this, the Canadian government has already started to accept applications for companies interested in legally selling cannabis-infused edibles.
How Will The Regulations Affect The Black Market?
If the question is “Will the black market continue?”, then the answer is yes. In fact, the black market will see growth since regulations are expected to be very strict. People will simply avoid dealing with them as much as they can. Instead, they will get edibles from illegal sources and sell THC products with servings much more than the 10mg restriction.
The black market is also much cheaper than the government alternative, especially with regards to government taxes.
Cannabis-infused Edibles Before Legalization?
Persons with ACMPR license will be pleased to know that they can grow are allowed to use the plants in whichever way they like, including in THC or CBD-infused edibles.
So, if you want to make some cookies or some brownies, or even some cannabis tea, go ahead! You won’t get in trouble.
An increase in cannabis-infused products on the markets in the near future should not surprise you. Hundreds of products are already in the works! The Canadian Government just needs to give the nod of approval.
