Last year, the adult use of cannabis became legal across Canada. However, while the law permits the sale and consumption of marijuana by adults, it doesn’t entirely legalize all cannabis-infused items. For the first year of legalization, the Cannabis Act only permits the purchase and use of environmentally friendly products like flower. Different cannabis products such as edibles, extracts, and topicals, will become legal by 2020. Currently, officials in Canada are working on how to establish the rules. Meanwhile, officials in Toronto have drafted a bill to prohibit all cannabis-infused candy and flavored vapes.
Although there are some main differences between provinces, the sale of legal weed is doing great in Canada. However, expectations are rising as people need to see changes in the law that will allow the sale of concentrates, edibles and different cannabis products. But Public health officials, are working on how to establish the edibles market and how to regulate it. According to a Toronto Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen De Villa, edibles should be designed in the form of cute animals or delicious desserts.
According to a report sent to Toronto’s Board of Health on February 25, Dr. de Villa wants the sale of “youth-friendly” cannabis products. As per her statement, de Villa mentions a proposal to ban most cannabis products that might gain attraction from youths. De Villa reported that some of the leading public health concerns related to cannabis include drug-impaired driving, early consumption of cannabis and constant use of marijuana. Also, cannabis products such as gummy bear-shaped edibles and other friendly designed cannabis products lead to a high rate of addiction.
De Villa also reported that the proposals in the report offer regulatory actions which can be taken by the federal government to stop youth consumption of cannabis products. Furthermore, she aims to reduce initiation of use, decrease ignorant ingestion of cannabis products, lessen consumption of high-THC cannabis products, and underline the benefit of gathering data on the public health effects of cannabis legalization.
Similarly, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health wants the province to prohibit all edible candies and flavored vapes as a way to protect children. Therefore, Dr. de Villa is calling for a ban on cannabis edibles, cannabis topicals that designed in the form of food and the use of cannabis for advertising purposes in movies, video games and other youth-friendly media.
Villa’s proposals have been proven to be valid. Recommendations are accurate. Recent situations surrounding kids and high-THC edibles have featured the dangers of accidental consumption. But some are inquiring if a ban on some cannabis products can protect children and enhance public health. There exist numerous fruit-flavored alcoholic drinks and candy-flavored e-cigarette juices which are harmful to children, but they aren’t facing bans.
The proposal of Dr. de Villa can still be considered. Also, the question regarding the regulation of cannabis-infused foods, lotions, sublingual strips, candies, and extracts is still up for debate. The federal government of Canada wants these additional cannabis products to be in store shelves by October 17, 2019. However, due to the laws in Canada, provinces will have to develop their own rules on the sale and consumption of cannabis
