The government of Quebec’s aggressively anti-cannabis Coalition Avenir du Québec government tabled stringent draft legislation designed to clamp down even further on edibles than Health Canada’s regulations. The regulations will stand for public consultation for 45 days before taking effect.
CBC Montreal
- Arguing Ottawa’s controversially strict regulations on edibles are not sufficient “to meet (the province’s) objectives in public health and safety,” the CAQ government’s regs ban the sale of cannabis candies, chocolates, confections, and desserts.
The Star, Leafly - The new regs ban all extracts at greater than 30% THC concentrations, effectively banning hashish as well as most vape pens and dab-products in the province. Extracts will not be allowed flavours, scents, or colours.
Montreal Gazette, Twitter—Trina Fraser - Edibles will be allowed a maximum 5mg THC per serving in a package of up to 10mg.
- THC will be capped at 5mg per package of drinkables or liquid edibles.
Health minister Lionel Carmant said the limits “will also allow us to reduce [the consumption] of cannabis products in general.”
CBC Montreal
- Topicals will be banned in Quebec, for no reason given. Santé Cannabis founder Erin Prosk said, “Likely the existence of topical products conflicts with their mandate that cannabis is a harmful drug and people who buy them just want to be high.”
Twitter - Carmant was at pains to explain who would decide which products were “attractive to children,” first saying it would be left up to the SQDC, then saying it would be the SQDC and the Ministry of Finance, then the SQDC and the Ministry of Health.
TVA Nouvelles—In French
Deloitte estimated the ban would cost the sector $300M per year.
Globe and Mail
- Industry roundly condemned the regs as strengthening the illicit market. Calling them “Bad policy and bad for industry [and undermining to] the federal legislation,” lawyer Trina Fraser noted it would also “create a truly ‘grey’ market for sale of legal products banned in Quebec.”
Journal de Montréal—In French, Twitter
Quick Hits
- New research by Quebec alcohol NGO Éduc’alcool found 21% of Montrealers consume cannabis (compared to 18% throughout Quebec). English-speakers use the most cannabis (30%), ahead of French-speakers (25%), and “Allophones,” those raised speaking both languages (15%).
Éduc’alcool—In French - The Globe mapped the density of access to REC retailers for communities across Canada, finding great density in some places and many areas where there’s no retailer for hundreds of kilometres. It’s impressive, check it out.
Globe and Mail
