Under the proposed regulations on edible cannabis, creams and extracts, Health Canada is very specific.
Under the new guidelines, cannabis edibles are restricted to 10 mg of THC per package or container, and cannot have any alcohol or added vitamins or minerals.
There are also limits on amounts of caffeine. For example, with edibles and drinks, it would be 10 mg per package or container. The average dose for adult users is anywhere between 5mg and 15mg of THC, depending on the tolerance.
The proposed regulations also prohibit any alcohol-infused products and packaging deemed appealing to children. In other words, plain packaging is needed, similar to the packaging required for the dried-flower products currently legal in Canada.
Additionally, the product packaging must include the standardized cannabis symbol, information about the THC or cannabidiol content, an ingredients list and a health warning.
Products cannot have any elements that associate them with alcohol brands. This regulation is especially restrictive because many cannabis companies have made deals with large brewing companies.
Cannabis extracts and topical creams will have a THC limit of 1,000 mg per package. Under the Canadian Cannabis Act, all these products, as well as edibles, will be legal to sell in Canada no later than Oct. 17, 2019.
“These proposed regulations under the Cannabis Act support our overarching goal of keeping cannabis out of the hands of youth and protecting public health and safety,” Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said in a statement.
The draft regulations for edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals announced on Thursday will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on December 22, 2018. In the interim, Canadians may request a copy of the draft regulations from Health Canada at cannabis@canada.ca.
