Online consultation open until February 20, 2019

December 20, 2018 - Ottawa, ON - Health Canada

The old approach to cannabis did not work. It let criminals and organized crime profit, while failing to keep cannabis out of the hands of Canadian youth. In many cases, it has been easier for our kids to buy cannabis than cigarettes.

On October 17, 2018, after extensive consultation with law enforcement, health and safety experts, and the hard work of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, the Government of Canada implemented a new framework that legalizes, strictly regulates and restricts access to cannabis. The expert Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation recommended that the Government of Canada permit the legal sale of a diverse range of cannabis products to successfully displace the illegal market, and that the products must be subject to strict regulatory controls.

Today, Health Canada is launching a public consultation on draft regulations governing the production and sale of additional cannabis products, namely edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals. These consultations build on the Government of Canada’s public health approach to cannabis, which aims to better protect the health and safety of Canadians. These cannabis products will be permitted for legal sale under the Cannabis Act no later than October 17, 2019.

Canadians and interested stakeholders are invited to share their views on the proposed regulations until February 20, 2019. Health Canada welcomes written submissions or input provided online.

The draft regulations for edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals announced today 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.

In addition to the online consultation, Health Canada will convene regional roundtable discussions and webinars to explain and seek input on the proposed regulatory controls across the country. Health Canada will also continue to work closely with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners, and community-based organizations to continue to increase public understanding of the facts about cannabis and its use.