Youth-appealing flavours could prove a stumbling block in Canada for some products

It may be that CBD inhalers—ones that offer a precise dose of medication directly into the lungs for relief of symptoms like pain and perhaps, one day, asthma—are the next big thing in medical cannabis.

There have been promising studies on the effectiveness of using cannabinoids in an inhaler-type device, providing accurate dosing directly to the CB1 receptors.

In the early 1920s medical practitioners used to prescribe cannabis as a cough medicine, showing early signs that despite being inhaled, cannabis might have therapeutic effects on the lungs.

Vapen MJ Ventures Corporation, a fully integrated agricultural technology, services and property management company in the regulated cannabis industry, recently announced the launch of a THC-free inhaler. The inhaler uses cannabindiol as its active ingredient, notes a statement from the company.

The Vapen CBD inhaler gives you a measured dose that’s convenient to take. #vapencbd pic.twitter.com/M03ZwOVEjm — VapenCBD (@VapenCBD) March 8, 2019

U.S.-based Vapen reports the CBD inhaler will come in three flavours (raw, strawberry and bubblegum), but time will tell if these flavours can be sold in Canada given the existing the regulation that prohibits flavours appealing to children.

The GrowthOp spoke with Caryma Sa’d, a Toronto-based lawyer specializing in cannabis, criminal and housing law, about the potential release of these flavours in the Canadian market.

Sa’d said it was hard to say if strawberry and bubblegum could be an issue within the legal framework. An argument could be made that the flavours are “appealing to children”, but also maybe not, given the generalization in the amendment to the Cannabis Act.

Given that the perimeters are so broad and enforcement of the law, up to this point, have been unpredictable, Sa’d noted it could be difficult for companies, in general, to make meaningful entry into the Canadian cannabis market.

The GrowthOp contacted Vapen to see if the company intended to sell only the “raw” inhaler or if it planned to offer the flavours in question, a spokesperson for the brand responded, “At the moment, we are in discussions to release all CBD products in the Canadian retail market in the future, but not at this current time.”

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