Health Canada has until October 17 to finalize the rules

Government consultations on proposed regulations for edibles, extracts and topicals conclude today after two months of discussions, and many industry reps are decrying the suggested potency restrictions for edibles as being potentially harmful to the environment.

Licensed Producers (LPs) are lobbying for the right to determine their own doses for edible cannabis products; under the proposed regulations, the maximum potency permitted by Health Canada is 10mg of THC (the psychoactive compound in cannabis that generates a high) per individual package, which must also be child-resistant. Comparably, currently available black and grey-market edibles can contain anywhere from 40 to 120mg–or more–per unit.

Some cannabis lobbyists are speaking out against the proposed regs, alleging that the packaging on edibles will be wasteful if they are adopted. The Cannabis Council of Canada–a group that represents some Canadian LPs–concurs, saying that the 10mg potency restriction per unit will yield an excessive amount of waste that could have a significant environmental impact.

Health Canada has until October 17 of this year to finalize regulations, and the government is not expected to confirm the rules before spring at the earliest.

Cannabis edibles, extracts and topicals will be permitted for legal sale by October 2019. Health Canada opened a consultation period on the proposed regulations, and your last day to give feedback is February 20, 2019. To participate go to https://t.co/e439AvndsF #cannabis pic.twitter.com/msAbMF04JB — Cannabis License Experts (@LicenseCannabis) February 19, 2019

But with a federal election looming in the near future, a new government could develop an entirely different set of packaging rules if elected. The election is set to take place on October 21, just days after the Liberals’ time to confirm and release regulations is up.

Until then, it seems the Feds are likely to stick to the “Start low, go slow” mantra with regards to edible potency as well as consumption.