On October 17, exactly one year after the legalization of cannabis, cannabis edibles and other products were officially made legal to buy and sell in Canada.
Canadians will be able to purchase cannabis in a number of ways, either by buying from a local licensed store or through the official government website.
“Students who meet the legal requirements for THC purchase and use can do so as long as they don’t interfere with university operations or risk the health or safety of others,” said Mark Overton, Dean of Student Affairs and Assistant Principal, Student Services.
Similar to the legalization of cannabis in 2018, UTM will not be opposing strict regulations of cannabis on campus. Instead, they will offer students resources at the Health & Counselling Centre (HCC).
UTM will also be enhancing its health education initiatives on cannabis use and its risk on physical health, mental health, and social well-being.
“I don’t anticipate that UTM will have a significant role in controlling edibles containing THC,” said Overton. “Just as we don’t provide or sell tobacco or THC vaping products on campus, we don’t anticipate offering THC edibles either.”
The government hopes that by legally providing a wider range of cannabis products, it will deprive illegal markets of business and keep money out of the hands of criminals and organized crime by giving Canadians another, safer option.
By mid-December, customers will have a wide range of products to choose from. An “edible” is anything that can be infused with weed and then consumed, which means everything from brownies to beer could be on the market.
Producers have announced plans for cannabis-infused water, wine, chocolate, gummies, cookies, and more.
Topicals, which are any kind of product that can be absorbed through the skin, like lotions or balms, have also been added to the list of newly legal cannabis products.
Lots of new merchandise means lots of new rules however, which have been outlined by Health Canada.
Edibles will have the same age restriction of 19 years and older and are required to be clearly labelled as THC-infused products. Each package has a limit of 10 mg of THC, with no added nicotine or alcohol, and limits on added caffeine.
The packages must also be plain and “[un]appealing to youth” to keep cannabis out of the hands of minors, a large worry of those who were opposed to the legalization.
Like other food products, the labels must contain nutritional content, ingredient lists, and allergen warnings, as well as the equivalence of THC measured in dried cannabis, to make it easier to comply with the public possession limit of 30 grams.
Edibles must also not make any sort of health, dietary, or cosmetic claims.
Companies like TerrAscend Corp. have obtained the Health Canada license to sell edibles, topicals, and extracts come December.
