Health Canada Is Seeking Feedback After Four Years Of Legalization
Canada was not the first country to legalize cannabis for adult-use, however, it was the first G-7 nation to do so, and the first to implement a nationwide, regulated adult-use cannabis industry that is open to anyone of legal age.
Uruguay is the only nation to have passed an adult-use legalization measure prior to Canada doing so. Yet, unlike Canada’s industry model, Uruguay limits adult-use sales to residents.
Legalization in Canada has certainly experienced its ups and downs, and by no means is it perfect. With that being said, it’s still the greatest cannabis policy and industry ‘experiment’ to-date, and much can be learned from the last four years.
On that note, Health Canada issued a statement today recapping its views regarding the last four years. Part of the statement urges people to share their feedback. Below is the statement in its entirety:
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 17, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ – Today, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health issued the following statement about the Cannabis Act:
On this day in 2018, the Cannabis Act came into force, putting in place a new, strictly regulated framework for controlling the sale, possession, production and distribution of legalized and regulated cannabis for non-medical purposes.
Since this time, the Government of Canada has implemented a robust public health approach to help keep cannabis out of the hands of youth and to help ensure adults have access to a quality-controlled and regulated supply, while reducing the scope and scale of the illicit market.
The Cannabis Act has two important and critical objectives: first, it protects the health and safety of Canadians while serving as a flexible legislative framework that adapts and responds to the ongoing and emerging needs of Canadians; second, it provides for the establishment of a diverse and competitive legal industry made up of small and large players to displace the illicit market.
In the short time since legalization, more and more Canadians who consume cannabis are choosing to buy cannabis from legal retailers - according to the 2021 Canadian Cannabis Survey, 53% reported a legal storefront as their usual source, an increase from 41% in 2020.
Public education efforts play an important role in protecting the health and safety of Canadians, especially youth. We will continue to equip Canadians with trusted information about how to identify legal cannabis and lower their risk if they choose to consume.
To ensure the functioning of the Cannabis Act is continuously improving, Health Canada has launched an independent review of the legislation to examine the progress made towards achieving the Act’s objectives, and to help identify priority areas for improvement. An Expert Panel, chaired by Mr. Morris Rosenberg, will lead this credible and inclusive review.
As an initial step, an online engagement process has been launched and is open to all Canadians. We encourage you to read Taking Stock of Progress: Cannabis Legalization and Regulation in Canada and to share your views via the online questionnaire or through written feedback until November 21, 2022.
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples are also invited to read and provide feedback by November 21, 2022, on the Summary from Engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
As we look to the future, the Government of Canada will continue to provide clear, consistent and evidence-based information on the health and safety effects of cannabis use to people across the country, so they can better understand the risks and make more informed choices.
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P.
The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, P.C., M.P.
Associated links
Reduce your risk: Choose legal cannabis
Cannabis Resource Series – How to read and understand a cannabis product label
Pursue your Passion campaign
Authorized cannabis retailers in the provinces and territories
Canada’s lower-risk cannabis use guidelines
Accidental ingestion of illegal “copycat” edible cannabis products causing serious harm to children: Public Advisory
Canadian Cannabis Survey 2021: Summary
SOURCE Health Canada
For further information: Marie-France Proulx, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Maja Staka, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, 343-552-5568; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, media@hc-sc.gc.ca