Canadian Cannabis Companies Being Told To 'Voluntarily Undertake Actions' Here's What's Happening

Health Canada recently required several cannabis companies to stop selling certain products on the grounds that they were incorrectly labeled as extracts rather than edibles.

And now, reports MJBizDaily, Health Canada is looking into cannabis companies that allegedly misclassify products that exceed the 10-milligram THC limit.

Shane Morris, who worked for Aurora Cannabis Inc. ACB, Hexo Corp. HEXO and founded Ottawa-based Morris & Associates Consulting recently said, “For all ‘cannabis extracts.’ the THC quantity must not exceed 1,000 milligrams per immediate container. This is 100 times more THC per pack than what is permitted in an ‘edible’ class of cannabis product.”

Health Canada is working with these companies to solve the lack of compliance per an email the agency sent to MJBizDaily.

“Health Canada has identified edible cannabis products erroneously being classified and marketed as cannabis extract products,” says the agency in the email. “These non-compliant products do not meet the controls in the Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations which serve to mitigate against public health and public safety risks associated with edible cannabis.”

Health Canada declared that these cannabis companies must voluntarily undertake actions to come into compliance.

If not, the agency will take measures that range "from compliance promotion and awareness, which are intended to educate and prevent non-compliance, up to measures intended to correct non-compliance or address a public health or safety risk, such as the issuance of a warning letter, suspension or cancellation of a federal license, the issuance of a ministerial order, or the issuance of administrative monetary penalties."

What To Do? 

Licensed cannabis producers are being told to notify Health Canada months in advance of new products and then follow the government's Notice of New Cannabis Product (NNCP) process. However, there is no guarantee the products will be approved. The process is intended to provide companies with an opportunity to address compliance issues.

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Photo: Courtesy Of Hermes Rivera On Unsplash