After a 60-day consultation on how the government should regulate cannabis, Health Canada has come out with a proposal for potential changes.

The report released by Health Canada elaborates on two important elements of the draft regulations for cannabis, which include the requirements for packaging and labeling of products and micro-scale licenses.

Plain packaging will be mandatory for all #cannabis products, ensuring that they are not appealing to kids and have information necessary for consumers to make an informed choice. pic.twitter.com/wyVQp2VGgU

— Ginette Peti. Taylor (@GPTaylorMRD) March 19, 2018

A strict regulation on plain packaging and labeling will be mandatory for all cannabis products to reduce their appeal to youth and inform consumers of the potential risks. All products must also have a standard warning symbol that clearly shows that they contain cannabis, and must have one health warning message. 

All products will be required to have this warning symbol, which clearly indicates that they contain #cannabis. pic.twitter.com/3MlO12e6Fq

— Ginette Peti. Taylor (@GPTaylorMRD) March 19, 2018

Despite the fact that cannabis is illegal, 12% of Canadians reported using it at least once in 2015. That rate is even higher for young people, with usage as high as 21% among youth aged 15 to 19, and 30% among young adults aged 20 to 24.

“We are taking a public health approach to legalizing and regulating cannabis, and we are committed to keeping cannabis out of the hands of children and youth. Measures such as the packaging and labelling requirements announced today will help to achieve this goal,” said Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health.

Photo Credit: Health Canada

To control the marketing of cannabis products, Health Canada is proposing strict regulations on branding, logos, and colours.

Requirements for packaging:

• only one other brand element (in addition to the brand name) could be displayed. This element could include, for example, a slogan or logo. If it is a text element, the font must be no larger than the font of the health warning message, and must be a single, uniform colour. If the brand element is a graphic, image or logo, it would be required to be no larger than the standardized cannabis symbol;
• it would be prohibited to display any other image or graphic;
• label and package backgrounds would need to be a single, uniform colour (inside and outside);
• it would be prohibited to use any fluorescent or metallic colours;
• colours must contrast with the colours of the standardized cannabis symbol and the background of the health warning messages (see Annex B for details);
• labels and packaging could not have any coating (e.g. could not be glossy), embossing (raised or recessed relief images), texture, foil, cutouts or peel-away labels;
• any over-wrap must be clear; and
• it would be prohibited to include any insert in a package.

The Government of Canada has indicated that it intends to enact the Cannabis Bill by July 2018, subject to Parliament's approval and Royal Assent.

To see the full proposal from Health Canada, click here.