The Charter of the French language and its regulations govern the consultation of English-language content.
The Charter of the French language and its regulations govern the consultation of English-language content.
In January 2020, a little more than a year after cannabis was legalized in Canada, Canadian provinces were authorized by the federal government to begin selling edible cannabis products.
At the time, the Québec government decided to impose a few legal limitations of its own on cannabis edibles sold in the province. This Québec-only exception is why the SQDC didn’t begin selling ready-to-eat products until July 2022.
Avant toute chose, revenons à la base : en tant que province canadienne, le Québec doit se soumettre à deux lois en vigueur depuis 2018 :
Before anything else, let's get back to basics: as a Canadian province, Québec must abide by two laws that have been in effect since 2018:
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It is widely believed that it was Québec that introduced the ban on cannabis edibles appealing to young people.
Actually, Canada had already banned the sale and distribution of cannabis products appealing to young people on Canadian territory.
We can hear you thinking, “So why aren’t cannabis-infused chocolates sold in Québec when they’re widely available in the rest of Canada?”
To put it briefly, federal legislation gives some wiggle room to producers as to what constitutes a cannabis product with features directly targeting young people. If a product is deemed to have gone beyond the acceptable limits, Health Canada can intervene.
Specifically, under federal law, it is “prohibited to sell cannabis or a cannabis accessory that has an appearance, shape or other sensory attribute or a function that there are reasonable grounds to believe could be appealing to young persons.” Product packaging may not be esthetically appealing to young people either.
To ensure this provision isn’t interpreted too freely, Québec decided to be more explicit by specifying four types of products that are systematically deemed to be appealing to young people, namely:
In Canada, the first products that suppliers developed were chocolates and gummies, both of which are easily found on the underground market. In Québec, however, because these types of products are considered appealing to people under 21, suppliers have needed to use their imagination to develop other types of cannabis edibles to offer to customers.
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Because some cannabis products resembling plain candy appeal to young people, we saw a rise in the number of hospitalizations of children under 10 years old due to cannabis intoxication in the months following cannabis legalization. In Québec, where no cannabis gummies, candies or chocolates are sold, hospitalization rates remain unchanged two years after legalization.
Quite simply, because illicit market vendors have zero accountability, you can’t trust what they sell.
THC content
Unregulated THC content that can be much higher or lower than claimed*
*Because precise dosing requires advanced technology and strict quality control
Impact:
Distribution of cannabis
No assurance that the cannabis is evenly distributed throughout the product
Impact:
Quality and integrity
No guarantee regarding the production conditions:
THC content
Maximum THC content of 30 mg per package and 5 mg per distinguishable unit in the package
Impact:
Distribution of cannabis
Even distribution of cannabis throughout the edible, so you know the amount of THC ingested with each portion
Impact:
Quality and integrity
In every case, it is important to exercise caution in choosing and storing cannabis products so they’re not accidentally consumed by a child or pet.
The SQDC is also careful to adapt to the social acceptance of legally selling cannabis.
When data show that most Québecers have hesitations about a given category of cannabis product being introduced, it is best to proceed slowly to avoid having to remove the products from our shelves.
With the successful completion of each new step, as we demonstrate that selling cannabis does not have a major impact on public health and safety, we gain a little more of the trust of our fellow citizens. This trust allows us to move forward, together, toward destigmatizing – without commodifying – cannabis and cannabis users.
As a government corporation, the SQDC has the duty to satisfy customer demand by offering the safest cannabis products possible within the bounds of the legal framework. That is why the SQDC’s product offer evolves in pace with Québecers’ perceptions.
To support its suppliers in their product development efforts, the SQDC informs them of customers’ expectations and the business and regulatory requirements
In developing a product, suppliers have to assess the risks associated with retailing the product, make sure it isn’t appealing to young people under 21 and verify that it is socially acceptable.
Suppliers also have to demonstrate that adding the product to the SQDC catalogue adds value for customers.
Lastly, once the product is fully developed and the quality control tests have been passed, the supplier has to choose packaging compliant with all Health Canada standards.
At the end of the process, the SQDC may provide training to its advisors before introducing the product in stores and on its website.
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Canadian law places cannabis beverages in the big edible family. Several ready-to-drinks along with cooking ingredients and decarb products are also sold at the SQDC.
Customers can also buy edible products infused only with CBD, meaning they have no psychotropic effect.
To learn more, see our article on cannabis edibles.
Using ready-to-eat products may seem appealing to consumers due to their flavour and more intuitive method of use. That said, people who want to consume cannabis by ingesting it can also buy cannabis oil at the SQDC. Cannabis oil is ingested, like edibles. What’s more, although the unit doses are limited to no more than 10 mg THC, the container usually contains several units.
To learn more about using cannabis oil, click here.
References
Cannabis Regulation Act, CQLR c C-5.3, <https://www.canlii.org/en/qc/laws/stat/cqlr-c-c-5.3/204703/cqlr-c-c-5.3.html> retrieved on May 24, 2023
Cannabis Act, SC 2018, c 16, <https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/sc-2018-c-16/212925/sc-2018-c-16.html> retrieved on May 24, 2023
Cannabis Act, SC 2018, c 16, s 26, <https://canlii.ca/t/944x#sec26>, retrieved on May 24, 2023
Cannabis Act, SC 2018, c 16, a 31, <https://canlii.ca/t/944x#sec31>, retrieved on May 24, 2023
Myran, D. T., Tanuseputro, P., Auger, N., Konikoff, L., Talarico, R., & Finkelstein, Y. (2022). Edible cannabis legalization and unintentional poisonings in children. New England Journal of Medicine, 387(8), 757-759.
Regulation to determine other classes of cannabis that may be sold by the Société québécoise du cannabis and certain standards respecting the composition and characteristics of cannabis, CQLR c C-5.3, r.0.1, <https://www.canlii.org/en/qc/laws/regu/cqlr-c-c-5.3-r0.1/165389/cqlr-c-c-5.3-r0.1.html> retrieved on May 24, 2023
Health Canada. (2023). Drugs and medication > Cannabis. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis.html
Properly storing cannabis products doesn’t just mean keeping them in a cool, dark place. It also means putting them in a safe place. Make sure your products are stored out of the reach of children and pets, are properly labelled as to their composition and concentration and are stored separately from everyday foods.
The recommended storage methods (temperature, humidity, exposure to light and air) are printed on the back of the product package.
Ready-to-drink beverages, infusions (tea, coffee), oils, oral spays, capsules, decarb powders, cooking ingredients, tinctures and ready-to-eat products unappealing to children and teens.
Oils, capsules and oral sprays as well as beverages and infusions are alternatives to the edible cannabis products allowed under the Cannabis Act. Sublingual strips are not categorized as edibles because sublingual placement and ingestion are different methods of use.
The main difference between inhaling and ingesting cannabis is the time required for the effects to appear. With inhaling, the onset of effects takes 1 to 5 minutes while for ingesting 30 to 60 minutes are typically required.
Edibles are sold foods or beverages that have been infused with cannabis extracts or concentrates containing pre-activated (decarboxylated) cannabinoids.
Legal edible cannabis products help ensure user safety due to the transparency offered by their list of ingredients and Nutrition Facts table, allergen warning, the reliability of the production process and the consistency of cannabinoid content from portion to portion.
The SQDC sells a range of quality cannabis products with a lower risk level, all of which have been authorized by Health Canada.
Relaxing, stimulating and mood-altering: cannabis can have effects that are pleasant or undesirable. Learn what causes the effects and determines how intense they are and how long they last.
Are you or a friend or family member dealing with a problem related to cannabis use? Several assistance resources are available to you. Take advantage of them!