Pharmacies in Canada may sell cases of CBD but not gas stations

A committee representing Health Canada published a review of the safety and effectiveness of CBD. The committee consists of nine volunteers and was founded in 2019 with four goals related to cannabis. Pharmacies in Canada are allowed to sell CBD in a box over the counter. However, don’t expect Canadian gas stations to be selling CBD anytime soon.

Canadian Cannabis Regulations

Canada legalized non-medical cannabis in 2018, but the country introduced a medical system back in 2001. Cannabis sold for medicinal or adult use in Canada is generally regulated by Good Manufacturing Practices rather than the Food and Drugs Act. The only exceptions are a small handful of prescription cannabis drugs, which are supported by years of clinical trial data.

The inclusion of CBD under the Food and Drugs Act allows patients to self-medicate and purchase CBD from convenience stores. A cannabis retail license would not be required to sell CBD. And patients don’t need a prescription under the new recommendations. Of course, CBD products should go untouched in heavily taxed cannabis stores.

The committee reviewed CBD sleep and pain, but only found benefits with stress relief.

science for the stakeholders

Health Canada is not required to make a recommendation into the law. However, the review supports scientific evidence to allow regulatory structures to be restored. The committee presented ten recommendations, including considerations for pets.

Recently, the peer-reviewed literature documenting cannabis has proliferated. The committee validated over 1500 sources of information, most of which focused on double-blind studies, observational studies, and in-depth meta-analyses.

According to the review, stakeholders may not be satisfied with the committee’s thinking. “We recognize that while these recommendations may not meet the perceived needs of all stakeholders, we believe our recommendations strike a balance between safety and accessibility (which are not mutually exclusive).” Finally, during the Health Canada in 2019 sought views from stakeholders in the cannabis health care industry and Canadian.

labels and borders

The cannabinoid profile in non-prescription CBD products must be 98% cannabidiol. And the product must contain no more than 1% THC. The restrictions supposedly prevent poisoning even with a maximum recommended daily dose of 200 milligrams.

Only pharmacies will sell over-the-counter CBD if Health Canada adopts the sixth recommendation, which aims to boost accessibility for physicians. Not surprisingly, the committee recommended an extensive list of warnings and directions for CBD products available without a prescription. To accommodate the length of these warnings, an insert may be placed in a box with the CBD product.

Labels on over-the-counter CBD products should also provide clear instructions on how to report adverse events, according to the committee’s recommendations. The insert should also clearly indicate the cannabinoid content, source, extraction method, and any solvent residue.

Doses, the unknowns, and short-term use

With the available evidence (1), the volunteers could not estimate a specific dose. Instead, the review recommended a maximum daily intake of 200 milligrams for healthy adults. And only short-term use for up to 30 days was recommended by the committee. Unknowns related to absorption, chemovariables, formulation and a plethora of factors prevented more specific dose recommendations.

The volunteers were very concerned about the liver and drug interactions. But grapefruit, maca root, and bioflavonoids found in many foods can disrupt processes similar to CBD. And food concentrates are not discussed with the same concern.

With that in mind, herbal CBD products and grapefruit do interfere with the functioning of certain medications. And critical medications affected by CBD and grapefruit, for example, can be critical to a particular person’s heart function.

Pregnant women, children, pets, LGBQT2+

FAAH, an enzyme inhibited by CBD, plays an important role in various hormones. Therefore, CBD will affect men and women in unique ways. However, the committee clearly stated that its recommendations cannot cover “individuals who identify as LGBQT2+”. This is supposedly due to a lack of information on gender differences.

Due to a lack of evidence, the committee could not recommend CBD for children or pregnant women without a prescription. Of course, those with underlying medical conditions should consult their doctor or healthcare professional. And the review warned people trying to treat pets with CBD. Although a body of evidence supports the use of CBD in dogs in pain as long as there is a veterinary diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

Sources

• MacCallum CA, Russo EB. Practical Considerations for Administering and Dosing Medical Cannabis. Eur J Intern Med. 2018;49:12-19. doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2018.01.004