Will the rules for cannabis drinks change?

Cannabis beverage regulations are likely to change soon. Recently, cannabis companies and Health Canada advocates have been pushing to reform the regulations.

Cannabis drinks have become a new trend, but you may have noticed some annoyances while shopping for them. For example, have you ever tried buying CBD infused beer? These drinks usually come in single doses and rarely as six-packs. The reason for this lies in the current regulations surrounding cannabis beverages. In the case of beverages, manufacturers are not allowed to sell any product containing more than 10 mg of cannabis. Even if a single can of beer contains less than 10 mg, if the entire six-pack exceeds that limit, it’s game over.

In addition, an entire transaction cannot contain more than 2.1 liters of cannabis. So it’s perfectly legal to buy a dozen bottles of vodka and gin, but retailers won’t allow you to exceed that 2.1 liter limit for cannabis beverages. These restrictions make it quite difficult for buyers, retailers, and producers. Buyers have to work with arbitrary purchase limits while retailers have to clumsily explain why they are restricting their purchases. Manufacturers have to deal with regulations that can make their products less attractive. In particular, since purchasing cannabis beverages can be a chore, buyers could opt for other options, which can result in losses for the manufacturer.

Photo by: Cottonbro

So will the rules change?

Numerous companies and cannabis advocates have asked Health Canada for change. Groups like the Cannabis Council of Canada have highlighted the above issues created by the current regulations. This goes back to a consultation held back in December 2020 in which Health Canada asked questions about restrictions on cannabis beverages. In particular, they asked industry experts whether the 2.1 liter limit should be raised and the reasons for their response. Overall, Health Canada appears to be receptive to regulatory changes. The question then arises when this revision of the rules will come into force.

These changes should also help the emerging industry a lot. We first saw cannabis drinks hit shelves in 2020, but initial sales have been bumpy. If regulations are relaxed, buying cannabis beverages should become less of a hassle. As a result, more people will be comfortable buying it, especially those who normally have nothing to do with cannabis.

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