When Did Cannabis Edibles, Extracts, and Topicals Become Legal in Canada?

Cannabis edibles, extracts, and topicals including vaping products officially became legal in Canada on October 17, 2019. However, Health Canada required LPs to submit these products for approval, and the subsequent two-month review pushed back availability to the public to mid-December. In some provinces including Alberta and Ontario, these products were not available until early January 2020 due to an additional review period for sales within those jurisdictions.

Dig a Little Deeper

When Canada legalized cannabis on October 17, 2018, it primarily related to dried cannabis. Other cannabis products such edibles (including beverages), extracts, and topicals such as balms and lotions are still illegal. According to Health Canada, they will be legalized “no later than October 17, 2019”. Health Canada released proposed regulations for edibles and other classes of cannabis products in December 2018.

However, provinces may have the power to further regulate these other cannabis products just as they can with other regulations including age limits, where cannabis can be consumed, and whether or not people can grow their own. Quebec in particular has indicated that it may further regulate edibles or ban them altogether.