Weak Edibles Means Stronger Illegal Market: NORML Canada
Jennawae Cavion, NORML Canada executive director and owner of Calyx+Trichomes cannabis retail store in Kingston, ONt., said that weak edibles mean legal cannabis retailers can’t compete with the illegal market. Liberal MP Patrick Weiler agreed. That’s why he’s sponsoring a bill in the House of Commons to get Health Canada to up the maximum legal limit of THC from 10mg to 100mg.
“Consumers of edible cannabis are seeking much higher limits than what is available through the legal market in Canada,” Weiler said. When they can’t find it, they either buy more packages of edibles to get the amount they want or go to the illegal market.
“I shouldn’t have to eat 10 fun-sized chocolate bars when I can just have a few squares of one chocolate bar — if it has to be chocolate at all,” Cavion said. “It’s driving the market to the unregulated market, which (licensed) cannabis retailers cannot compete with.”
Illegal cannabis retailers including one in Toronto offer 1,000mg-edibles – 100 times stronger than the legal max. As many point out, 10mg is a good starting point for those new to cannabis and edibles. But those weak edibles are not enough for those with higher tolerance levels.
Weak Edibles Like “Non-alcoholic Vodka” – LPC
One advocate for higher THC levels likened weak edibles to non-alcoholic vodka. However, some of those opposed to raising THC limits feel that’s just fine.
“Given the potential public health risks, I would place the onus on the petitioners to provide market research that shows there is truly high consumer demand for higher THC product,” said Michael DeVillaer, an assistant professor with McMaster University’s department of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience. “But even if there is such demand, that does not mean we should imperil public health protection for the industry’s interests in market expansion.”
DeVillaer, who recently published a book on the Canadian cannabis industry called “Buzz Kill: The Corporatization of Cannabis”, said that the industry should clean itself up if it truly wants to compete with illegal cannabis.
“If the cannabis industry and government are sincere about wanting to compete with the unlicensed trade, they need to clean up the licensed one,” he said.
However, some believe this attitude further stigmatizes cannabis use. Cavion sees it as being as much about public attitudes as public health.
“If we want legalization to be a success, we can’t be limiting the creativity of licensed producers,” she said. “This isn’t an institutional product; it’s recreational cannabis. It’s literally meant for us to have fun.”
Which raises another question: do all the people who raise concerns about cannabis actually believe it’s fun? Would they be happier of legalized cannabis never happened in Canada?
Weak edibles is the latest battleground in the tug of war between safe (some might say overly safe) regulations and unfettered corporate freedom. Canada has always tended towards the safe – and often for good reason. But taking away choice from the consumer isn’t the best way to keep people safe. In fact, quite the opposite. If weak edibles are driving people to the relatively unsafe illegal market, maybe we should re-evaluate what “safe” actually means in relation to adult-use cannabis.
Read the Original Story on the National Post Here
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