One Step Closer to Legalization of Marijuana in Canada: Release of Task Force Recommendations for Regulation of Cannabis

• A national minimum age of purchase of 18 years
• Restrictions on advertising and promotion similar to those applicable to tobacco and strict sanctions on false or misleading promotion (including with respect to therapeutic claims)
• Measures to manage appeal to children including requiring opaque and child-resistant packaging, “keep out of reach” warning labels, and prohibitions on products deemed to be “appealing to children”
• Plain packaging
• Labelling requirements with respect to levels of THC and CBD, food and beverage labelling requirements on edible products and warning information
• Establishment of a tax and pricing strategy that balances health protection with the goal of reducing the illicit market
• Development of educational strategies

• Regulation of production of cannabis and its derivatives drawing on the practices of the current cannabis for medical purposes system
• Use of licensing and production controls to encourage a diverse and competitive markets that includes small producers
• Provincial regulation of both wholesale and retail distribution (with a specific recommendation to avoid co-location of alcohol or tobacco and cannabis sales, where possible).  Notably, the Task Force recommends dedicated storefronts as well as direct-to-consumer sales
• Allowing personal cultivation of cannabis for non-medical purposes when specific conditions are met

• Implementation of enforceable penalties that limit criminal prosecution for less serious offences (potentially in a piece of distinct legislation such as a Cannabis Control Act), while maintaining criminal prosecution of offences such as trafficking and illicit production
• Implementation of a limit of 30 grams for the personal possession of non-medical dried cannabis in public (with a corresponding sales limit for dried cannabis)
• Extension of current restriction on public smoking of tobacco products to cannabis products
• Address impaired driving through development of a public education strategy (no specific cannabis driving limit is identified, but it is recommended that research and analysis be conducted to determine whether and how to establish a per se limit)

The Task Force recommendations include:

• Maintenance of a separate medical use regime to support patients
• Apply the same tax system for medical and non-medical cannabis products
• Promote and support research on the use of cannabis and cannabinoids for medical purposes